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Dell OEM XP Slipstream


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I do computer repair for a living, and many times a week find myself reinstalling XP on Dells. Slipstreaming hotfixes and a few application installs would really save me some time, and my clients some money. I've got my slipstreamed OEM CD to where it works using nLite or AutoStreamer, but it asks me for the Product Key. When I enter the Product Key in the initial slipstream setup, it then asks me to activate Windows once it's installed. I'm concerned that entering the same Product Key multiple times will cause problems when it comes to activation. I don't want to have to type in the product key on every single computer, and I don't think I should have to since the OEM CD doesn't require that.

I know Dell OEM CD's are linked to the BIOS to make sure that they're being installed on Dells. I've searched the forums and haven't found a definitive answer for how to make my slipstreamed CD act like the OEM CD from an activation/licensing standpoint.

Before anybody freaks out about violating M$'s EULA, we only install XP on machines that came with it originally, and with which the original Dell CD is provided me by the client. Slipstreaming just allows me to save some time.

TIA!

-tslug

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Well an option to go a different route is after you use the Dell CD to install windows, create a second cd which does an unattanded install of all the apps and hotfixes. The reason the Dell CD does not ask for a key I think is because it is hard coded on the cd what the key for that machine is. You can always just copy the contents of the cd to your drive and use the :integrate mode to slipsteam the updates then reburn. Hope this helps!

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Thanks for the suggestion. The key for the machine is not hard coded on the CD, you can use the Dell CD in any Dell and it'll work fine, it just checks to see that it's a Dell BIOS before installing. Info on SLP Activation

Aside from that, the problem with using the Dell Windows CD is that it then prompts me for things like Time Zone and Owner Info, which defeats the purpose of slipstreaming. Ideally I want to be able to place a CD in the Dell, boot it up, and walk away to work on other computers, then come back later to a fully installed and configured XP machine.

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From personal experience on about ten Dell machines - if you are using the Dell OEM disk that ships with Dell computers, and using the product key contained on the winnt.sif file on the disk, you should never have to activate Windows - it's pre-activated.

As far as time zone and owner info - put it into winnt.sif, and put the file on a floppy disk if the computer has one. Otherwise, burn a new CD for that install.

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I know, when you go directly from the OEM CD, it never asks you for the product key, so there's no problem. But when I slipstream using nLite it prompts me for the product key, and then it asks me to activate once I enter Windows for the first time, I swear. I'd send you screen shots, but I'm guessing you believe me. I've installed on scores of Dells as well, and it never asks you for the product key from the OEM CD directly. It does when slipstreamed, though, which screws with avoiding activation.

-tslug

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FYI, I used the product key indicated in winnt.sif on the OEM CD but was still prompted to activate. The contents of the OEM CD winnt.sif are very sparse:

"[userData]

ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

[Data]

MSDosInitiated=0

UnattendedInstall=Yes

[Components]

Fax=On"

(Product key X'd out by me) I do not get prompted to activate, only to register when using OEM CD. Slipstreaming with nLite prompts me for activation. I will try manual editing of winnt.sif, but has nobody else done this successfully before?

Thanks,

tslug

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I just finished testing a manual combination of nLite's winnt.sif file and the OEM winnt.sif file. This seems to have worked, though it's a bit slow. Could be coincidence. I wasn't prompted for anything after choosing the partition to format. Just booted right into my desktop.

Now I'll try to get the hotfixes to work, then it's on to application installation. Thanks for your help.

-tslug

For future reference, my winnt.sif looks like:

[UserData]
ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"
ComputerName = *
FullName = "Owner"

[RegionalSettings]
Language = 0409

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents = Yes

[Data]
MSDosInitiated=0
UnattendedInstall=Yes

[Unattended]
UnattendMode = FullUnattended
UnattendSwitch = Yes
OemPreinstall = Yes
OemSkipEula = Yes
FileSystem = *
WaitForReboot = No
NoWaitAfterTextMode = 1
NoWaitAfterGUIMode = 1
TargetPath = Windows
DriverSigningPolicy = Ignore
NonDriverSigningPolicy = Ignore

[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword = *
TimeZone = 04
OEMSkipRegional = 1
OemSkipWelcome = 1

[Components]
Fax=On

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Darn. Spoke too soon. As I was messing around with the installation, the "30 days for activation" warning came up. <sigh>

Anybody know how to bypass activation like the Dell OEM CD does?

Thanks,

tslug

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I've never used nLite to make my winnt.sif or integrate service packs or hotfixes. That being said, I've never had any problems slipstreaming SP2 and hotfixes into OEM Dell disks and using winnt.sif to make an unattended installation. I've never been prompted to activate, just register. (Regarding the on-board winnt.sif, I find it a bit amusing that the file still refers to "Whistler" - it's been around for a while!)

I wonder if it's something nLite does that is causing the problem...you may want to peruse the nLite forum to see if anybody else has had the same problem.

