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Building a Pre-activated CD from an existing installation


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Alright guys i have genuine windows which like us all i hate to have to call Microsoft to reactivate when i perform a fresh install of windows. But on my last install after i activated windows i copied the following registry keys...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents]

"OOBETimer"

"LastWPAEventLogged"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion]

"CurrentBuild"

"InstallDate"

"ProductId"

"DigitalProductId"

"LicenseInfo"

Can anyone verify that this works for them also and this is not some fluke on my part??

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Hi guys.

The hd on my mates laptop has failed and we have ordered a new one which should arrive next week. It's a MESH laptop which was provided with a holographic xp home disc.

When we re-install windows it would be nice to preserve OEM Pre-activation. However because we cannot access the old HD there is no way of extracing the OEM Bios files and also the licence key.

Is there anywhere where I can locate a MESH OEMBIOS file? Are MESH even a royalty OEM?

Once I have got past that hurdle, I still won't have the correct licence key. Can I use the xp home system builder one from this page? http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...depl.mspx#EWFAC

Obviously it's not a big problem if this isn't possible, as we can install with the COA sticker's key and activate it over the phone. However if anyone has any suggestions they would appreciated.

Thanks, Mat.

Royalty OEMs usually don't provide a hologrammed CD. To determine if thay are a Royalty OEM look at the COA sticker. If it says "OEM Product" it is not a Royalty OEM and can be activated online. If it has the MESH name or logo it is a Royalty OEM.

Sorry for the delay. Yep turns out it wasn't a Royalty OEM. Activated it succesfully over the automated phone system.

Thx.

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I had no problem with Dell OEM CD (Win XP), I used nLite to slipstream and create an ISO. Works beautifully on any Dell we have in house.

I have been having problems with Compaq OEM CD because of the 2-CD system of recovery to factory settings. I think the OEMBIOS files are on the Recovery CD, separate from the XP CD, both which shipped with the units, but I'm confident that I can solve this one now that I know about the OEMBIOS files. I will try the Getfile.bat trick tomorrow, and hopefully have a One-CD recovery system.

We also have several IBM Netvista PCs. IBM gave me a 4-CD set of recovery disks. None of the CD's are called WinXP, they are just CD1 to CD4. I tried to copy the CDs and they didn't work. Has anyone had any luck with slipstreaming for Netvista?

Regards

David

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  • 2 weeks later...
I had no problem with Dell OEM CD (Win XP), I used nLite to slipstream and create an ISO. Works beautifully on any Dell we have in house.

I have been having problems with Compaq OEM CD because of the 2-CD system of recovery to factory settings. I think the OEMBIOS files are on the Recovery CD, separate from the XP CD, both which shipped with the units, but I'm confident that I can solve this one now that I know about the OEMBIOS files. I will try the Getfile.bat trick tomorrow, and hopefully have a One-CD recovery system.

We also have several IBM Netvista PCs. IBM gave me a 4-CD set of recovery disks. None of the CD's are called WinXP, they are just CD1 to CD4. I tried to copy the CDs and they didn't work. Has anyone had any luck with slipstreaming for Netvista?

Regards

David

Since you already have a working CD for Dell systems, just use that as the source for your Compaq and IBM CDs. Just replace the Dell OEMBIOS files with the Compaq or IBM files. If you don't have a working installation you can get the files from my OEMBIOS Repository

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i managed to create a pre-activated disk for my laptop today. it installed on the machine fine, i was just wondering why setup asked me to insert a 2nd disk

(i put my oem xp disk in (not a royalty one, but one from my main computer)) and then ask for the 1st disk back and continued with installing when i did.

do all pre-activated disks do this?

or might it be due to me using a cd-key from the ms website (as my dell one requested a disk2 which i dont have/know what it is)

or because i slipstreamed sp2, as my oem disk is sp1 and it called my install disk "windows xp professional service pack 2"

Nick

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Sounds like your laptop has a touch screen and you're using TabletPC or Media Center Edition.

TabletPC and Media Center Edition have a second disk to them. The first disk is essentially the same as a XP Pro CD and the second disk has the Tablet or MCE addon.

Pro and Home disks don't ask for a second disk preactivation or not.

Edited by severach
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its not mce or tabletpc which is what confused me.

i made my cd using my xp disk from my other computer and put my dell oembios files and setupini on aswell. i used the dell key for my 1st try and it asked for disk 2, then i tryed "Windows XP Professional 32 bit" cd-key from the technet article mentioned in one of the 1st posts and it still asked for a disk but it accepted my oem cd.

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its not mce or tabletpc which is what confused me.

i made my cd using my xp disk from my other computer and put my dell oembios files and setupini on aswell. i used the dell key for my 1st try and it asked for disk 2, then i tryed "Windows XP Professional 32 bit" cd-key from the technet article mentioned in one of the 1st posts and it still asked for a disk but it accepted my oem cd.

It sounds like your missing one (or more) of the tag files. You should have the following tag files in the root of your CD:

WIN51
WIN51IP
WIN51IP.SP2

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello every one,

I apologize for my ignorance about computer related stuff since am a med doc & my English is pretty pathetic......

I have a 2 set Sony Recovery DVD kit.

My question is:

How can I extract XP MCE 2005. drivers & a few nice sony applications from them, SEPERATELY.......leaving the trial junk in it.

Than I can slip stream them using Nlite........basically I want a customized, neat, fresh install.........

Please be patient & explain step wise since am not good with these machines.........am grateful for your patienance.

Hoping to hear from all of you genius people,

Regards!

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Contents of DVD 1:

Folders: ART, DOCS, I386, Sony Support.

Files: Autorun, APPINFO, BITINDEX, BLIDS, BOOTCD, DFVER, P1VER, RCVPRT.IMG, RDVD1, SNYHDRCV, SONY1P_0618810.PAC, SONY.I01, SONY.I02, SONY.I03, SONY.I04, SONY.IMG, SONYDNT.IMG, WIN51, WIN51IP, WIN51IP.SP1, WIN51IP.SP2.

Applications: N06T050612101, MSWB350603901, MSMS210603908, MAOL180609010, LFLW140608210, IMCN060605105, ICEM030523402, EPC02010523509, DVGP120603811, DIST020603902, CTOD430604011

Contents of DVD 2:

Folders: Sony, Support.

Files: Autorun, RDVD2.

Applications: OSTE120604405, PELM050606216, PSEL240531202, QNUE060604407, SMCT010603905, SONC500606802, TMAS010530107, VCAP060615609, VSSA050531911, WIND440610702, WJGM010530402, XVAM080603906

Hoping to hear,

Regards!!

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Simple.

I dont know how to make a copy of MCE 2005 from the Recovery DVDs......OK.

Is it possible that I delete the trial softwares from the Recovery DVDs (that I have copied on to my drive) & than burn those Customized Recovery DVDs......will those work?

Hoping to hear from you smart people!

Regards.

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Sorry cant find the OEM HOLOGRAM......in the recovery DVD kit? :blink:

" I've put together two files that can be used to make a pre-activated CD if all you got with your computer is a restore CD you will also need access to an OEM hologram CD for the rest of the files. Put the following files in the same folder"

Regards!

PS: I placed the getfiles.bat file in the I386 sub folder of the Recovery DVD 1 Contents Folder..........created 5 files as stated in the original post........now im stuck.

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Mr Bezel,

I'm a Clinical Neurologist don't know much about computers.

Kindly show some humality & write a simplified tutorial OR try to guide me simply!

Its not nice to be one arogant man.

Regards!

Edited by eDOC
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