Slipstreaming Windows Xp Sp-2

[cybercrusader2000]

Hi,

I followed the Windows XP SP-2 Slipstreaming process and it worked fine. I tried out 3 procedures :

1. Simple unattended Windows XP Professional setup - Worked Fine.

2. Windows XP unattended setup with Slipstreaming SP-2 - Process worked fine but after installation its asking for activating windows although the original CD is pre-activated ( legal ) version hopefully OEM or VLK ( not sure which of the two ).

3. Windows XP unattended setup with Slipstreaming SP-2 and also Slipstreaming hotfixes - slipstreaming hotfixes didn't work well, probably I didn't use the correct procedure for it ( maybe someone can provide me with detailed information for slipstreaming hotfixes after slipstreaming SP-2 ).

My query as of now is regarding procedure 2 . After installing the slipstreamed version of windows xp on a test virtual machine in my box, the procedure ran fine as expected but after installation it asked to activate windows which I believe shouldn't do because this is a preactivated version of windows xp ( atleast it doesn't ask for activation if we install from the original cd using the same cd ).

Details of the WINNT.SIF file are as below ( NOTE : Some options are changed for confidentiality reasons ) :

=================

;SetupMgrTag

[Data]

MsDosInitiated="0"

UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[unattended]

UnattendMode=FullUnattended

OemSkipEula=Yes

OemPreinstall=No

TargetPath=\WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword=*

EncryptedAdminPassword=No

OEMSkipRegional=1

TimeZone=XXX

OemSkipWelcome=1

[userData]

ProductKey=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

FullName="localhost"

OrgName="localhost"

ComputerName=localhost

[TapiLocation]

CountryCode=XXX

Dialing=Tone

[identification]

JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]

InstallDefaultComponents=No

[NetAdapters]

Adapter1=params.Adapter1

[params.Adapter1]

INFID=*

[NetClients]

MS_MSClient=params.MS_MSClient

[NetServices]

MS_SERVER=params.MS_SERVER

[NetProtocols]

MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP

MS_NetBEUI=params.MS_NetBEUI

[params.MS_TCPIP]

DNS=Yes

UseDomainNameDevolution=No

EnableLMHosts=Yes

AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1

[params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1]

SpecificTo=Adapter1

DHCP=Yes

WINS=No

NetBIOSOptions=0

==================

[cy.]

it probably is OEM disc you are slipstreaming on.

you have to buy at least 5 licenses to get a Volume licensing key.

OEM discs are customized by computer manufactures, are designed to work only on certain computers.

virtual machines simulate computer environment. the disc won't recognize that it's your computer the disc is running on. this is why it's asking for activation

[Takeshi]

Home computers are most likely to use retail or OEM versions and not VLK.

You can confirm this by looking at the product ID in System properties:

the second group should say OEM if it's OEM.

#####-OEM-

If it's a work computer then ask the IT person.

[cybercrusader2000]

Well, I just checked for the type of license and noticed that it doesn't have OEM in it. It has a number like XXXXX-327-XXXXXXX-XXXXX . Also, this is a MSDN version which I believe should be preactivated. Please suggest.

[sonu27]

Isn't there a way of pre-activating it. So you do not need to ever activate it again. I heard this was possible. Using no illigal software.

[Cartoonite]

According to the MSFN uA Guide, there are 3 ways of activating it, all of which will fail when testing the uA CD in a virtual machine.

Check out the uA Activation page here.

From the sounds of things, I suspect your CD uses the third method (OEM). As noted in the guide, and as cy. already mentioned, this method will fail because the virtual machine is not the same as the actual machine for which the activation has been preconfigured.

One question:

( atleast it doesn't ask for activation if we install from the original cd using the same cd ).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does this statement refer to when you install Windows onto your computer from this CD, or when installing to a virtual PC from this CD? If the latter, then all of our speculation thus far is for naught.

[Takeshi]

The backup wpa.dbl method - if that's what you have in mind - only works on the same hardware as far as I'm aware. In any case, if you're only testing it in VPC then the activation grace period should not be a problem.

