Changing CD Key in XP SP2

[thewhiteboy]

I installed a fresh OEM XP SP2. Now I'm trying to change the CD key to a different one (don't worry, they're all legal, we have keys in volume) since I copied this HDD from a Ghost. This method is not working anymore. It used to work on the old ghost, which was installed from SP1 then downloaded SP2 via Windows Update. Here's the method I used:

run regedit
go to HKLM -> Software -> Microsoft -> WindowsNT -> CurrentVersion -> WPAEvents
edit OOBETimer, remove the first 2 characters.
run /oobe/msoobe /a
This brings up the Windows Product Activation. From here I could just click "Change Product Key," enter the new key, and save it.
back to OOBETimer in regedit, edit it again and re-add the first 2 characters I deleted.
Finished, new CD key is set.

But this isn't working on the install from a SP2 CD. Like I said, the other one used to work fine, but it originally was installed from a SP1 CD then downloaded SP2. Am I just doing something wrong? When I try it now (on the loaded from SP2 HDD), it just always says "Windows is already activated." I even deleted the characters from OOBETimer, rebooted, and the values had restored themselves. Is there a sure-proof method to change the CD key? I'm prepared to wipe the ghost AGAIN, install the SP1 version, download SP2, and try it that way... but I really want to avoid it if I can.

 

[John]

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v1.51

Winkey Finder 1.72

 

[SilentRunning]

Never tried it, but microsoft has a product key update tool.

Linky

 

[thewhiteboy]

I tried Microsoft's tool... it seemed to work, but now I suspect it's a different CPU.

Downloaded the tool, burned it to a CD, can't run it from removable media so copied it to the HDD, used it to change the key, requires reactivation. Unhooked HDD, brought it back to other PC w/LAN, activated it, OKAY it's working. Unhook it, take it back to the other PC and boot up, "your hardware has significantly changed since you last installed windows and windows must be reactivated within 3 days. reactivate windows now?"

This is the same problem I had before with the ghosting. Which boggles me because every piece of hardware is identical in every setup, everything's in the same slots, etc. It's not different motherboard revisions, its not the video, its not the RAM, its not the PCI card, so by process of elimination is HAS to be the friggin CPU. That's the only thing I haven't physically checked, I didn't feel like taking off the heatsinks and scraping the goo off.

 

[Swampster]

Each component in your computer has an ID number that indentifies WHAT it is, plus a unique identifier (such as the MAC on your network card) to identify WHICH it is. Microsoft uses BOTH of these items along with your CD-Key, etc. when it makes the hash that is your computers unique identity for purposes of activation.

Were it not for that, a shady manufacturer could use one copy of the operating system to make a "master disk" and then just mirror it to all systems with the same configuration.

If you try to reactivate it, it will likely make you call, but in all likelyhood it will be handled by the automatic reactivation system. If all else fails, you can talk to one of their reactivation support persons and explain the situation and they will manually give you a reactivation key.

 

[thewhiteboy]

Originally posted by: Swampster
Each component in your computer has an ID number that indentifies WHAT it is, plus a unique identifier (such as the MAC on your network card) to identify WHICH it is. Microsoft uses BOTH of these items along with your CD-Key, etc. when it makes the hash that is your computers unique identity for purposes of activation.

Were it not for that, a shady manufacturer could use one copy of the operating system to make a "master disk" and then just mirror it to all systems with the same configuration.

If you try to reactivate it, it will likely make you call, but in all likelyhood it will be handled by the automatic reactivation system. If all else fails, you can talk to one of their reactivation support persons and explain the situation and they will manually give you a reactivation key.

I understand all that clearly.

But what I keep saying is -- when copying HDDs from the old ghost to the new blank HDD and hooking that one up to the new system (same hardware), Windows never cried about it. Then I could just do this through the registry to change the key, and it never once asked me for activation. I've been doing it that way for 30+ machines. But for some reason when I made the new ghost and tried copying it, now Windows is crying about it. THAT'S what I want to know why.

 

[Swampster]

No more ideas . . . let me research your method a little over the weekend and get back with you on Monday

 

[thewhiteboy]

Just found out from co-worker, that when he made the original image, he didn't install the sound drivers. In fact the onboard sound was disabled from the BIOS. After the images were done and everything was working fine and dandy, one of the other programmers came up with a need to use the sound, so we then had to go to each machine and re-enable sound through BIOS, then install the drivers on each machine.

When we made the new ghost a few days ago, we enabled sound and installed the drivers, then copied the image over to new HDDs. Don't know for sure if that's the culprit, but that's my last idea. Whatever the problem is, I'll have to figure it out sooner or later... the current setups we use now are based on s478 boards/CPUs/AGP video, but since that's all being phased out now, we're going to have to start buying LGA775/PCIe video cards & mobos. FYI, here's the hardware setup used now:

board: Asus P4P800-SE
CPU: P4 3.2GHz, 800MHz FSB, 512LB cache (s478)
mem: 1GB Crucial DDR-400 (2x512 in Dual-Channel)
video: PNY GeForce6600GT (AGP)
PCI: Euresys GRABLINK Expert 2

If you can figure something out, reply here or PM me. Any ideas at all... I'm fresh out of options myself.

 

[Canterwood]

Why don't you set the master image up with Sysprep?

That way every time you ghost it, you'll have the opportunity of putting in a new product key?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Canterwood
Why don't you set the master image up with Sysprep?
That way every time you ghost it, you'll have the opportunity of putting in a new product key?

That's worth a shot. And this anaylsis gives some insights into the overall difference imposed by SP2.

Key

 

[thewhiteboy]

Originally posted by: Canterwood
Why don't you set the master image up with Sysprep?

That way every time you ghost it, you'll have the opportunity of putting in a new product key?

I didn't know about sysprep :brokenheart:

Been reading the info from MS help site, I'm still a little confused about sysprep... do I have to create the .INF file or can I not and just answer everything each time?
Also Canterwood, I don't think we have VL keys, I think they're all OEMs (I don't know the difference though ). If they are all OEMs, am I going to have to activate each one I do?