Universal [legal/non-pirating] Self-activating OEM ISO?

[NNJZ]

Hello;

First I must start off by saying my intentions are not to Pirate software from Microsoft.

Backstory :

I am an entry level technician that works at a "big box" retail repair store that shall not be named. On a daily basis, I have to restore the Operating Systems of, on average, 3-5 units per day.

Naturally restore media is going to be misplaced, fail, or clients will not create any if the MFG choses not to ship the unit with pre-burned recovery discs.

When this happens, it usually is as easy as reading the license off the COA and using an OEM if XP, or vanilla retail DVD if Vista/7.

Sometimes the COA is removed or unreadable (faded), in which case the client/owner of the unit is contacted, and informed that genuine OEM DVDs are needed. Sometimes this goes over well, and sometimes we end up dealing with a very p***ed-off client. Even worse is when the MFG will not provided/sell duplicate OEM recovery media (HP will no longer provide media for XP or Vista).

What I would like to do is create a Windows 7 Install ISO that contains all the necesary files to activate just as an OEM DVD would activate.

As I understand it, an OEM DVD of windows 7 requires 3 things:

1. An SLP string stored in BIOS unique to the MFG/Version of Windows to be activated.
   
2. An SLIC key (in place of a CD key) unique to the MFG/Version of Windows to be activated.
   
3. SLP certificate file that must match the SLP string stored in BIOS.
   

If I were able to add all 3 requirements for all the major MFGs (Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony, etc etc.) could a Windows 7 ISO exist that would automatically LEGITMATLEY activate the APPROPRIATE OS that the original/genuine OEM install media would?

I just want a DVD I can use to restore the OS of any mainstream manufactured PC and not have to worry about activation if the COA is removed. It would also be nice to not have to enter the Key every time a client is irresponsible with their recovery media

Ofcourse if the machine is not a MFG'ed machine (read:custom build) or you tried installing Ultimate instead of Home Premium, I would not expect nor want it ot activate.

Please let me know if this is possible. It would simplify my life EXTREMELY, and I have no maluicious purpose or intent.

Thank you,

NNJZ

P.S. The ISO I am using is a Genuine Windows 7 retail ISO with the ei.cfg removed to allow selection of the appropriate Win7 version.

Edited September 23, 2012 by NNJZ

[MrJinje]

Yes, you should be able to. Here is an old VBS script that displays the BIOS SLIC data to get you thinking, I'd rewrite it in powershell if I was you. HP, Dell, every other MFG has a unique tag, just need query each machine to assemble your list, then write a CASE statement to apply your keys based on the WMI tag. The last else statement will catchall that do not have OEM tag and prompt for manual interaction to avoid any piracy issues. In theory it will only install your DELL key on a DELL machine and so forth. Good luck.

strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery( _
"SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS",,48)
For Each objItem in colItems
Wscript.Echo "Version: " & objItem.Version
Next 

The certs can be loaded via the SLMGR command at the same time you install the key and would not be applied to machines that do not match.

Whether or not this is allowed by Microsoft license I am unsure of, all I am saying is that it 'could' be done. There may be an obscure stipulation that corporations cannot do this for customers unless they have their own physical media, contact your lawyer. Mr Jin-Jay is not role a model. He's not even human. Some of the things he says and does could cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested, possibly deported. To put it another way: Don't try this at home.

Edited September 23, 2012 by MrJinje

[jaclaz]

BUT, I don't think that the BIOS SLIC (or any other source if not the COA or the Manufacturer specs for the model) can "select" the "original" version of the OS.

For XP:

For the record, while it is true that most of the "big name" OEM do not provide "original" media, they do provide means (the prompt that the customer normally ignores ) to create at least "Recovery" DVD's and make a Recovery partition.

Unless the hard disk has been damaged and replaced, (and if the Recovery media has not been created or has been lost) the "preferred" source should be the Recovery partition.

At least with XP using a "generic" OS source will turn out anyway in a "nightmare" with drivers and what not.

jaclaz