Vista OEM - Imaging - Preserving Activation

[Guest]

We purchase computers with an OEM OS License. In Windows XP, there was the
ability to use sysprep & special product keys to preserve OEM activation.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/oempreac.mspx

I'm a bit confused on how this works in Vista. Is there an article or
walk-through similar to the above for Vista? We image our training labs 2 to
4 times a year and rebuild the image about once per year. Ultimately I'm
looking on how I would take the OEM OS, install our software for our labs,
sysprep, gather image, deploy image and be done.

Thx,
Steve

 

[Joe Guidera]

If you're deploying the image back to the same machine (and I'm assuming
we're talking enterprise or ultimate) you can use the built in image backup
to make a VHD of the drives in question and restore from the at any time
without having to re-activate.

Joe

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Joe.

This would be a master image to be deployed across multiple machines. A
little more detail. We'll be purchasing 15 PCs, all HP Business Class,
either the 5000 or 7000 series. According to HP's website, these PCs will
come with "... Windows Vista Business 32". It won't be the exact same PC,
but will be a very similar PC.

With XP, we take a PC, load our software, sysprep and in the sysprep.ini, we
specify the product key from the link in my first post. Take image, deploy
image across all lab PCs. After imaging, all PCs are still activated and
still using the legal OEM XP Pro License.

Thx,
Steve

 

[Joe Guidera]

Gotcha. I'm with you. On this one I know it should still be possible, but
I also know that this changed in Vista. I would give product support a call
and open a case.

Joe

 

[Kerry Hoskin]

Hiya Steve,

Any joy with this one I'm going to be in the same boat.

Kerry

 

[Guest]

Through a little digging, these look to be the "Vista Default Product Keys".
http://blogs.technet.com/backroom/archive/2007/02/08/automate-your-vista-factory-installations.aspx

Along with Vista Sysprep using the /generalize (Replaces /reseal open from
XP sysprep) allows for pre-activation "...and the clock for Windows
activation resets, if the clock has not already been reset three times."
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...02c7-4205-afb5-f03434d8f37d1033.mspx?mfr=true

Anyway, we ended up purchasing XP Pro computers for the new lab. We were
under the gun to get this done and we went with what we knew. Bummer. If
anyone has a chance to try this, it would be great to post your results.