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 ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: SF.net Giveback Program. Does SourceForge.net help you be more productive? Does it help you create better code? SHARE THE LOVE, and help us help YOU! Click Here: http://sourceforge.net/donate/ _______________________________________________ unattended-info mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info
