Sysprep "Your grace period limit has been reached..."

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

I've come up against this error when doing a sysprep "Your grace period
limit has been reached and will not be reset."

I'm a bit confused and looking for some advice.

I trashed the hideous Dell build by installing from fresh with the XP CD.
Installed my apps, joined the domain, sorted the profile, used Setup Manager
to create the answer file then ran sysprep and took a Ghost image. Deployed
the image to a fresh laptop and tested it. We weren't happy so we made some
mods then sysprep'd again.

The customer tested the image and requested some mods. So we put the image
on a fresh laptop did the mods then sysprep'd again. Customer required some
more mods so we did the same process again but when we ran the sysprep we got
the error "Your grace period limit has been reached and will not be reset."

I'm mighty confused as my plan was that as apps required updating or fresh
apps installing I would just fire up the last build, do the mods then sysprep
again. It seems now that I can't do this?

A few questions....
Is there a way around this?
Have I missed the point of using sysprep?
I'm using Symantec Ghost Suite 2 maybe there is a tool within that?
What will happen when the grace period expires? If I deploy the image will I
just be able to active it over the internet/phone? I understand that I won't
be able to get into the OS so I won't be able to set proxy settings to
activate over the internet.

I'm using an OEM licence and am NOT trying to get past any licensing. They
are all spanking new Dell Laptops and I'm not setting the product key within
Setup Manager.

I need to get the build out ASAP but for it also to be manageable. I suppose
I could go back to my first build and make all the mods to that build thus
giving me a few more goes at running sysprep without coming up against the
grace period problem?

Finally, with the Ghost Explorer component in Symantec Solution Suite 2 I
can gain access to the image within explorer and I assume I can
edit/delete/replace files.

I'm really blown away by this 4 times limit as I thought I had a good
solution for creating a good working image then modifying over the lifecycle
of these laptops.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Greg

 

[dg1261]

I trashed the hideous Dell build by installing from fresh with the XP CD.
Installed my apps, joined the domain, sorted the profile, used Setup
Manager
to create the answer file then ran sysprep and took a Ghost image.
Deployed
the image to a fresh laptop and tested it. We weren't happy so we made
some
mods then sysprep'd again.

The customer tested the image and requested some mods. So we put the image
on a fresh laptop did the mods then sysprep'd again. Customer required
some
more mods so we did the same process again but when we ran the sysprep we
got
the error "Your grace period limit has been reached and will not be
reset."

Is there a way around this?

Keep the master image sans sysprep, and make updates to the master.

I use a similar technique to update a workgroup of identical Dell desktops,
but I don't sysprep the image until it's being deployed. I build my master
installation, then image it. Then I sysprep it and deploy. I'll
subsequently restore the master image, apply updates, create a new master
image, and then sysprep and redeploy. With each redeployment, sysprep is
effectively only being run once.

 

[MacAddict]

Keep the master image sans sysprep, and make updates to the master.

I use a similar technique to update a workgroup of identical Dell desktops,
but I don't sysprep the image until it's being deployed. I build my master
installation, then image it. Then I sysprep it and deploy. I'll
subsequently restore the master image, apply updates, create a new master
image, and then sysprep and redeploy. With each redeployment, sysprep is
effectively only being run once.

HI Greg,

Another way of getting around this 3-grace-period-reset with sysprep
is by using a Volume License CD with a Volume License Key.

Microsoft allows you to use Windows XP installed from a Volume License
CD with a Volume License Key as long as the OS on the PC is the same
version of OS that came with the PC (in this case you are installing
XP Pro on a PC that came with XP Pro licensed).

Please note that you cannot use an OEM key on a Volume License WinXP
Pro installation and vice versa, you cannot use a Volume License Key
on an OEM installation of WinXP Pro (the CDs are different, the OEM
came with your PC, you can get the Volume License CD from Microsoft).

Hope this makes sense. Another way is doing the suggestion from
DG1261.

And to answer your question, there is no way of resetting it again
after the 3rd time...

 

[Donnie James]

"Have I missed the point of using sysprep?"


No, you did not miss the point for sysprep missed the boat. Making modifications to an image and recreating and deploying should have been the dogma. But for what ever reason, SOMEONE decided to place a petty 3 sysprep harness on us poor smucks. This forces us again to implore all matter of tricker just to get the job done. If you ask me, the discovery and master of tricks is a job in itself.

Join the club of WE master image making with no syspres touching individuals. Your pain is shared globally.