Knowledge Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I have tried to use nLite to create a unassisted install for some Dell laptops that I have. Everything seems to work fine except that it asks me for the CD Key which the normal Dell CD does not ask for. I am trying to figure out how to buypass this step in the install. There is a CD Key on the bottom of each laptop but when I input this key after windows installs it asks me to register online to try and verify the CD Key and says the CD Key is invalid. When I use my regular Dell Home XP CD it does not ask for the CD Key and does not ask to verify online. Is there a way to have nLite do this as well? I do not want it to ask for the CD Key. I am using the Dell XP Home CD as my base image so I do not understand why nLite is reverting back to asking for a CD Key. Any info or ideas on how to remedy this would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamehead200 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I have tried to use nLite to create a unassisted install for some Dell laptops that I have. Everything seems to work fine except that it asks me for the CD Key which the normal Dell CD does not ask for. I am trying to figure out how to buypass this step in the install. There is a CD Key on the bottom of each laptop but when I input this key after windows installs it asks me to register online to try and verify the CD Key and says the CD Key is invalid. When I use my regular Dell Home XP CD it does not ask for the CD Key and does not ask to verify online. Is there a way to have nLite do this as well? I do not want it to ask for the CD Key. I am using the Dell XP Home CD as my base image so I do not understand why nLite is reverting back to asking for a CD Key. Any info or ideas on how to remedy this would be great.On the original Dell XP Home CD, open up the winnt.sif file that's on the CD and use the CD-key that's in that file to install your nLited version of XP. This is a generic key that Dell uses to install XP on all of its computers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knowledge Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 (edited) On the original Dell XP Home CD, open up the winnt.sif file that's on the CD and use the CD-key that's in that file to install your nLited version of XP. This is a generic key that Dell uses to install XP on all of its computers.Thank you very much this worked beautifully! You have made our jobs here much easier.That file was somewhat elusive but we managed to track it down and it had the key we need. Edited January 25, 2006 by Knowledge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Remember the key is dependant of CD (oembios files) and Hardware (just Dell hardware works) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamehead200 Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 On the original Dell XP Home CD, open up the winnt.sif file that's on the CD and use the CD-key that's in that file to install your nLited version of XP. This is a generic key that Dell uses to install XP on all of its computers.Thank you very much this worked beautifully! You have made our jobs here much easier.That file was somewhat elusive but we managed to track it down and it had the key we need.I'm glad it worked. Worked for me while I made my nLited Dell CD for my Dell in the basement... Its been running for six months non-stop, but I had to restart it because of a problem I was having with the printer spooler. All is working as it should now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suryad Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Haha had I known this a while back I would have definitely not gotten an all new copy of XP!! I didnt know Dell's OEM cds had the key hidden like that. I did think about it but I just didnt know where to search. Good stuff gamehead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamehead200 Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Haha had I known this a while back I would have definitely not gotten an all new copy of XP!! I didnt know Dell's OEM cds had the key hidden like that. I did think about it but I just didnt know where to search. Good stuff gamehead!Thanks guys! Not sure about this, but it probably applies to all other OEM versions of XP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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