Different Sif files or serial keys for different clients?

[sparX]

Hi,

I'm just wondering whether somebody can point me in the right direction, I am trying to find a way to be able to incorporate multiple product keys so that each client gets a different serial key. I know that I can modify the sif file each time and change the product key but what if, say for example, I want to carry out unattended installs on 3-5 computers simultaneously?

So, basically, is there a way to have multiple sif files, each containing different product keys and will it be possible to send a different one to each client?

OR is there a way to send a batch file to the client first which will check the clients ip address and based on IP it will download the appropriate sif file. For example: client1: 192.168.0.100 would get the sif file called: 100.sif and client 2: 192.168.0.101 would get 101.sif etc.

Or any other pointers please? ive searched all over the place with no joy. Bearing in mind this is not volume licensing so each client needs a different product key. I even tried to see if the key could be changed after install but that's not possible via command line or batch files from what I found..

Any help would be appreciated.

p.s Im using windows xp as RIS via tftpd32 and that works fine, installation etc is all working.

Thanks

Edited March 12, 2009 by sparX

[strel]

With winnt32.exe /unattend:<answer file> you can specify different answers files.

And you can change the product key of the installed windows. Use google to search the forum.

[submix8c]

Thats winnt32...

winnt /? (excerpt) -

/s[:sourcepath]
   Specifies the source location of the Windows files.
   The location must be a full path of the form x:[path] or
   \\server\share[path].

/u[:answer file]
   Performs an unattended Setup using an answer file (requires
   /s). The answer file provides answers to some or all of the
   prompts that the end user normally responds to during Setup.

If in an "upgradeable" windows, the first suggestion is good running the winnt32 at the computer in question (or a "push" install?). If an "empty" computer, you would have to have some kind of script/cmd to run pointing to the correct SIF (using winnt).

So, yes, you need a different file for each and (somehere here) is th info you need.

By what method are you deploying? Thought about WinPE? WinPE allows for running separate CMD files for each PC in 32-bit mode (winnt32).

(Warning! I normally just flat-out install from CD, so have no knowledge of "push" installs" nor have I used RIS or PXE to date)

(Info! I have, however used a WinPE CD for installs)

Tried browsing around here? -

http://www.unattended.msfn.org

[sparX]

Ok here is how my setup is at moment:

I have a machine running Windows XP and on that I have tftpd32 running and a BINL server. tftpd32 is using the startrom.n12 as the bootstrap file. The client, when booted via NIC, gets IP via tftpd32's DHCP server and downloads bootstrap file, this bottstrap file then requests and downloads ntldr and ntdetect.com and then winnt.sif etc..

I had come across winnt way as mentioned above but im not sure how this would be implemented.. majority of hints I came across involved CD but I wish to do it over network and completely unattended so Im basically looking for a command line solution with no user intervention. At the moment I can do this all I have to do is boot via network and walk away but it's just the product key issue causing headache...

Thanks for your replies