CD Key wrong post unattended installation

[avpatjac]

I've recently completed an unattended Windows 2000 CD Installation Disk. After a few test installations I decided to verify the CD Key on the test install system. It is not the same that I have in the ProductID="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" in my WINNT.SIF. I've checked all through the installation CD and my cd-root folder and cannot find the file that might be holding this wrong CD Key. I've even tried a couple different CD Key's to see if it is somehow being generated during the installation process. No. The wrong CD Key is the same in each instance. Does anyone have an idea of where this phantom CD Key number is coming from?

Thanks.

avpatjac

[T D]

It's not ProductID="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

but it's ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

Try that.

What type is your install disk, e.g. upgrade, retail, OEM, VLK...

Edited August 20, 2006 by T D

[bledd]

use magic jellybean to see what your key is

[avpatjac]

It's not ProductID="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

but it's ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

Try that.

What type is your install disk, e.g. upgrade, retail, OEM, VLK...

Actually it is ProductID="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" for Windows 2000 and XP until Service Pack 1. It becomes ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" with XP SP1 and later XP Service Packs.

It runs fully unattended as I need but it shows a different CD Key when I run the Magical Jelly Bean. I believe I found an entry that says when I change the last three digits for ProductID in SETUPP.INI to 270 from 000 that it installs without a serial number. With that being the case then it may be that when the cd install it then makes an entry of a default serial number and it puts an entry in the registry for the ProductID that contains 270 in it.

By the way I have a retail disk.

use magic jellybean to see what your key is

Thanks. I'm using the Magical Jelly Bean. That's how I found that the CD Key is not the same as the one in my WINNT.SIF.

[T D]

If you edit the last 3 digits of setupp.ini, your machine will not activate correctly, saying a pirate serial.

[Takeshi]

If you edit the last 3 digits of setupp.ini, your machine will not activate correctly, saying a pirate serial.

He's installing Win 2000.