You should only use a Volume License (VL) version of Windows XP.
Otherwise, you'll have to individually insert an OEM Product Key and
activate XP for each installation. Also, OEM versions cannot upgrade
over an existing Windows installation.....clean installs only.
How to Use Sysprep: An Introduction
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/deploying/introduction.asp
Windows XP SP1a Corporate Deployment Tools
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/servicepacks/sp1/deploytools.asp
Summary of the limitations of the System Preparation tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830958&Product=winxp
When you clone a Windows XP installation to many computers,
the destination computers have the same SID and computer name as the source
Windows installation. Because Windows XP networks use each computer's
SID and computer name to uniquely identify the computer on the network, you must
change the SID and computer name on each destination (client) computer after cloning.
Visit:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...=2003 for windows 2000/nt/me/98&osv=&osv_lvl=
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
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|I know this will seem like a stupid question but here it goes. I am in charge of upgrading my office to
windows XP. After some price checking, some of the upper ups want to go with the OEM version of XP. I have
only worked with the corporate version of the OS,which does not ask for activation. I want to make a ghosted
image of one PC and deploy the image to about 50 other PCs; when activating XP do i have to activate every
instance of the OS even if they are the same hardware? Also if i go with the OEM version i will end up with
about 50 CDs, is there away around my loading 50 PC seperately?