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I do computer repair for a living, and many times a week find myself reinstalling XP on Dells.

Glad to hear you can make money at it!

Slipstreaming hotfixes and a few application installs would really save me some time, and my clients some money.

I get paid by the hour and I still don't like taking forever to do stuff.
I've got my slipstreamed OEM CD ... When I enter the Product Key in the initial slipstream setup, it then asks me to activate Windows once it's installed. 

I'm concerned that entering the same Product Key multiple times will cause problems when it comes to activation.  I don't want to have to type in the product key on every single computer, and I don't think I should have to since the OEM CD doesn't require that.

While I don't do a majority of reinstalls on Dells, I have successfully installed using a generic OEM XP Home install (pre slipstreamed thank you very much to MSFN) with the XP Key on the sticker on the case. Worked just fine! (I needed to activeate it, but it worked just fine).

If you do enough Dells, perhaps you can make copies of the winnt.sif file on the CD and just rename it to the model of Dell, i.e. winnt-Dimension4100.sif and compare the codes used. If they are the same, just use that.

Note If you were using that code and were Nliteing that, perhaps you should try an MSFN member's XPCreate. Nlite might be blowing away some of the BIOS linked pre-activating stuff. I have a feeling XPCreate might not do that. They do have two different philosophies on the issue.

If you check out, MSFN's own unattended guide.

AutoActivate = Yes

I know Dell OEM CD's are linked to the BIOS to make sure that they're being installed on Dells. I've searched the forums and haven't found a definitive answer for how to make my slipstreamed CD act like the OEM CD from an activation/licensing standpoint.

Right you are, and try XPCreate instead of NLite (see my comments above)
Before anybody freaks out about violating M$'s EULA, we only install XP on machines that came with it originally, and with which the original Dell CD is provided me by the client. Slipstreaming just allows me to save some time.

Nice to pre-warn us, but you can also use a Generic XP OEM CD and use the code of the side (which as you discovered is different than the one in winnt.sif on the Dell disc). It activates and everything!

Also you can use a bogus but made of valid characters

ProductKey=11111-11111-11111-11111-11111
note: Use valid Key characters! Pick a character off of a valid COA sticker and use 5x5 of them as I did 1's (which are also valid).

and just wait for it to ask for a valid key. (I would say save yourself some time and put custom winnt.sif files on a floppy, but these are Dells :} ).

I have not tried using AutoActivate=YES with the bogus key above. You may get lucky and it will work. Then again, you may have to activate anyways.

So try XPCreate, if that doesn't work for you (or you prefer to use nLite), try using a bogus ProductKey (then enter the one on the side when prompted) and AutoActivate.

My two cents (or so): I've never used, but only heard great things about nLite. I would only use on my personal PC or on friends computers. I would never use it for a computer I charge money to fix! I'm paranoid it might strip out something important that will be uncovered in a rare circumstance and create a tech support call.. I don't like doing work for free (i.e. fixing something that I caused.) Try just standard slipstreaming or perhaps XPCreate. Also you might be able to create a DVD with XPlode or a boot CD of a floppy image with network drivers to read your install OS off a share on your network, if your CD is bursting at the seams.

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Wow, tons of great info. I'll try these tips and report back later. I'm in the middle of a VM install of the OEM CD with one modification to the winnt.sif (UnattendedSwitch=YES) to see if even changing one little thing is going to throw everything off. In the end, being prompted for a valid key would be better than having to be prompted for all the time zone and user info stuff in the middle, but I'm shooting for the stars.

Thanks again,

tslugmo

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Interesting. I just used Autostreamer to copy the image of the disk and create an ISO to see what would happen if I didn't do any modification. Didn't slipstream any updates, didn't modify the winnt.sif file. Asks for activation after installation. I'm instaling direct from CD to VM to re-confirm I get no activation prompt. I swear I tried this already and didn't get an activation prompt, but I want to make sure.

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Yep, I just confirmed, direct from CD to VM gives no Activation prompt. So there's something in the creation of the ISO that's causing the activation prompt, which has nothing to do with winnt.sif. Any ideas on how to preserve that, yet edit the winnt.sif file?

I applied for XPCreate, but would like to try other ways in the meantime.

-tslug

P.S. In researching, I believe ISOBuster does what I need. I'm trying that now. So fun to have to install on VM every time a small change it made. Am I really saving time?

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How are you making the unattended disks? You should make sure you use the same boot.img (called Microsoft Corporation.img on retail disks, called something else on Dell OEM disks) as is present on the Dell OEM disks. I can see how this would cause a problem.

Yes, IsoBuster will allow you to extract the proper version of the .img from the Dell OEM disks. No, you won't need to extract it all the time - just extract it once and save it somewhere (it's a quite small file, only about 2 Kb I think), and then use it when creating Dell OEM slipstreams.

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