MrMagicHat

Sorry to double-post, but does anyone have any ideas on the above post?

Okay, so i think i've got it down. I'm going to "reseal" the system and then make an image of it on a different partition, then when the user restores via that partition, they'd need to activate again. Would this work? Does wpa still activate if the machine is the same, or would i need to make the image after windows is activated? Also, I'm trying to get this processes as automated as possible, problems i have now are as follows: 1. I'm trying to have the backup partition be type 0x12, which is the standard recovery partition type [secretly fat16/32], but when i boot from it after installing DOS to it, DOS can't boot (mounting issue i think). Is there a way to trick DOS into knowing that the partition is DOS compatible even though the type isn't? Or is there a way i could run an even more streamlined OS right off the drive that would be able to run partitioning tools and some batch scripting? 2. Is there a freeware program like savepart that i could run from command line in windows (for use during preinstallation)? 3. Is there a freeware program that would give me the ability to change partition types (a la grub's parttype command) from command line in windows preinstallation?

okay, so i've made the backup image, but how would I get my activation, by means of wpa or other, to be stored here? That is to say, I've made a "ghost" of the partition before resealing (via. sysprep). I'd ultimatly like this to be similar to a major OEM's recovery partition, where it'd bring the box to the state right after resealing, but have wpa work again. Does that seem feasible?

So i've been able to create the partitions, get the bootloader to load the recovery partition using "F9" on boot (via. XOSL [thanks for the suggestion]), and i've made the partitions inaccessable in windows, but now i've just got to get either an image of the completed windows install, or the files to install windows on that recovery partition. Which way would be better/easier?

Is it possible to backup your WPA files (after activation) to a WinPE partition (as i386\wpa.db_ or in a cab) and then have them restored after a reformat/restoration?

For a while now, I've been looking into making my own "system restore" partition/disk a la Dell or other major manufactorers. My main question at this point, though, is does WPA treat the OEM version of XP different than the Retail. For example, does the OEM version "attach" itself to your hardware, meaning that I could theoretically format my drive and reinstall and reactivate, with no penalties?