Microsoft does not support the use of OEM media with sysprep.
If you wish to use sysprep, you should be using volume licensing.
Otherwise, you'll have to activate each installation by phone.
Summary of the limitations of the System Preparation tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830958
Unsupported Sysprep scenarios
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828287
The Microsoft Policy Concerning Disk Duplication of Windows XP Installations
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314828&Product=winxp
How to Acquire Microsoft Product Licenses Through Microsoft's Volume Licensing Programs
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/howtoacquire.mspx
On February 28, 2005, Microsoft disabled Internet activation for all Microsoft Windows XP
product keys located on the Certificates of Authenticity (COA) labels distributed by large,
multinational OEMs. Direct OEMs of Microsoft (large multinational OEMs that that have
a direct signed license agreement with Microsoft) usually preinstall Windows software using
System Lock Preinstall (SLP), which is a direct OEM's method of legitimately bypassing
Product Activation on behalf of their customers.
To reduce the illegal trafficking of these OEM product keys Microsoft "disabled" the
ability to activate these direct OEM Product Keys over the Internet. When a customer or
reseller tries to activate using a Product Key found on the list of "disabled" Keys, the online
product activation wizard will instruct them to call Microsoft where a customer service
representative can assist them further.
Microsoft to nix some Net product activation
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+ni...3-5589504.html?part=rss&tag=5587315&subj=news
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups
Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx
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:
| Hi, i have bought some IBM OEM machines. I installed my applications in one
| of them and then i syspreped it making it a reference PC. Then i made an
| image from it using GHOST and deployed it to the other IBM machines.
| Unfortunately, when i try to activate the new machines via internet, i get
| invalid key error from activation servers. Is it because the OEM machines are
| pre-activated and i have to wait 120 days to activate them again via internet
| unless do the activation by phone?
