Good day,

Is there a way to enter the key AFTER the installation?

Greetings

JB

You will always need some key to complete your Windows XP install. If you'd like, you can use a generic, Microsoft-provided one and then update it to your own key later so you can activate. Details about this process can be found in this post.

I know that you always need a key, but the "enter key screen" pops up in the middle of the setup, i'd love it if it will pop up on the end of the setup.

Not possible. The Windows setup is designed to ask for the key at one specific time. It is not possible to change when that time is.

Is there a way to enter the key AFTER the installation?

Do you mean for non VLK installations? If so then there are 2 methods which work.

* Remove the product key line from your answer file. You'll be prompted at T-33minutes.

* Use a generated product key within your answer file and manipulate msoobe.exe's execution to invoke the request for the real one.

Rename the real "msoobe.exe" to "msoobe2.exe" and create an alternative "msoobe.exe" which ignores any switches passed to it, and runs "%windir%\system32\oobe\msoobe2.exe /f".

For this to work it's necessary to replace msoobe.exe within MSOOBE.EX_

Attached is a zip file with a text file of the VB source (a single form), alongside the exe it creates under my (ancient) copy of VB6. The exe is so far tested only on Home OEM + SP2. It assumes Windows to be at C:\WINDOWS. I hardcoded the path through lazyness because I didn't think anyone but me would ever use it :-/

I've also included the cab version, ie. MSOOBE.EX_

-nARkwS-

BTW the msoobe.exe in the zipfile is the same as the one as within MSOOBE.EX_

I forgot to mention that in the rubbish HowTo notes.

Force_request_for_product_key.zip

Edited October 15, 200421 yr by nARkwS

Another method which I couldn't get working conventionally is changing the value of the "CmdLine" MULTI_SZ value at HKLM\System\Setup

If you change the value to exclude "/retail" then it has the same effect as my msoobe.exe manipulation. Unfortunately I've never found a conventional way to modify this reg value after t-9 minutes.

-nARkwS-

You can make the XP installation run automatic then you never need to enter the KEY.

You can make the XP installation run automatic then you never need to enter the KEY.

Not in a production environment where each system requires a unique key to allow successfully activation.

-nARkwS-

You can make the XP installation run automatic then you never need to enter the KEY.

Not in a production environment where each system requires a unique key to allow successfully activation.

-nARkwS-

This is correct.

I will try the method you posted above, thank you for your comment on my question!

Another method which I couldn't get working conventionally is changing the value of the "CmdLine" MULTI_SZ value at HKLM\System\Setup

If you change the value to exclude "/retail" then it has the same effect as my msoobe.exe manipulation.  Unfortunately I've never found a conventional way to modify this reg value after t-9 minutes.

Does it have to be after the t-9 minutes? Otherwise this inf will change the value for you:

[Version]
Signature="$Windows NT$"

[DefaultInstall]
AddReg= Oobe.Reg

[Oobe.Reg]
HKLM,"SYSTEM\Setup","CmdLine",0x00010000,"%11%\oobe\msoobe.exe /f"
HKLM,"SYSTEM\Setup","SetupType",0x00010001,2
HKLM,"SYSTEM\Setup","OobeInProgress",0x00010001,1

And the attached exe is an iexpress installer of that inf, could maybe be run via svcpack.inf (haven't tried).

It can be run after logon, or at RunOnceEx, to 'reset' the welcome screen (have tried..).

Oobe.EXE