Does the Source CD-Rom matter?

[Yzöwl]

I'm sure that this has been covered before, but if someone is capable of choosing the correct search criteria, please let me know what it was.

I have been asked to prepare a UA CD for someone else, but I think that they are using an OEM Pro version of XP, whereas I am not.

What I need to know is

• If I use a non OEM CD as my source, will their Product Key be accepted?
  

If not is there a way to bypass the type of CD check.

It would save a lot of time, instead of them copying their CD, testing it, posting it etc..

Note

Please don't bother replying if you have any illegal suggestions, thank you.

[Astalavista]

bypass = no no no

[prathapml]

Yzöwl, the key won't be accepted.

What kind of CD it behaves as (OEM/Retail/VLK), and what key it accepts, is dictated by the setupp.ini in I386. Ask them to just send that file alone - your CD will effectively become theirs after that.

Of course, this does not touch activation - if they were needing activation, they still will need it even now. But if their OEM has customized the activation to enable it to check the BIOS and get automatically activated, then you will miss those customizations, if so you should get their original CD itself.

[Yzöwl]

@prathapml

Thanks, that's the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Should I also ask them for the wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files and add them to the CD, to be installed as part of the setup, just in case.

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

@prathapml

Thanks, that's the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Should I also ask them for the wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files and add them to the CD, to be installed as part of the setup, just in case.

If your making a UA for a friend etc. Id be inclined to use their source disk,Key & a copy of their wpa.dbl. Do the UA thing as per usual & simply put the key in winnit.sif & the wpa.dbl in sys32 in the oem structure as the guide states. This should be OK for what you need to do.

[prathapml]

wpa.bak is of no purpose.

One more thing you might like to consider, is getting THEIR oembios.bin (from I386). Because if it indeed is an OEM edition as you thought, then there's a chance of it having system-locked activation (which relies on bios). Using their oemebios.bin would allow them to install and activate as easily as the original OEM disk.

[Yzöwl]

Cheers, I've requested those three files by email.

They do not have a CD-Writer or floppy drive and need a SATA install, which is the main reason for the exercise. They live at the other side of the country and wouldn't be happy to post the disk off. As for the Product Key, I'll just leave that out, and let them do that themselves as part of the setup.

PS

Is there a way to verify that an installed OS is OEM, Retail or VLK.

[Alanoll]

Cheers, I've requested those three files by email.

They do not have a CD-Writer or floppy drive and need a SATA install, which is the main reason for the exercise. They live at the other side of the country and wouldn't be happy to post the disk off. As for the Product Key, I'll just leave that out, and let them do that themselves as part of the setup.

PS

Is there a way to verify that an installed OS is OEM, Retail or VLK.

Go to system properties...

and check the PID. The PID is the long string of numbers below your name.

-OEM- is usually displayed for OEMs

-011- is usually Retail

640 - is usually VLK.

[CyberSlug]

setupp.ini information can be found at http://www.thetechguide.com/howto/setuppini.html

[Yzöwl]

@ Alanoll

First thing I asked, but was told nothing there due to that being customized some time ago!

I've never seen that done, but I can't see it so can't argue. Ive seen the support info button and custom OEM logo stuff, but it's usually still below the PID.

I even thought that the System Information Utility would have it, but no dice there either.

It's not a big deal in this case, cos I'm getting the setupp.ini, and I'll know from there; but surely there is a reference to it somewhere without using 3rd party utilities.