For a while now, I've been looking into making my own "system restore" partition/disk a la Dell or other major manufactorers. My main question at this point, though, is does WPA treat the OEM version of XP different than the Retail. For example, does the OEM version "attach" itself to your hardware, meaning that I could theoretically format my drive and reinstall and reactivate, with no penalties?

If i understand correctly, there's "penalties" only if some hardware is changed.

For the rest, you only need to backup the WPA.DLB file before formatting and restore them after... (if you have OEMBIOS.* files, you'll need to use the same CD to reinstall)

Does anyone know how to create this hidden partition? I think it would be a great idea if you can get it to work.

The service partition has to be hidden and FAT32

Sorry, i didn't see this point.

AFAIK, you'll need to create that partition with the "hidden FAT32" type. MS tools can't, but PartitionMagic and FreeFDisk can.

Then, there's two options :

1a/ make that partition bootable, and use a bootloder ("embedded" in the restore partition) that will let you choose between "normal boot" (timeout) and "system restore boot" (special key pressed.

1b/ same as above, but with the bootloader on another bootable partition

2/ use a floppy or cdrom to boot the restore partition

I'm sure XOSL (or maybe Grub) are able to do that.

PS: you don't need that partition to be hidden nor FAT32 : you only need to boot it on request.

Edited March 26, 200620 yr by Delprat

Method with WPA.DLB doesn't work since service pack 1 !

Method with WPA.DLB doesn't work since service pack 1 !

If what works for me don't work for you, what's the "good" way ?

So i've been able to create the partitions, get the bootloader to load the recovery partition using "F9" on boot (via. XOSL [thanks for the suggestion]), and i've made the partitions inaccessable in windows, but now i've just got to get either an image of the completed windows install, or the files to install windows on that recovery partition. Which way would be better/easier?

Method with WPA.DLB doesn't work since service pack 1 !

I don't know when it stopped working, but it didn't work for me recently.

So i've been able to create the partitions, get the bootloader to load the recovery partition using "F9" on boot (via. XOSL [thanks for the suggestion]), and i've made the partitions inaccessable in windows, but now i've just got to get either an image of the completed windows install, or the files to install windows on that recovery partition. Which way would be better/easier?

Manufacturer use a generic key which works only with their CD because it check hardware and autoactivate windows if hardware & generic key & oembios files (of the cd) are okay. You can't use that method, except if you will be a "big" manufacturer ...

The alternative is to make a "ghost" of your actual system but the key embedded will be unique, and if you want to be legal you must make "ghost" of each system ... There is a freeware to clone disk named SavPart http://www.partition-saving.com/

Other alternative is to copy cd to hidden/rescue partition with silent install winnt.sif except cdkey ... so user will enter his key .. drivers & apps will be installed automatically if you want ... but the problem of activation is always here ...

I havn't a really solution but some forumers has study your case .... come on

okay, so i've made the backup image, but how would I get my activation, by means of wpa or other, to be stored here? That is to say, I've made a "ghost" of the partition before resealing (via. sysprep). I'd ultimatly like this to be similar to a major OEM's recovery partition, where it'd bring the box to the state right after resealing, but have wpa work again. Does that seem feasible?

The generic key can be used to install any OEM copy of Windows. The Royalty OEMs get customized OEMBIOS.* files but they use the standard SETUPP.INI file. If you use a generic key with a hologrammed CD the activation wizard will force you to change the key.

Each Royalty OEM is given their own key but the key is not tied to the OEMBIOS.* files.

Okay, so i think i've got it down. I'm going to "reseal" the system and then make an image of it on a different partition, then when the user restores via that partition, they'd need to activate again. Would this work? Does wpa still activate if the machine is the same, or would i need to make the image after windows is activated?

Also, I'm trying to get this processes as automated as possible, problems i have now are as follows:

1. I'm trying to have the backup partition be type 0x12, which is the standard recovery partition type [secretly fat16/32], but when i boot from it after installing DOS to it, DOS can't boot (mounting issue i think). Is there a way to trick DOS into knowing that the partition is DOS compatible even though the type isn't? Or is there a way i could run an even more streamlined OS right off the drive that would be able to run partitioning tools and some batch scripting?

2. Is there a freeware program like savepart that i could run from command line in windows (for use during preinstallation)?

3. Is there a freeware program that would give me the ability to change partition types (a la grub's parttype command) from command line in windows preinstallation?

Sorry to double-post, but does anyone have any ideas on the above post?