WDS - XP OEM Dell licensing

[golderm]

Hi guys,

I'm successfully deploying XP via WDS using sysprep to automate key input,
however i noticed all Dell re-installation CD's have the same product key
under WINNT.sif so can i use this or should i be using the keys on the
sticker on the case?

I would prefer to use the generic key but how does this affect the legality
of licensing?

Thanks,

 

[David Trimboli]

I'm successfully deploying XP via WDS using sysprep to automate key
input, however i noticed all Dell re-installation CD's have the same
product key under WINNT.sif so can i use this or should i be using
the keys on the sticker on the case?

I would prefer to use the generic key but how does this affect the
legality of licensing?

If you have a volume license for Windows, prepare your system using that
flavor of Windows, then Sysprep the OS with the volume license key in
the inf file.

If you don't have a volume license and you're imaging for OEM machines,
you must leave the product key out of the inf file. You are not allowed
to duplicate OEM licenses.

 

[golderm]

The first sentence makes sense but the second doesn't, surely if Dell can
issue re-install discs all using the same key so that if you were to
re-install all your PC's manually by disc they would all have the same key,
why can i not do the exact same thing but in a more streamlined manner?

 

[David Trimboli]

The first sentence makes sense but the second doesn't, surely if Dell can
issue re-install discs all using the same key so that if you were to
re-install all your PC's manually by disc they would all have the same key,
why can i not do the exact same thing but in a more streamlined manner?

Dell-branded OS discs do not include the product key. You get that from
the Microsoft sticker on the machine. Thus, when reinstalling Windows
from a Dell disc, you will be asked for the product key.

It's not a matter of "can." You CAN use a single OEM product key for
multiple computers for which that OEM key will work, but it's illegal.
You may only reproduce volume license keys.

 

[golderm]

Dell-branded OS discs do not include the product key. You get that from

the Microsoft sticker on the machine. Thus, when reinstalling Windows
from a Dell disc, you will be asked for the product key.

It's not a matter of "can." You CAN use a single OEM product key for
multiple computers for which that OEM key will work, but it's illegal.
You may only reproduce volume license keys.

These are Dell "Reinstallation discs" that contain a file called winnt.sif
under the i386 folder which funnily all contain the Windows Product Key when
opened with notepad, which the reinstall automates and does not prompt for
the COA sticker key.

so going by your second sentence Dell are making users illegally install
software??? i don't think so....

 

[David Trimboli]

These are Dell "Reinstallation discs" that contain a file called winnt.sif
under the i386 folder which funnily all contain the Windows Product Key when
opened with notepad, which the reinstall automates and does not prompt for
the COA sticker key.

so going by your second sentence Dell are making users illegally install
software??? i don't think so....

Are these consumer-level machines? If they are, then they had a license
agreement somewhere that says you can only use the CD on the system it
came with.

However your CDs work, the fact is that you can only legally use an OEM
license on ONE computer. Period.

 

[Dave R.]

Hi guys,

I'm successfully deploying XP via WDS using sysprep to automate key
input,
however i noticed all Dell re-installation CD's have the same product
key
under WINNT.sif so can i use this or should i be using the keys on the
sticker on the case?

I would prefer to use the generic key but how does this affect the
legality
of licensing?

What you want to do is perfectly "legal" as far as MS licensing is
concerned.

See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

Although it looks like they are providing a different key than the ones
used by Dell, the concept is the same. Heck, to remove all doubt about
licensing legality, use the key specified in that technet article and
you will be golden.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Cleve S.]

I think this is what you're looking for.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

Cleve

 

[Cleve S.]

Oops, looks like Dave beat me to it.

I think this is what you're looking for.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

Cleve

 

[Missing Link]

I was puzzled as I found that if I ran the XP disk on what was originally a
Windows 2000 PC it would install so I also looked for the .sif file and found
the key you describe. As a test I ran a utility which will display the
product key used to install Windows and even a new out of the box system does
not have the key as printed on the COA label although it was not the one on
the restore disk either. Given that the image you have on your server is
probably specific to the model of PC all you are doing is replicating the cd
recovery process by RIS. The only thing is when you actually boot from the CD
it checks that you are running it on a Dell, I presume the RIS process does
not.

 

[Anteaus]

OEM computers are often set-up with a generic license key, which does not
match the one on the sticker. This is for the obvious reason that that to
customise the image for each PC's sticker would add a lot of complexity to
the mass-duplication process.

Again this is a legal grey area, but IMHO if the OEMs can do this I have no
compunctions about rolling-out an office-full of computers with identical
keys, so long as they've all been duly paid-for. In fact we often have to do
so, if the computers come filled with junk like NIS it's the only
time-efficient way to put this right.

 

[Missing Link]

Each time we purchase a block of O/S or MS Application licenses on a Volume
Key despite I use the authorisation code for the previous block I get a new
VL key. I asked Microsoft did this mean that I had to have the right number
of installs authorised against each key as this would be difficult to manage
as we used a central RIS builds. I was assured that as long as we did not
exceed the total count of licenses issued there was not a requirement to use
the individual License keys.

Taking this one step further in your scenario as long as the license type
installed matches the license type on the COA, i.e. XP pro or Vista Business,
I cannot see that the actual key would matter. Whatever way MS have had the
appropriate fees.

 

[golderm]

Thanks all, i thought this would be ok just wanted some re-assurance, and the
technet article helps