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Volume License Product Key

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by ahowley

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Here's my situation: I created a XP Pro image from the OS pre-installed from XP. I finished the image and used sysprep. When the PC reboots into sysprep, the product key is invalid. I verified that I'm using the correct product key. So, I'm wondering if there is a way to change the OEM Product Key to the volume licence product key.

7 replies

by sgt_shultz

is this what you want? from support.microsoft.com mskb article 299840 How to Use Sysprep with Windows Product Activation or Volume License Media to Deploy Windows XP

Sysprep and Volume Licensing
If you are planning a large deployment of Windows XP, obtain Volume License (VL) media and use Volume Licensing. Activation is not required when you use Volume License media (VL versions of Windows XP) in conjunction with the VL product keys.

Microsoft Volume Licensing customers can enter their unique VL product keys into the unattend answer file. With Sysprep, you enter this key in your Sysprep.inf file under the "UserData" section by using the "ProductKey=" entry, for example:

[UserData]
ProductKey= "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

This enables Windows XP to install successfully.

Note If you use Volume License product keys with VL media, you are only required to enter the VL product key in the "UserData" section by using the ProductKey parameter as shown above. If you use Sysprep you need to edit the unattended answer file (Sysprep.inf).

by ahowley

I know and completed this part of sysprep successfully. The problem is that I created the image with the pre-installed HP OS. Now when sysprep tries to change the product key, XP states that I'm using an invalid product key.

by w2ktechman

First I want to mention that HP employees are only allowed 1 non-work copy of XP with their license. Now that that is out of the way,

You can strip the product key from windows on the image and reassign it the product key for the volume license.

If you got the product key from HP before SP1 then it has been changed. Microsoft found too many pirated copies and disabled the ability to even install SP1 on these machines. Furthermore, this code has been locked out of any updates.
you will need to update the image with a valid product key. But unless it is work related, I (which I doubt because you have the old key most likely) I will not help any further other than to say to have your manager get a valid key.

by ahowley

Thanks for your answer and actually this is work related. We just received a large shipment of HP laptops and I began to create an XP image with the XP image pre-installed on the laptop. So, I have a valid volume license key that needs to replace the HP product key on the master image. How can I strip the key on the image if the file system is NTFS?

Thanks again.

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