Syspreped Image Needs Activation?

[Guest]

I have used sysprep to create an image of 15 WinXP machines now serval times.
Every 6 months or so I create a new image as all of the computers are
identical and all need the same software installed. This way I always have
my image up to date as I am constantly installing new software.

I have had to reactivate over the Internet on each PC each time I reclone
from this image(not unexpected). However when my PC that I ran Sysprep
rebooted after making the image this time it told me I have an invalid
Product Key. So I tried copying the image to another computer and I got the
same error when activating Windows.

I was able to call MS and activate over the phone on one of the PCs, however
I do not want to have to call and activate over the phone on all 15 PCs every
six months. I must be doing something wrong since I have done this at least
4 times before with no issues reactivating.

Any thought on what might be going wrong?

Thanks
Jason

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Preserving OEM Pre-Activation when Re-installing Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/oempreac.mspx

--
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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:

| I have used sysprep to create an image of 15 WinXP machines now serval times.
| Every 6 months or so I create a new image as all of the computers are
| identical and all need the same software installed. This way I always have
| my image up to date as I am constantly installing new software.
|
| I have had to reactivate over the Internet on each PC each time I reclone
| from this image(not unexpected). However when my PC that I ran Sysprep
| rebooted after making the image this time it told me I have an invalid
| Product Key. So I tried copying the image to another computer and I got the
| same error when activating Windows.
|
| I was able to call MS and activate over the phone on one of the PCs, however
| I do not want to have to call and activate over the phone on all 15 PCs every
| six months. I must be doing something wrong since I have done this at least
| 4 times before with no issues reactivating.
|
| Any thought on what might be going wrong?
|
| Thanks
| Jason

 

[Guest]

Wow may be this is just me being stupid. I did not realize until right now
that I never put the factory.exe file into the sysprep folder. I am suprised
it worked at all. I will try recloneing this and add the line that the
article suggests to see if this works.

Just to make sure that I am understanding the article correctly this will
work even when that image is copied to another computer? Becasue this
almost seems to me like you could use this to get around WPA. I have a
seperate license and PK for each of the computers. Before I go and take down
another one I want to feel realatively confident that this will work.

Jason