Sysprep: Now Product Key doesn't work.

[jonnyGURU]

Ooooo.... kay......

I have to make a master image, sysprep it and copy it over to a bunch of workstations that need to be reloaded.

As a test, I installed 2000 on one machine, with a valid product key, and did the sysprep. When I typed in the product key... the SAME ONE I used to install in the first place... Windows told me that my key is invalid.

Invalid how????

Now, I know the keygen for OEM is different than retail. Are there different versions of Sysprep and is it expecting a retail key code where I have an OEM? I'm just thinking along these lines because in the OOBE it states to enter the OEM code as it appears on the yellow sticker on the back of the CD case.

There is no yellow sticker.... There isn't even a CD case! It's an OEM with the holographic sticker!

I'm pissed. I have to reinstall on this PC and STILL figure out how to sysprep them all so they can all have their own names and LEGAL product key codes.

 

[SunnyD]

keygen?

 

[jonnyGURU]

keygen = key generation

You can use the same OEM Product key on 1000 different PC's (not legal, of course) as long as the PC's have the OEM version of 2000. But you can't use the retail product key on the OEM version, and vice versa.

That's what I meant.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
keygen = key generation

You can use the same OEM Product key on 1000 different PC's (not legal, of course) as long as the PC's have the OEM version of 2000. But you can't use the retail product key on the OEM version, and vice versa.

That's what I meant.

I know what it is... I was just wondering... I noticed the word LEGAL in there and that coupled with keygen in the same post... well, you get the idea.

 

[stash]

Product keys are media specific. There's retail, OEM and volume license. Mixing and matching (ie, using a VL key with an OEM install, or using an OEM key with a VL install) will result in the error you are seeing.

 

[stash]

BTW, you should really be using volume licensing for this. Or else you will need to manually enter a unique key for every single machine after you image it.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Ok. Apparently I wasn't clear.

I KNOW they are media specific.

I USED THE SAME PRODUCT KEY AFTER I RAN SYSPREP AS I USED TO INSTALL IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

OEM = OEM.



That said....

I was asking if there were different versions of Sysprep for OEM vs. Retail although I can't find any differentiation on Microsoft's website.

As for volume licensing... As I said in the original post; these are RELOADS. I'm cranking out new builds. I plan to use the existing OEM product keys that are already stuck on each PC. I just don't want to have to install Windows 2000 on each PC one at a time. I figured I'd do one install, sysprep and then do the other drives. Then install the drives and enter the appropriate Key.

 

[stash]

I USED THE SAME PRODUCT KEY AFTER I RAN KEYGEN AS I USED TO INSTALL IT IN THE FIRST PLACE

Sorry, I'm still not clear on what you mean by running keygen.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Ugg... Sorry about the typo. I typed that because of SunnyD not know in what context I was using the word keygen in.

I meant SYSPREP. Edit made.

Thanks.

 

[VirtualLarry]

thought that there was a switch you could pass to SYSPREP to get it to re-run the OOBE or re-prompt for the product-key, the first time that it is booted? Isn't that what needs to be done here, and then enter each OEM product-key off of the machine itself? (Granted, that seems like a pain to do it manually for 1000 machines, but at least the OS install would be automated.)

 

[jonnyGURU]

Larry,

No. Although there are switches, I'm not using any. Because Sysprep without switches is SUPPOSED TO do what I'm thinking I need to do. When I reboot, it went through the whole OOBE. It asked for the time, date, user name, organization.... Things were looking great. But then it came time to put in the product key and it crapped out.

I'm reinstalling 2000 now. I'm going to try it again (Sysprep) without installing anything else. I'll see if it does the same thing.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Get this. I blasted the PC. Reinstalled 2000, did Sysprep again, rebooted, entered the same product key and now it works.

Tempermental, buggy Microsoft crap.

I hope once I get rolling this out on all of the workstations this doesn't happen too often! What a time killer.