Can i use Windows sysPrep

[jfchui]

I want to install additional PC with Window Xp using disk imaging to save time. However, can we do it before having sufficient Windows XP licence?.

I heard of using sysprep (comes from Microsoft) to achieve updating product key and installation key when large company use imaging to clone PC.

In other word, this is my plan (but not sure if it works of not)
- installed Windows XP and other patches onto one of the PC. Activated Windows.
- keep the pc out of the Domain when creating a ghost image (source)
- cloned two other PC with the ghost image
- also kept the clones out of the Domain. I assume these PC would run normally, true?
- the company purchases additional licences after a few days.
- then I "update" the two cloned PC with the correct product Keys

how can I achieve the last step. Can I use sysprep to update the product key and other info?

Thank a lot.

[rraehal]

First you need to have a Windows XP license for each PC. Even if you install the Ghost image you are out of compliance with licenses agreements are are putting the company at risk.

If you have the licenses you can get Sysprep legally from the 2003 server CD for sure. I am not sure what other sources Microsoft has available to get the software.

When you set up you first machine get it completely setup (Patches etc...). You can create an answer file and put it in C:\sysprep. If you want the key to change you simply leave the key out of the answer file and Windows will prompt you for it after you have ghosted the drive and started setup. The domain can be left blank and the PC will prompt for joining a domain or a workgroup. Specify the correct choice when running setup. You may need to activate agian. Windows will detect the changes in hardware even after a sysprep. You will also need to go through setup on the machine you ran sysprep on in the first place.

The setup of a machine that has a syspreped ghost image is short. User/Company name, network settings, domain info, and thats about it. It takes us 5 minutes to get through setup after installing a ghost image.

[jfchui]

If you want the key to change you simply leave the key out of the answer file and Windows will prompt you for it after you have ghosted the drive and started setup...

Thanks rraehal.

1) When preparing the ghost file out of the first system.
Should I activate Windows for the first system? or it doesn't matter

2) If someone had ALREADY setup pc's improperly, for example: using the same cd key on more than one pc's, is there a way we can fix the problem now? Assuming now additional licences were purchased.

As an employer, no-one is so stupid to put the Company at risk, unless being told to.

[Sterling_Aug]

1.) No need to activate Windows before sysprep. It will ask you to activate each PC seperately unless you buy a Volume License CD Key, then there will be no activation at all.

2.) There is a way that Microsoft gives you to re-enter the CD key or to change it if required. I would have to search the MS Knowledgebase for the process.

Some employers DEMAND that the IT people save every nickel they can even if the risk is a heafty fine.

[rraehal]

You will still be unable to activate two of the three PC's. Each key must be unique unless you have a corporate key like MK said.

The ghosted systems will be useless after the initial time for activation has expired.

[jfchui]

You will still be unable to activate two of the three PC's. Each key must be unique unless you have a corporate key like MK said....

Well, it is strange because I could find 2 PC's in the Company that seems to have the same CD keys. Only one of them has the colored COA label sticked at the side of the machine and its codes agrees 100% with the data shown by Rockxp3. The two pc's were of different brand/make. I retrieve its CD keys by running a program called rockxp3 (free download from Internet).

I am almost 100% sure we don't have any Corporate key.

If what you said above was correct, how come someone was able to activate both PC's. Although both PC's were working fine now, I still want to find out a way to remove the duplication without re-installing one of them. They have purchased the additional licences already.

Please do not get these 2 pC's confused with what I asked earlier regarding ghosting the disk image of one PC and image it onto two other 2 pc's. These 5 PC's were all different.

[Steve R Jones]

In case you haven't seen these:

How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;302577

How to use Sysprep with Windows Product Activation or Volume License Media to deploy Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;299840

Description of New Features in Sysprep for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;282190

Unsupported Sysprep scenarios
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;828287