Windows XP Pro Activation

[Doveys]

Your help would be very much appreciated.

I have followed your instructions for creating an unattended installation, and it works perfectly, many thanks.

However, I am uncertain where to place the WPA.DBL file for transferring activation. All of the instructions seem to refer to the $OEM$ directory, which relates to an OEM pc. Mine is not an OEM pc and I have a valid, original Windows XP Pro disc. My sorce directories are as follows; cmpnents, DOCS, DOTNETFX, I386, OEM, SUPPORT, VALUEADD. In which one should I put the activated file.

Best regards

[T D]

You note the difference between $OEM$ and OEM? one has $.$ signs so they must be different

Read it again. In your source, make a folder called $OEM$

Besides, the wpa.dbl method is broken from SP1 as XP overwrites the file on every reboot.

[Doveys]

As you can see from this MSFN Internal link. It says navigate to the $OEM$ folder. No where , that I can see, does it mention to create a folder.

Are you sure that windows overwrites the wpa.dbl file, as this is the file that is generated when windows is activated, and I know for sure (as I disconnect my computer from the internet sometimes) that windows does not reinitialise activation with the Microsoft servers when it boots. Also what is the point of even copying the file in an unatended backup disc, if what you state is true?

[Takeshi]

The presence of $OEM$ dir does not mean the source is necessarily OEM. It just means there's extra stuff to be put in. Whether the source is OEM is determined by other means.

Wpa.dbl needs to reside in system32 eventually but this method of replacing it no longer works after XP SP1 as testified by many users, so there's no point pursuing it.

[T D]

Someone needs to update the unattended guide...

And if you even READ the unattended guide Doveys, it says to make a folder called $OEM$. That's not the page showing how to use OEM but it's showing how it can be used.

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/18/