Can you substitute a Windows key once Windows is installed?

[yerk55]

My friend bought 2 laptops for her son and daughter. After the first
one arrived, I cleaned out the bloatware and threw on some AV, etc.
And captured a ghost image of it.

The 2nd laptop came in and its an identical model as the first. So I
can save a lot of time pushing down the ghost image I have to this
machine. But then they will have duplicate Windows keys.

Is there anyway, after ghosting, I can take the Windows key on the
sticker on the bottom of the laptop and pop into the registry of the
machine after the fact?

Thanks much in advance!

 

[John John MVP]

My friend bought 2 laptops for her son and daughter. After the first
one arrived, I cleaned out the bloatware and threw on some AV, etc.
And captured a ghost image of it.

The 2nd laptop came in and its an identical model as the first. So I
can save a lot of time pushing down the ghost image I have to this
machine. But then they will have duplicate Windows keys.

Is there anyway, after ghosting, I can take the Windows key on the
sticker on the bottom of the laptop and pop into the registry of the
machine after the fact?

Thanks much in advance!

How to change the product key at the time of activation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810892

John