infotime

Trying this for the first time and am not sure if the OEMBIOS files should be compressed or not. I can pull the files I most frequently need and have had success with for normal installs off of my Dell and Gateway CDs. Those files are compressed, i.e. OEMBIOS.DA_ instead of OEMBIOS.DAT. I'm going to try expanding them before putting them in the OEMSCAN folders. Is this correct?

I'd like to build and maintain one CD with all the drivers and latest updates to reinstall Windows on any Dell, HP, Gateway (or other Royalty OEM) system. I do residential and small business computer service and these are the brands I most frequently encounter. I've been reading these two threads: Multi Manufacturer Pre-Activation Building a Pre-activated CD from an existing installation I've already got install CDs for Dell, Gateway and HP so I've probably got the files I need. My question is: Did Bezalel ever get the Multi Manufacture Pre-Activation CD built? The thread seems to have all kinds of information about collecting the signatures, but I couldn't find any info about anyone getting the ideal setup working. Is there a writeup somewhere on how to build this? Thanks in advance!

Question about staying legal with a Microsoft XP license transfer. Here's the hypothetical situation: You have an old Dell PC and it needs some work. Rather than repair it you decide to buy a new $199 PC at Wal-Mart that does not include an operating system. You peel off the product key sticker from the Dell then open the hard drive and smash it's platters into tiny fragments. Next, you open up your Wal-Mart PC and install Windows XP OEM version and use your old product key to activiate it. Is this legitimate in Microsoft's eyes? I found this at http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx I looked at the End User License Agreement on my Media Center 2005 version of XP and found this language (which looked the same as what I found on a HP system that I was running a recovery install at the same time): How is this generally interpreted? My understanding was that OEM versions of XP such as the one that comes on a Dell or HP cannot be moved to a different computer, that they're forever bonded to that machine. I run into this situation occasionally. A customer's machine is either too old and / or needs too much work to repair. It would be cheaper to buy a new one. But, it would be nice to not have to pay for the XP license again. The old computer would be destroyed, parted out, or maybe brought back to life as a Linux box. It certainly wouldn't run the same product key'd XP.

Building an XP Home CD I can use on any PC I have a small business where I focus on home computer users. This means that a lot of my time is spent reinstalling Windows XP on Dells, Gateways, HP and Compaq computers. Probably 80% of my work is on Dells. My first goal is to build a CD that I can do a 99% hands free install on any Dell Dimension that came from the factory with XP Home. I've used nLite and integrated SP2 on a CD that I've used for a long time. Recently I added all the hotfixes -- that was very nice! Next I want to integrate the drivers and run it unattended. So on to my question. How do I go about collecting the drivers I'll integrate onto this CD? My idea was to integrate them over time. Each time I have another Dimension to work on I'll integrate all of it's drivers from the C:\Drivers directory. After a while I'd probably have them all covered. Keep in mind that 99% of the Dell systems I work on are Dimensions of the XP Home flavor.

About 10 months ago I created a Windows XP SP2 integrated CD for Dell systems using nLite. How does the Product Key work for Dell systems? I've been using a copy of a Dell Windows XP Home CD with SP2 integrated using nLite to reinstall XP Home and many different Dell Dimension desktop machines. I've never noticed any issues with XP product keys by doing this. It installs fine on all those machines, never asks for a product key, and passes the Windows Geniune Advantage tests. So I never had cause for concern. Now I'm concerned. I've never fully understood how the Dell CDs work. I thought there was some kind of BIOS check it did and if it was being installed on a Dell PC that had come with XP it was OK. When tried on an older Dell that shipped with ME, for example, it wouldn't work. I've been able to install from that disk to an HP but was prompted for a product key. Now I've noticed that there is a product key on the disk (winnt.sif) and it's ending up on all those PCs. If I have been a total id*** and screwed up a bunch of computers, go easy on me please. So, how do I make a CD where I don't have to worry about the product key? I could remove it from the CD? Leave it and manually enter it from the sticker after install using Magic Jellybean? Leave it because the individual product key is not that important? I'll be using a current Dell CD with SP2 "from the factory" and integrating the hotfixes using RyanVM's download and nLite.

Trying to figure out how to install Firefox on XP systems that will have mulitple user accounts. For several months I've been using Simon's script to install Firefox with all my favorite extensions. The limitation is that the extensions only work for the user under which the install was run. If I log on as a different user the extensions are in the list (Tools - Extensions) but I can't do anything with them. Tonight I found Silence of the Foxes method and that works pretty good. I've read the entire thread. This method works for multiple users for me by running the created installer as each user. This would be OK, but I'd really like to do this just one time. I would have settled for this but am having problems with Forecastfox (that I'll start a separate thread for). I know it has to do with profiles and maybe setting a default profile of some sort. Please don't tell me to search. I've spent hours doing that but still haven't been able to figure it out. Could someone please help, this is driving me nuts.

I've got SOF working pretty well except for Forecastfox 0.8.2.4. I had the same problem as malinduta: I'm not sure how he added that folder and to where it was added. I tried several variations with no help. Any ideas?

I'm a little confused on qchain.exe. One poster says I need it. Another says I don't?

I see this is detailed in How to install multiple Windows updates or hotfixes with only one reboot. So, do I just make my last entry: qchain.exe Also, do I have the right switches? I get different options when running a hotfix with /? What does the /q /n /z do?

I'm trying to find an easy way to add all the post-SP2 fixes to ANY previously install Windows XP that has just had the XP SP2 update installed. Could I just use a simple batch file like this one: start /wait Windows-KB890830-V1.2-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB867282-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB873333-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB873339-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB885250-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB885626-v2-x86-enu.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB885835-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB885836-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB886185-x86-enu.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB887742-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB888113-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB888302-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB890047-X86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB890175-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait WindowsXP-KB891781-x86-ENU.exe /q /n /z start /wait gdidettool.exe /Q:A /R:N Does the order of the hotfixes matter? Anything else I should know?