[cybercrusader2000]

Ok, first of all, I believe its not an OEM version because the license doesn't state as OEM in it. Secondly, this MSDN copy was not bundled with any machine, it comes from the MSDN pack which includes all other versions of software. So this CD is not machine dependent. Thirdly, I have tried this CD in 2 different environments, 1. a branded pc which has an included version of windows xp with it ( which I don't use to install the OS ), 2. a virtual machine in my system's environment ( which is an assembled machine ). In both the cases, no matter whether its a real machine or a virtual machine, the software never asked for activation untill I tried slipstreaming SP-2 in it. And, after slipstreaming, I have only tested it on my virtual machine by mounting the image onto a virtual cd drive, so that only once its tested to be working as OK, I can burn the image onto a CD for future deployment.

( atleast it doesn't ask for activation if we install from the original cd using the same cd ).

By this I mean that it never asked for activation no matter whether I used a mounted images ( with no SP-2 ) to install it on a virtual machine, or installed the OS directly from the CD ( again with no SP-2 ) on a real machine.

[Cartoonite]

By this I mean that it never asked for activation no matter whether I used a mounted images ( with no SP-2 ) to install it on a virtual machine, or installed the OS directly from the CD ( again with no SP-2 ) on a real machine.

Sounds like you might have run accross something new. All of the methods described in the Guide are machine-dependant once Windows has been activated once. Since you can install to multiple machines from the same CD without needing to activate it none of the responses posted thus far would apply. If no one posts a reply that addresses this, you may need to contact Microsoft to get this sorted out.

Good luck.

[cybercrusader2000]

Well lets hope someone shoots a valid solution which will help resolve my problem. Otherwise, i guess i have to contact MS support. Anyways, thanks for for your effort guys. I apprieciate it.

[DisabledTrucker]

If you have a MSDN account and already have access to the Windows XP with SP-2 included, then why are you slipstreaming SP-2 onto it? Why not just get the one which has SP-2 pre-slipstreamed and use it with your licenses? It should work that way. Then again, maybe that disk was already prepatched with SP-2 on it, did you look and see before you tried slipstreaming it?

Also, in reguards to question #3 above, have you checked out RyanVM's site yet and asked for help in his forums? That's his specialty.

Edited March 18, 2005 by DisabledTrucker

[dougiefresh]

Ok, first of all, I believe its not an OEM version because the license doesn't state as OEM in it. Secondly, this MSDN copy was not bundled with any machine, it comes from the MSDN pack which includes all other versions of software. So this CD is not machine dependent. Thirdly, I have tried this CD in 2 different environments, 1. a branded pc which has an included version of windows xp with it ( which I don't use to install the OS ), 2. a virtual machine in my system's environment ( which is an assembled machine ). In both the cases, no matter whether its a real machine or a virtual machine, the software never asked for activation untill I tried slipstreaming SP-2 in it. And, after slipstreaming, I have only tested it on my virtual machine by mounting the image onto a virtual cd drive, so that only once its tested to be working as OK, I can burn the image onto a CD for future deployment.

( atleast it doesn't ask for activation if we install from the original cd using the same cd ).

By this I mean that it never asked for activation no matter whether I used a mounted images ( with no SP-2 ) to install it on a virtual machine, or installed the OS directly from the CD ( again with no SP-2 ) on a real machine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you sure that your "MSDN copy" isn't actually a cracked version? I've heard that there are programs that patch certain files within the XP source to circumvent activation -- don't know how, don't care how. Slipstreaming Service Pack 2 replaces A LOT OF FILES!!! So, if you do, it's possible that when you slipstreamed, you replaced the cracked file, thereby restarting the activation requirement.

The second reason I suspect you had a cracked version is that all versions of XP (with exception of corporate versions) require activation. (Don't know about MSDN versions though.) Corporate versions require a VLK in order to install and don't require activation.

Oh, one more thing: I don't know how to identify whether your version is cracked. You probably would have to compare it somehow to an uncracked version of the same type (XP Pro Full to XP Pro Full, not XP Pro Full to XP Home Full).