Windows 2000 registration CD key

[caps_buster]

I would like to ask, how hard it is to enbedd the Windows 2000 registration CD key into the install, so it just do not ask about it anymore again. I tried searching a little, but looks like either the whole HFSLIP or nLite is recommended, but either I'm blind, or it was not on the first two pages of search results, but it did not looks like as there could be any description or guide about this little operation.

I want nothing more, just this Can it be done and how?

[Guest]

Make a winnt.sif file and drop it in the i386 folder with the following contents.

[Data]
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

[UserData]
ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

Replace XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX with your key.

[caps_buster]

Thanks a lot, -X-

Will that still let me choose my network settings and such...?

PS. It does NOT work. It show a little less options on the "where to install" (no format, change to NTFS or FAT... nothing... I did not like this, I would rather choose... not just "choose drive" and that it is) but then it come again with the product key after the reboot.

There is additional message to make me agree with the EULA (not F8 as before in "DOS", but after the first reboot in Win-like enviroment) and then after the HW detection the enter product key pop up... Any other solutions, witch bring back the install options, preferably?

PS2. also it now need complete user-installl the network components (client M$ network, sharing files, TCPIP service...) ... that is also definitively worser

Edited March 29, 2013 by caps_buster

[caps_buster]

So, is there are other way that works... to do it? And not with the automatic mode, that suxx

[submix8c]

Last post -

http://www.911cd.net/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t4017.html

Notice it references "REF.CHM"...

...and look here -

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/19/

HTH

Edited March 27, 2013 by submix8c

[caps_buster]

Thanks, but all these only dealt with the options in the unattended mode. None of then deal with the fact, that the product key in Win.sif just did not work. I try remove the commas to see, if that did not help. Also deleting the options related to the unattended mode... possibly adding the options what not to install :-)

[Guest]

Commas? What commas?

[submix8c]

In addition, you did NOT read the SECOND link! It specifically tells you what options to use or not use for any given action.

Example is the Skipping of the Eula Display. YOU DID NOT READ!

And I have to ask as well... WHAT COMMAS? You mean THIS?

;

That's a Semicolon and tells me you already HAVE a WINNT.SIF since the example -X- gave has NONE. You're not following instructions are you?

BTW, if you have a REAL CD, there is a folder there named "SUPPORT\TOOLS" (just like XP has) and contains your DEPLOY.CAB which contains (of all things) SETUPMGR.EXE (the Official MS "generator") and a couple of Help Files (CHM and DOC) which is where much of the info is from.

The answer given was correct for "just the key and nothing more" - your FIRST POST. Please do a little reading BEFORE you say "doesn't work".

[caps_buster]

-X- and submix8c - commas surrounding the product key. When I have them there, I have to enter the product key, so I claim that it does not work. That it is. All the other stuff is irellevant. There are so many things that can be changed, however I wanted ONLY the product key. And that failed to be used from the WINNT.SIF file the way I did it - with commas at beginning and end of the product key:

"product-key"

maronpatsy - I did not see a thing... sorry.

[jaclaz]

-X- and submix8c - commas surrounding the product key. When I have them there, I have to enter the product key, so I claim that it does not work. That it is. All the other stuff is irellevant. There are so many things that can be changed, however I wanted ONLY the product key. And that failed to be used from the WINNT.SIF file the way I did it - with commas at beginning and end of the product key:

"product-key"

There is an evident misundertanding.

They are NOT "commas", they are "double quotes".

Comma: ,

Quote: '

Double Quote: "

Check:

http://www.ascii-code.com/

Is it possible that you have in Czech the same "false pairs" as in Latin languages?

jaclaz

Edited March 28, 2013 by jaclaz

[caps_buster]

Okay, then they are double quotes... However the issue stay the very same. Win2k SP4, adding the WINNT.SIF file with the product key, either within the double quotes or naked, as it is, have no impact at all. Always user are asked to provide the product key again and again. Hence my complain is, that the suggested metod are not working. It just did not do anything.

When I had the UnattendedInstall="Yes" line there, then it at least are detected and the install is different. However not the way I wanted, so I removed that line, trying my WINNT.SIF file to look like this:

[Data]
MsDosInitiated=0

[UserData]
ProductKey=xxx

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=xxx_home

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[Components]
AutoUpdate = Off
Certsrv = Off
Certsrv_client = Off
Certsrv_server = Off
Chat = Off
Deskpaper = Off
Dialer = Off
Dtcnetwork = Off
Fax = Off
Fp_extensions = Off
Fp_vdir_deploy = Off
Hearts = Off
Hypertrm = Off
IEAccess = Off
Licenseserver = Off
Media_clips = Off
Media_utopia = Off
Pinball = Off
Pop3Admin = Off
Pop3Service = Off
Pop3Srv = Off
Rootautoupdate = Off
Spider = Off
Templates = Off
TerminalServer = Off
TSWebClient = Off
Zonegames = Off

Yet no luck or even difference. Is there are any other, working way, to supply the product key to the install and nothing else to be changed?

[submix8c]

(sigh...) You still didn't read that LINK I gave. There are MANY different values for THIS!!

UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

Please read it or don't bother complaining... (in the "DEPLOY.CAB" REF.CHM) Edited March 29, 2013 by submix8c

[caps_buster]

Well, if you look up, I did not even used the UnattendMode option, I just wanted to use the product key... So insteead of complaining that I did not read it, you better should concentrate on the pure and simple question - will it work? From my testing it seems that NO is the answer...

So the only way to make it work is actually use some of the Unattend Mode switch? Gotta check on that one...

Fine, it does not work.

Trying the WINNT.SIF file with these:

[Data]
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

[UserData]
ProductKey=xxx

or these:

[Data]
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

[UserData]
ProductKey="xxx"

content (+ the rest from the above example) and it ask for the production key each time, where "xxx" is, double or triple checked the production key with all caption letters, as it appears to be printed... So, it does not work this way, sadly. Is there any other way to supply the production key to the install CD?

[Guest]

[Data]
MsDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

[UserData]
ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

[caps_buster]

This looks interesting, thanks -X-, sadly it does not work again. On top of that, it remove the optional format of the drive where Windows is getting installed, witch is undesirable... I just wanted to get there the CD key, but looks like this is impossible to achieve. Windows 2000 SP4 czech just again and again ask me for the CD key again....

I did not yet tried it w/o the double quotes, however I dubt that this could give me any better results, apart from the lost of the formatting, witch is far, far worser problem that entring CD key ever was.

For fun, I tried the Win XP SP1.0a, but they crash during the install after the first reboot. Could be related to patching of the setupapi.dll file, tough. There was never anything about this version of Win, so I asked there:

http://forum.exetools.com/showthread.php?t=12523

...and got recommended changing the 68 34 09 00 00 to 33 C0 C2 30 00, but looks like this patch is unsucesfull after all.