windows xp same hard drive new computer

[harix]

My company is donating 22 computers to the Boy Scouts. We have the
proper licenses for XP Pro. I am in the process of wiping all the
drives on a PC in my shop. We want to give the computers away with XP
installed. Is there a way to install the OS on the hard drives here
in my shop then install the HD's back into the individual PCs? Or do
I have to install the OS on each machine individually (they are slower
PCs and the PC I am using for wiping is real fast)?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

My company is donating 22 computers to the Boy Scouts. We have the
proper licenses for XP Pro. I am in the process of wiping all the
drives on a PC in my shop. We want to give the computers away with
XP installed. Is there a way to install the OS on the hard drives
here in my shop then install the HD's back into the individual PCs?
Or do I have to install the OS on each machine individually (they
are slower PCs and the PC I am using for wiping is real fast)?

Are they all the same type of computer - almost identical really?

If so...
Install Windows XP Professional (and everything else you plan on starting
them with - Open Office? Free Antivirus? Free AntiSpyware? Internet
Explorer Plugins? etc...) on one of them, use an imaging application to
make a copy of it - apply it to the other hard disk drives either while they
are in the computers in question or in any other way you wish.

When you first boot each computer afterwards - I would suggest two things.

(1) Use a tool like 'NewSID' to rename/assign a new SID to each computer.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/NewSid.mspx

(2) Use the following tool to assign the proper Product Key (betting it is
on a sticker on the machine itself?) to each machine.

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

 

[Bill James]

If they are all the same model you could set up one then image the other drives from that. You will have to change the Product Key on each after the drive is installed back into the computer in order to Activate.

 

[caseyp_l]

This whole thing confuses me somewhat.

Recently Miscrosoft informed me that my copy of windows XP Pro was non-
genuine (probably).

What I've been trying to find out since is can I purchase a genuine
Upgrade to XP Pro and install that to give me a genuine version??

The side of the product box says that it only works with licensed
copes of previous versions of Windows but there does not seem to be a
product sold on the market that offers a move from non-genuine to
genuine.

Have I missed something here??

PC

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped and original post hijacked>
<in the future - start your own thread...>

Shenan Stanley wrote:

(2) Use the following tool to assign the proper Product Key
(betting it is on a sticker on the machine itself?) to each machine.

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product
Key to a genuine COA sticker orgenuineProduct Key - all without
a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

This whole thing confuses me somewhat.

Recently Miscrosoft informed me that my copy of windows XP Pro was
non- genuine (probably).

What I've been trying to find out since is can I purchase a genuine
Upgrade to XP Pro and install that to give me a genuine version??

The side of the product box says that it only works with licensed
copes of previous versions of Windows but there does not seem to be
a product sold on the market that offers a move from non-genuine to
genuine.

Have I missed something here??

First - you hijacked another's thread to ask a different question.
This thread was about installing Windows XP on many computers and my
assumption I was verifying with the OP was whether or not they were all the
same type/level/configuration of machine.

That would mean they would have (in this case) 22 licenses for Windows XP -
more than likely with that number at once - OEM licenses with OEM stickers
on the machine. The likely have at least one of the OEM installation CDs
lying around and could use that CD to install Windows XP and such and use
the key on the given machine. They could then choose to sysprep said
machine and image it/apply that image to the other machines OR they could
just image/apply the image to the other machines and use the tool to change
the installed key on each of the other machines to the one on each of the
machines individually. I am assuming they have a valid license for all 22
machines they will be giving to the Boy Scouts and that those Valid Product
keys are likely stuck to each of the original machines.

Your question may have similarities - well, not really... It's just not the
same.

You cannot become legitimate by using an upgrade edition of Windows XP
unless you have some previous qualifying OS. If all that has ever been
installed on that system is the Windows XP that is on it now - just what
qualifying product do you have?

Now - if you upgraded yourself or you have a spare Windows 98 CD lying
around or something - maybe you can qualify and use the upgrade version -
although I am unsure if that will work for you.

Having an invalid previous product does not mean you qualify for the upgrade
version. In order to qualify for an upgrade version, you kinda have to have
something to upgrade from - a previous valid version of the operating
systems that would normally qualify for an upgrade. For Windows XP
Professional, that is essentially Windows 95/98/ME/2000/'XP Home Edition'...
Do you have a previous, non-used, legitimate version of any of those
products?

In other words - you need a full version of the product - and if you follow
the directions below here - you might even find a way to get one less
expensively - or you may find out you don't even need to buy one.

You may want to go through this first:

Windows Genuine Advantage does not validate a copy of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916247


You might want to follow MVP Carey Frisch's instructions:

1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool -
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic Data
in a detailed post -
http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/default.aspx?SiteID=25

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an
appropriate solution.


If you end up needing to use the tool you originally quoted this thread
from....
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx

Good Luck!