Ghostie Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 If your like me you reformat your computer about as often as you change your socks. What I am wondering is how to do is if I create a dvd for a specific computer is it possible to have the installation activated before it is even installed. That is to say in 44 days I buy Vista, can I set up the unattended to use that key to install it already activated so I do not have to deal with doing it each time I redo the computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
`Felix` Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Yes you can. Simply install the flavor of vista you want to use in say vmware customize it and add all your applications including activation, then simply take an image of it - then you can automate a system restore anytime you like and the system will already be ready to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostie Posted December 17, 2006 Author Share Posted December 17, 2006 Thanks Felix, never thought of doing it that way. So simple yet - well lets just say too many dead brain cells here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
`Felix` Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Thanks Felix, never thought of doing it that way. So simple yet - well lets just say too many dead brain cells herewelcome - just don't sysprep it... no need to if you are restoring to the same machine... if you sysprep it it will have to reactivate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluberti Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 And if you activate it in VMWare and then image it to a real machine, there's a very, very good chance you'll need to reactivate again (too many hardware changes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizban2 Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 cluberti is correct, the hardware virtualized by VMware is not close enough to the actual hardware on your computer and after moving the image to your actual PC it will most likely require reactivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostie Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 cluberti is correct, the hardware virtualized by VMware is not close enough to the actual hardware on your computer and after moving the image to your actual PC it will most likely require reactivation.Thanks, if I take that route I will make the image from the PC it is intended for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizban2 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 make sure you read up on the New Activation guidelines. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvi...lan/volact.mspxVista should not be activated with a unattended installation anymore, rather after first boot and connection to a network/internet the Vista machine with connect to a KMS (key management Server) to activate vista Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 make sure you read up on the New Activation guidelines. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvi...lan/volact.mspxVista should not be activated with a unattended installation anymore, rather after first boot and connection to a network/internet the Vista machine with connect to a KMS (key management Server) to activate vistaIs KMS the only way to activate it w/ an unattended install? I'm so confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizban2 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Correct, you can either use a KMS server that is internal to your Company. If one is not available then your copy of vista will connect to the internet and use one of the KMS servers that MS has implemented Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 cluberti is correct, the hardware virtualized by VMware is not close enough to the actual hardware on your computer and after moving the image to your actual PC it will most likely require reactivation.How do you move the image out of VMware environment?Do you use a external reader to read the virtual disk?Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizban2 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 normally you would boot the VM into a a bartPE or winPE environment and then make a image of the attached HD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Doh, ofcourse...! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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