How to workaround WPA reactivation

[Tripredacus]

I've got a strange issue I am dealing with right now. We have a config that I have to evaluate a different video card for, but Windows is causing a problem. Our MS rep says that changing hardware shouldn't pop the WPA activation with our OEM VL that we use, but it does anyways. I'll be emailing him later today and see what kind of official explanation I can get, as recreating the image isn't a viable option for me at this time. Here is the gist of it.

We have an XP Pro SP2 image that uses our OEM VL that we sent to a customer. They sent it back with their software and settings. We image that drive and redploy it over many systems and there is no problem.

The image was created with a PCI-E MSI GeForce 8400GS 256/512MB video card. This video card is not designed to work within the chassis (case) that their config uses, and while the card actually works fine, it has some quality control issues from assembly due to the fact that it isn't supposed to be used the way we use it. It also has some possible heating issues as well. On my recommendation, we got in another card, the XFX equivalent of the 8400GS, with the hope that nVidia's scalable driver package would allow us to easily swap this card in without installing new drivers. And as far as I can tell, this is indeed the case. The XFX card also has a fan on it, which will help with the possible heating issues when these units are in the field.

Here is the strangeness about the issue. When the image is deployed onto the config with the XFX 8400GS, it pops the activation due to "significant" hardware change. Now, if I drop the image onto the config that has an XFX GeForce 7300 LE video card in it, it does not pop the reactivation of Windows.

So my question, is there a way to modify Windows so that it does not prompt for reactivation? I have the option of imaging the drive using the current hardware to imagex, mounting the WIM and either modifying a file or loading the registry hive to make any changes.

The only reason I am asking this is because it would be preferable to fix the image here quickly (say 1-2 days) than have the customer remake the image again which could take a week at least.

Thanks

[Altruist]

Is this a SysPrepped image, and can you re-SysPrep it after fixing the Activation?

[Tripredacus]

The image is has been sysprepped and past the Windows Welcome Setup. Running sysprep on the image is not an option.

Since I had received no information in a timely manner, I recreated base images for our customer to rebuild the final image with.