Product key after ghosting

[MarcusB]

Hi, We have many the same laptops at our department with windows XP. We
installed windows and many other programs and we ghosted the copy to all
other laptops. Do we need to change product keys? All laptops have the
key now after ghosting

Marcus

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Marcus,

What type of license do you possess?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Kerry Brown]

Hi, We have many the same laptops at our department with windows XP. We
installed windows and many other programs and we ghosted the copy to all
other laptops. Do we need to change product keys? All laptops have the key
now after ghosting

The product key is the least of your problems. If your computers will ever
be on the same network they all have the same SID. This will cause many
minor annoyances and may cause some serious problems. You need to run
sysprep before creating the image. Unfortunately this means reimaging all
the laptops.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prbc_cai_zqoo.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302577

Kerry

 

[R. McCarty]

SysInternals NewSid is also a post Imaging solution for the Security
Identifiers.
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NewSid.html

 

[Kerry Brown]

Would definitely be worth a try for the OP.

Kerry

 

[MarcusB]

I always run ghostwalker. It is easier to use.

Marcus

 

[Kerry Brown]

If you have volume licenses for the software and appropriate licenses for
the upgrade for the MS VL program then you're good to go. If you don't have
a VL then activating the laptops for MS products will most likely fail after
the first one. Other software companies have varying policies. It all
depends on what programs you've installed. If they need to be activated then
you may run into problems.

Kerry