Patrick J. LoPresti wrote:
>Michael Kahle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>
>> Today I was testing out the XP install on VMWare when I was greeted 
>> with an error during the unattended install of Windows XP.  It read,
>> "Error: The Product ID you entered is not valid."!  *groan* So my 
>> question is this, am I to assume that IBM has different oem "versions" 
>> (for lack of a better word) of Windows XP for the different machines 
>> that they use?
>
> There are rumors that some OEM versions of XP are "BIOS locked" to a 
> particular vendor's hardware.  I have been skeptical of these rumors, 
> but perhaps that is the problem.
>
> Can you clarify a bit?
>
> Are you saying that the same installation media and serial number work 
> on one machine but not on VMware?  (This would favor the "BIOS locked" 
> theory.)
>
> Or are you saying you have two different installation media and the serial

> numbers are not compatible between them?  (This would be more what I would

> expect, and it can be dealt with.)

What I am saying is that it "worked" (past tense) on a few IBM
IntelliStations, one of which I copied the i386 directory off of.  It is NOT
working with a serial number that I got from the sticker on a IBM NetVista
that had Windows XP factory preloaded on it when entered in to a test
install on VMWare.  So perhaps this "BIOS locked" theory stands correct?

>
> Take a look at the i386\setupp.ini on one of your CDs.  In theory, the
"Pid" 
> string uniquely identifies the kind of product keys which that media
needs.
>

The pid that exists in my winxpoem directory is, remember this was taken
from a IBM IntelliStation: Pid=55274OEM
The pid that exists on a NetVista's (Not the one I got the original serial
off of) is: Pid=55274OEM
The pid that exists on ANOTHER IntelliStation is: Pid=51873OEM

This tells me that IBM's do not necessarily have the same PID ID.  Now, I
got a serial number from a tag that had the same PID as my winxpoem store, I
entered this into my unattended XP test install on VMWare.  It worked!  This
suggests that the winxpoem directory that I have, and for that matter that
comes with an IBM, is NOT "Bios Locked".  So perhaps the BIOS locked theory
is just a myth?

>> The idea here is that we purchased copies of XP pre loaded (as if we 
>> had a choice!) on these machines and I thought we could get away with 
>> using unattended as long as I used the serial number on the machine.  
>> So where do I go from here?
>
> That should work fine.  You just might have to pick the precise media and 
> product key based on the machine you are installing.  I have code to use a

> spreadsheet for this...  I prompt for our corporate "asset tag" of the
system, 
> and use it as an index into the spreadsheet.  Shad has code which uses the
MAC 
> address similarly.  I am working on turning these into real examples, but
we 
> can surely share the code with you in advance of that.

Let me make sure I understand.  Your modified script somehow uses a
particular winxpoem store based on which serial number works with the
setupp.ini in a particular store?  Or does the script modify the PID entry
in the setupp.ini file before it starts the install?  Interesting...

>
>> If this doesn't work I am thinking of just upgrading our company to 
>> some sort of site license for Windows XP Pro.  Any suggestions as to 
>> what flavor of license I should go for?
>
> To go this route, you want an "Open License".  You need to buy five or
more 
> copies of XP to qualify.  An Open License is a volume license; the
machines you 
> install will require no activation.
>

I have just sent a letter to my CDW rep asking him to put in an order for
this licensing scheme for me.  This will be FAR less of a headache for me
than to have to keep track of every computer serial number that I have out
on the network.  Thanks for the advice.

> Now, is it strictly legal to buy 5 open licenses and then use the volume
key and 
> media to install your 100 machines, given that those machines already
shipped with 
> an OEM version of XP?  I don't see why not...  But if it bothers you, you
can do 
> as I mention above and select both the media and the product key based on
the 
> particular machine you are installing.

I don't know if this is legal or not.  I seam to remember hearing (when I
was working at the now defunct Arthur Andersen) that you must purchase a
license for EVERY machine that you wish to use the, what they called at that
time, "select disk" on.  So in effect, you were purchasing 2 licenses for
every machine.  The oem license that came with the ThinkPad, and the select
license.  Typical Microsoft shenanigans.  I agree with you, why not?  Since
that time Microsoft has changed it's licensing scheme, so perhaps this is no
longer the case.  I guess we should make a call to our lawyer...  I can
understand how to write Perl, C and Java... but a Microsoft license
agreement... no way!  :)

Michael


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