Re: Using sysprep to mimic OEM Windows Welcome

Point well taken on the CD Keys. These machines actually shipped with
either Windows 98 or 2000; we purchased XP Pro retail CDs for them later
when we got some newer computers that had shipped with XP, just to keep
things uniform. (We also beefed up the memory in them when we upgraded them
to XP.) I have collected the retail XP CD Keys and discs for each machine;
since the hardware is nearly identical on all these machines (although some
shipped with 98 and some with 2000, they all bear the same OEM model number)
here's what I was planning:

1. Image my reference machine just before sysprep is run.
2. Deploy the image to all the other machines.
3. Individually start each machine, tweak any minor driver issues if needed,
customize sysprep.inf with a CD Key for that machine, and run sysprep prior
to delivery.
4. Since the version of XP we purchased for these machines was obviously
pre-SP2, I have taken the original retail CDs and created copies of them
into which I've slipstreamed SP2. I had planned to give the buyers both the
original CD with CD Key, and the slipstreamed copy, since I don't need them.
The reference installation was done with a slipstreamed CD.

Does that make sense? Should there be any licensing issues with that?

Regarding the music during Windows Welcome: the audio actually works fine.
All other sounds play during windows welcome, SFX, clicking sounds, etc --
just not the music that I've normally heard paying during Windows welcome on
an OEM machine.

Thanks again for all input. I'm trying to do this partly to make setup
easier for the employees who buy, and partly for my own learning experience.
:-)

Bryan


"Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23g3z8xATFHA.2996@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> An OEM version of Windows XP requires a specific Product Key.
> You cannot use the same OEM Product Key for multiple installations.
> Also, you must supply the buyer with the Windows XP installation CD
> along with the Product Key.
>
> If you hear no sound, then the correct soundcard drivers need to be
> installed.
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows XP - Shell/User
> Microsoft Newsgroups
>
> Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Bryan L" wrote:
>
> | I don't have the OPK version of sysprep; I installed XP from a
> slipstreamed
> | SP2 CD. I'm trying to prep some old machines for sale to employees;
> since
> | even the old machines were licensed for XP I'm trying to set them up to
> be
> | as similar as possible to the way Windows Welcome runs on OEM machines.
> I'm
> | pretty close, there are only a few things not behaving as I'd like:
> |
> | - The music doesn't play during Windows Welcome.
> | - Windows Welcome prompts for the CD Key even though it's been provided
> in
> | sysprep.inf.
> | - Even though sysprep.inf contains the line ComputerName=*, the
> pre-sysprep
> | computername is pre-filled in the form. I'd like it to either generate
> a
> | completely random computername or leave it completely blank. I don't
> want
> | the pre-sysprep computername to be pre-filled as an option. (Is no
> | computername being automatically generated because no organization has
> been
> | specified?)
> |
> | Other than those things I'm mostly satisfied with how it's working now.
> Can
> | anyone tell me if I can resolve any of those behaviours with the
> standard
> | version of XP SP2 Sysprep or if I would need the OPK?
> |
> | Oh, also, even though I've installed hotfix 887816, the Administrator
> | profile still seems to copied into the Default User profile; annoying,
> since
> | I've spent considerable time customizing the default user profile. I've
> | successfully used that hotfix to resolve this issue when imaging new
> | computers for deployment in our domain, the main difference being that
> | sysprep runs mini-setup instead of Windows Welcome, and that it joins
> the
> | computer to the domain. Any ideas on this as well?
> |
> | Thanks in advance,
> |
> | BJ
>


.

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