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Building a Pre-activated CD from an existing installation


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I agree with maxXPsoft.

1. You only need the 4 files & the key. If the system on the computer is still the original one, you can use this method (provided the Royalty thing).

2. getkey.vbs works fine. Don't know about the other. But hey, it's not bad to have a confirmation: try both!

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I don't presently know the manufacturer of the laptop, but based on the fact that it's a laptop I assume it's going to be a Royalty OEM.

Take a look at the COA Sticker. If it has the manufacturers name it's a Royalty OEM, if it say "OEM Product" it's not.

Question 1 - I have OEM windows installs for both Home and Professional from Royalty OEM #1. Do I just need to substitute the four OEMBIOS files and the product key to make a Royalty OEM #2 CD?

It is possible that OEM #1 made other changes to the CD but the basic answer is yes

Question 2 - is there any certain advantage to using the getkey.vbs file, or can I just use the Magical Jellybean Keyfinder to get the product key?

In addition to finding the key I create a basic winnt.sif (just enough to enter the key). If you already have a customized winnt.sif you can use either method to find the key. (I used Magical JellyBean KeyFinder to verify my scripts.)

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@dj`e

Very Interesting, I also have a toshiba tecra m2 laptop and wish to do the same as yourself, after you created the new Cd how did you install the toshiba drivers ect

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after you created the new Cd how did you install the toshiba drivers ect

That was a bit of work:

I took the 'Drivers & utilities' CD and copied it to my HD.

Then I went to Toshiba's website and upgraded the above tools and drivers with the last versions when available.

For each of them, I then looked if there were an .inf file to install the drivers.

- If found, I made a folder under $OEM$\drivers\ with all the necessary files for that driver (including the .inf & the .cat) and added the folder path to the 'OemPnPDriversPath' directive in the [unattended] section of 'winnt.sif'. See the guide for more details.

- For the remaining ones, comming only with an .exe, I made a custom kTool file (you can use a batch, WPI, or whatever) to install them unattendedly at T12 (after having made silent installs using the -R switch & the setup.iss file).

Unfortunately some of them still complain when installed this way and message boxes appears with errors.

After trying different solutions (T12, RunOnceEx) for each of these problematic progs, I found out that despite these messages, they do get installed properly: the messages are in fact related to the 'running' of the progs which is automatically launched after the install (no way to prevent this) but don't work before the desktop is fully loaded or collide with the 'Run' reg key setup by these progs.

So I just install them @T12 and don't look at the message boxes ! I prefer to have the ugly things occur at this early stage and have my RunOnceEx clean, without any error message.

[Edit] Also, for some of the 'drivers & utilities', I simply did not install anything! Just because they are useless bull$hit...

Edited by Djé
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@ Djé

Many thanks, just one last question i also have the I386 folder, but do not have the setup.exe,setupxp.htm,win51,win51ip files.... who did you overcome this?

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@ Djé - Many thanks for your help - I did not find the files themselfs but i understand that the files are only a text file with the work windows in them and saved as win51 & win51ip in my case as i have Windows XP Pro.

Just to confirm you say i will not need the setup.exe file then that is found at the root of the CD

Thanks Again

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Be careful: I think you have to have a 'space' and 'enter' (or vice-versa) after the word (which as to be spelled correctly, case sentive maybe).

If you slipstream sp2 after the extraction of I386, you may not even need to write them, as they may be generated automatically by the slipstreaming process.

On the other hand, if your CD has allready sp2 included and you don't slipstreaming anything, you'll have to write a 3rd file (win51ip.sp2 ?).

The Setup.exe at the root is just the launcher thing showing-up when you insert the CD under windows, asking you what you want to do.

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i have a little problem and wonder if this method could help,

i have a HP LS1200 MCE system which went bang due to my kids and putting/spilling a drink on it

as my system is dead and out of warrenty i was wondering could i use a method like this to use my recovery disk on another machine as i like MCE2005 ?

i know the hardware would be different but is it possible as i own the software could i bastardise it to use on another machine ?

if it is possible could someone explain in plain laymens terms how im not too clued up on this sort of thing

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@ Djé

Many thanks, just one last question i also have the I386 folder, but do not have the setup.exe,setupxp.htm,win51,win51ip files.... who did you overcome this?

I simply re slip the i386 dir usin NLite & that will give you all the add files & subfolders you need inc the setup.exe etc.

Cheers

MC.

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i was wondering could i use a method like this to use my recovery disk on another machine as i like MCE2005 ?

The main technical problem is that you have to be able to read the content of your recovery CD.

Usually those CDs are locked so they can only be read on the same machine, or at least on a machine from the same manufacturer.

Can you find any I386 folder on the CD? How many files are there in it?

If you insert the CD in the other machine and boot on it, what does it says?

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i have a little problem and wonder if this method could help,

Not too hard to unlock HP Recovery_Partition which contains an I386, bad is it its just that and don't want to function just right, it goes into Recovery least for me. Those 9in1/11in1 things are same way, I386 stripped down as they combine like files in another location. Fortunately my friend had the 2 non oem specific MCE CDs I combined together.

1 of 2 HP recovery DVD I made before I started messin around contains an I386 at 2.47 GB, Thats all the stuff almost combined in one. Apps. Drv, MCE

Be rather difficult because I did try and strip stuff from it, kept erroring

WIN51 was 11 on original now just Win51, WIN51IP, WIN51IP.SP2 for MCE SP2

EDIT: On drivers same as Djé methods

I used DriverGenius while it was still working and all but 1 of them worked, bad was the 1 was Video and coming up on desktop at 640x480 was bad. Just went and got the ATI latest nows all fine cause it has the cats, inf and everything.

Couple other things I just made a autoit to run after the install during runoncex for keyboard . ATI panel and LightScribe drive.

Edited by maxXPsoft
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how about a sony recovery dvd's....most of the files are .img and do not open with winiso or ultraiso or even with winimage

First recover the OS, then use the scripts in the first post to extract the Sony specific files and merge them with a hologrammed CD.

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