I thought XP SP3 asks for CD key AFTER you finish install?

[gospeed]

i'd be interested in doing learning how to do this part unattended as well.

I haven't found any way to do so yet.

The Unattended Setup is part of nLite you just need to input the needed info for it like your licence key etc etc

Hope this helps

Actually it doesnt....because what we are trying to accomplish is typing in the key LATER, not during an unattended install. Just like the thread title.

[William_Syd]

XP SP3 still asks for the key at the same place it used to. The difference is you can just press "Next" with the key being blank, and then press "No" to a prompt that pops up, and then it's successfully bypassed entering a key during installation.

Here's a screenshot:

What I don't know is how to do this unattended.

If you run Magic Jellybean key finder it will find a fake key that setup uses.

Maybe put that key into your unattend file.

[gospeed]

Thats what I have been doing, using a dud key. But then instead of windows asking you to change it, you need to do it manually. I just wanted to take advantage of the new sp3 feature- guess it isnt that easy

[SilverArrow]

The reason why your slipstreamed SP3 XP Pro is asking for the CD key during installation and not after you finish installing XP is because you slipstreamed SP3 onto a gold version of XP Pro. If you were to slipstreamed SP3 onto a sp1 or sp2 xp pro, then xp will give you 30 days before asking for the CD key. I read this on the website below

Here is a quote and a link to the article

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp3_cd.htm

"That is not to say you can't use a Gold Edition CD as the basis for a slipstreamed CD. That is certainly possible, and it does install without problems as far as I can tell, but you will have to enter the product key during the installation procedure rather than have the option to defer entering it until after installation is complete".

[gospeed]

Actually, it is working as it should, it lets me bypass the key entry. (If I do not supply a key, it stops and asks for one. If I tell it I dont want to provide it now, it lets me bypass it- saying that I will need to provide it later)

I am simply trying to figure out how to make this step automated. Leaving the key blank does not do it

Edited August 2, 2008 by gospeed

[dpurple77]

Did anyone by any chance found out how this can be done? Unattended setup of xp sp3 without a cd key so it can be inserted on the first run? This is the only thread i have found regarding this topic. Any help appreciated.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

This feature does not seem to be made to be used (Or taken advantage of) unattended.

Another winner by MS...

[derla002]

Actually, it is working as it should, it lets me bypass the key entry. (If I do not supply a key, it stops and asks for one. If I tell it I dont want to provide it now, it lets me bypass it- saying that I will need to provide it later)

I am simply trying to figure out how to make this step automated. Leaving the key blank does not do it

Did you find a solution yet?

Thanks, Guy

[Kelsenellenelvian]

This feature does not seem to be made to be used (Or taken advantage of) unattended.

Another winner by MS...

There is NO KNOWN solution!

[redxii]

Solution 1: Uh.. enter your key?

Solution 2: Use the dummy key that setup uses (i386\pid.inf) and use runonceex or runonce or whatever to run "%SystemRoot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a" and it should surely ask you to enter a new key.

You can't do an install of volume license without a valid cd key so it don't apply to volume license.