unattend will not process product key

**danno74** · February 4, 2008

We have a volume license key for Vista Business at our university and it's not working. If I manually install Vista, it will not take the key during setup, but will once the install is running and I activate it with this product key. When I put the product key under the User Input key under Windows PE settings, it stops the unattend saying that the product key is invalid.

I've tried to bypass entering the product key, but it spits me out at the screen to enter it every time.

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <servicing /> 
- <settings pass="oobeSystem">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <InputLocale>en-us</InputLocale> 
  <SystemLocale>en-us</SystemLocale> 
  <UILanguage>en-us</UILanguage> 
  <UserLocale>en-us</UserLocale> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <OOBE>
  <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage> 
  <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation> 
  <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC> 
  <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE> 
  </OOBE>
  <RegisteredOrganization /> 
  <RegisteredOwner /> 
- <UserAccounts>
- <AdministratorPassword>
  <Value>adminpassword</Value> 
  <PlainText>false</PlainText> 
  </AdministratorPassword>
- <LocalAccounts>
- <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
- <Password>
  <Value>password</Value> 
  <PlainText>false</PlainText> 
  </Password>
  <Name>user</Name> 
  <DisplayName>user</DisplayName> 
  <Group>administrators</Group> 
  </LocalAccount>
  </LocalAccounts>
  </UserAccounts>
- <Display>
  <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution> 
  <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution> 
  <RefreshRate>72</RefreshRate> 
  <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth> 
  <DPI>120</DPI> 
  </Display>
  </component>
  </settings>
- <settings pass="specialize">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <SkipAutoActivation>false</SkipAutoActivation> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <ComputerName>*</ComputerName> 
  <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone> 
  <CopyProfile>false</CopyProfile> 
  <RegisteredOrganization>Campus Technology Services</RegisteredOrganization> 
  <RegisteredOwner>State University of New York as Oswego</RegisteredOwner> 
  <ProductKey>PRODUCTKEY</ProductKey> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <Identification>
  <JoinWorkgroup>Oswego</JoinWorkgroup> 
  </Identification>
  </component>
  </settings>
  <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/users/cts-admin/desktop/install.wim#Windows Vista BUSINESS" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> 
  </unattend>

I am assuming what is causing the initial problem manually is also a culprit, but you know what happens when you assume.

Thanks in advance.

- Dan

**cluberti** · February 5, 2008

Have you checked carefully your <productkey> section? It should look something like this:

<ProductKey>
	<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
	<Key>xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx</Key>
</ProductKey>

**SKiNNiEH** · February 5, 2008

This portion is critical as i understand it:

<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>

**danno74** · February 5, 2008

I apologize, I inserted the wrong file.

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
- <settings pass="windowsPE">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale> 
  <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale> 
  <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
  <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale> 
- <SetupUILanguage>
  <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
  </SetupUILanguage>
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <UserData>
- <ProductKey>
  <Key>ProductKey</Key> 
  <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> 
  </ProductKey>
  <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula> 
  <FullName>Campus Technology Services</FullName> 
  <Organization>State University of New York at Oswego</Organization> 
  </UserData>
- <Display>
  <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth> 
  <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution> 
  <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution> 
  </Display>
- <ImageInstall>
- <OSImage>
- <InstallFrom>
- <MetaData wcm:action="add">
  <Key>/IMAGE/INDEX</Key> 
  <Value>1</Value> 
  </MetaData>
  </InstallFrom>
  <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition> 
  <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> 
  </OSImage>
  </ImageInstall>
  </component>
  </settings>
- <settings pass="specialize">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation> 
  </component>
  </settings>
- <settings pass="oobeSystem">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <Display>
  <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth> 
  <DPI>96</DPI> 
  <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution> 
  <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution> 
  </Display>
- <AutoLogon>
  <Enabled>true</Enabled> 
  <LogonCount>2</LogonCount> 
  <Username>Administrator</Username> 
  </AutoLogon>
- <OOBE>
  <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage> 
  <NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation> 
  <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC> 
  <SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE> 
  <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE> 
  </OOBE>
  <TimeZone>Eastern Time Zone</TimeZone> 
  </component>
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale> 
  <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale> 
  <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
  <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale> 
  </component>
  </settings>
  <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/install.wim#Windows Vista BUSINESS" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> 
  </unattend>

The <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> is included.

With the above xml, it spits me out at the "Type your product key for activation" prompt. Any idea?

Edited February 5, 2008 by danno74

**danno74** · February 5, 2008

I think this has something to do with the ongoing problem with my product key that I mentioned in the first post. I enter the product key and I get the "Windows installation has encountered an error and needs to be restarted" error. But like I said, once I install Vista w/o the key, and just activate it once everything is loaded, activation is successful.

Should I post this question under another topic, or do you folks have any thoughts?

Thank you.

- Dan

**danno74** · February 5, 2008

RE: the xml file, for the time being if I wanted to skip activation, is that possible? Just bypass it altogether so I at leastg know everything else works?

Thanks,

- Dan

**anyweb** · February 6, 2008

key's are tied to the actual media. so what Vista DVD are you using ? business OEM or business retail or business VLK/MSDN ?

**JononE** · February 7, 2008

I was under the impression that adding a valid product key was usless anyway ? as Vista looks for a key Server to licence itself against. I thought you had to contact Microsoft with your Product Key to get the details and user information for your Key Server, and Vista then uses that...

Or am I totally lost on this ?

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unattend will not process product key

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