XP Home/Pro SP3 System Locked Preinstall

[fiber]

Normally when I re-install XP on a Dell or other large computer maker I will use CD Key Reader to get the vendor key, and use Compression Bin to re-compress the files - so they are OEMBIOS.BI_, etc. I put those four files into the I386 folder.

When I have Service Pack 3 - it doesn't accept the key (that I got above)

If I repeat and do it with SP2 - it works just fine and the install is already activated.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Edited August 27, 2008 by fiber

[Sonic]

If you have splitstream SP3 into SP2 WinXP original yourself with nLite on Vista, re-make your disk with latest nlite. This is a known bug.

[fiber]

I didn't Slipstream SP3 over my SP2 disk's so that's not the case.

[jeromerocks]

Maybe it's a blacklisted key?

[Idontwantspam]

Have you tried just copying the old OEMBIOS files you made?