Re: Questions about sysprep tool

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"XP Guy" <XP@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4A25C5FE.4A9575ED@xxxxxxxxxx
Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:

Will sysprep ask for a _new_ product key? Can I give it
a new product key "Y"? Will it ask to contact MS to
validate itself - regardless if I give it new product
key "Y" ?

Sysprep doesn't ask for a key, it (by default) resets Windows
so that Windows asks for an activation key. You supply it
whatever key is appropriate. Windows then does the normal
activation process.

Maybe I'm not understanding something.

When you install XP, it asks for a product key at some point early
in
the install process. It checks the key for some sort of internal
consistency (checksum or some other undocumented method). If it
thinks
the key is legit, it will continue and finish the installation.

Now, once XP is up and running, you have 30 days to *validate* the
key.
The key may be legit, but it may not be valid. That's when the
system
interacts with MS to determine if the key is valid (at least for OEM
or
retail versions of the product key).

Sysprep may take the cloned drive and revert it back to the state
where
the system thinks the product key hasn't yet been validated - but
will
it allow me to *change* the product key prior to starting the
validation
process? If it doesn't, then every drive I clone and run sysprep on
will have the same product key, and practically nothing will have
been
gained by the whole excercise and I could just clone the master
drive
when-ever I need to put XP on a new system.

Or am I missing something?

As I said, sysprep resets Windows activation so that Windows asks for
a key. This happens during the first boot of the system after
deploying the sysprepped image. Windows then does its normal
activation process (verify the key / checksum then validate the key).
In other words, after running sysprep it is like you had never entered
a key at all.

--
Zaphod

Arthur: All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's
something big and sinister going on in the world.
Slartibartfast: No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the
universe gets that.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Questions about sysprep tool
    ... Sysprep doesn't ask for a key, ... it asks for a product key at some point early in ... Now, once XP is up and running, you have 30 days to *validate* the key. ... activation is reset on the master as a part of the process. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: HELP SYSPREP EMERGENCY
    ... You are prompted for the product key while the Windows XP Setup program is running, ... Windows Desktop Experience ... I have a problem I am using the latest sysprep from microsoft for windows XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Product Activation after RIS setup
    ... you could take out the product key in your sysprep answer file so that it ... activate using that unique key and not a General OEM key. ... To get yourself out of this situation in future Deployments with Windows XP ... entered the product key, listed in the whitepage. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • RE: SYSPREP on OEM Versions of Windows
    ... Sysprep should work on the OEM editions as well as Web edition. ... The activation wizard would have an option to change the product key. ... |>Is the SYSPREP utility supposed to not work on OEM versions of Windows? ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)
  • RE: volume licence key used on images
    ... You are prompted for the product key while the Windows XP Setup program is ... Quick Guide to Preinstalling Windows: ... How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP: ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)