Vista - Vista Activation?

another tip along those lines is go into Group Policy Editor and hide that
drive from Explorer. then you won't be tempted to go in a put other things
there, or accidentally delete your backup. I forget the exact location of
that setting, and I haven't looked for it in Vista to be honest, but I doubt
they removed it.

Hello Daze,

> Gene Fitz wrote:
>
>> Well, Julie, when you format your computer, you wipe out all the
>> stored information on it. Thus, your computer is freshly loaded. At
>> that point, it doesn't know whether you have activated or not.. But
>> here is a little secret for ya.
>>
>> 1. Get yourself a small hard drive, doesn't need to be more than
>> about 20 Gigs.
>>
>> 2. After you set Vista up and get it just how you like it, goto Start
>> > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup Status and
>> Configuration.
>>
>> 3. Choose the Complete PC Backup option.
>>
>> 4. When you are there, click the text that says "Create Backup Now."
>> You will be prompted by a UAC message, Click to continue.
>>
>> When the window comes up, asking you where to place your new backup,
>> point it to your extra (small) hard drive. then Click next.
>>
>> What this will do is back up your computer's configuration, EXACTLY
>> as it sits, to a file on that hard drive that is protected, even from
>> you. Moreover, it is saved as activated, so when you format and
>> restore that back-up, it is already activated, drivers are already
>> installed, anti-virus and everything is already running, you will
>> have no problems.
>>
>> Now, to restore from that back-up, you put your Windows disk in, and
>> instead of choosing to install, you want to choose the "fix" option.
>> When the prompt comes up, you choose Complete PC Backup and restore
>> from that backup.
>>
>> Something else that does, is enable you to play around a little. If
>> you screw it up, you can always restore from that backup. And using
>> this system, it will automatically format, re-install, and set
>> everything up, exactly as it was when you created the backup. And
>> this way only takes about 20 minutes from disk insert to up and
>> running happy vista.
>>
>> Hope this helps :-)
>>
> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create
> such an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs,
> instead of using a HD?
>

You will certainly have to reactivate it (Vista won't know that it was
previously activated), but the reactivation should proceed normally over
the internet (unless it's a "large OEM" copy, which ALWAYS requires
telephone activation).

While Vista won't know that it's been activated previously and thus will
require activation, the hash that it sends to the Microsoft server
should cause the server to recognize that the computer and even the hard
drive are the same, and thus activate more or less effortlessly.

It's able to do this because the hash includes the MAC address of the
network card and the SERIAL NUMBER of the hard drive, neither of which
you can easily change (in some cases, it may also include the Intel
serial number of the CPU chip itself). You can make this even more
bullet-proof if you manually restore the volume serial number of the
hard drive partition(s) so that they also have not changed.

Julie wrote:
> http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/10...n_to_bit-tech/
>
>
> Referring to this article, I'd like to know if someone could clarify one
> part for me... I like to format my PC every now and then, like many
> others. My question is, if my HD is the same, but I am reinstalling it,
> wouldn't that mean I'd have to reactivate it? I would think that when
> the HD is formatted and a fresh install existing, it would not remember
> that I previously activated it.
>
> Unless the MS server has my HD ID and compares it on fresh install?
>
> Anybody know?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Julie.
>
> ps. KJP, Please Don't Respond. You're Responses Are Usually Incorrect,
> Just FYI.

Re: "would this [reactivation] work if you have two computers that have
identical configurations?"

Generally not. The MAC addresses of the onboard network cards would be
different, the serial numbers of the disk drives (which can be read and
which are part of the hash sent to Microsoft) would be different, and
the serial numbers of the CPU chips would be different (although CPU
serial numbers are often disabled). In addition, it's very possible
that the BIOS' are different. Consequently, Windows and the Microsoft
server will ALMOST always recognize that the computer, while "identical"
[in model number and in configuration] is still a different unit. There
are uncommon situations, however, in which identical but different
computers will not be detected as two separate units, but that is the
exception rather than the rule.

William wrote:
> In theory, would this work if you have two computers that have identical
> configurations?
>
>

Yes, absolutely.


Daze N. Knights wrote:

>
> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create such
> an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs, instead of
> using a HD?
>

Barry Watzman wrote:
> Yes, absolutely.
>
>
> Daze N. Knights wrote:
>
>>
>> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create
>> such an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs,
>> instead of using a HD?
>>

That's nice to know, but can you, perchance, elaborate on the
methodology of doing so?

--
Daze

Isn't there a file to indicate it is activated that you can backup as it is
on XP
I just can't remember the file name?
"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:455B4F93.101@neo.rr.com...
> You will certainly have to reactivate it (Vista won't know that it was
> previously activated), but the reactivation should proceed normally over
> the internet (unless it's a "large OEM" copy, which ALWAYS requires
> telephone activation).
>
> While Vista won't know that it's been activated previously and thus will
> require activation, the hash that it sends to the Microsoft server should
> cause the server to recognize that the computer and even the hard drive
> are the same, and thus activate more or less effortlessly.
>
> It's able to do this because the hash includes the MAC address of the
> network card and the SERIAL NUMBER of the hard drive, neither of which you
> can easily change (in some cases, it may also include the Intel serial
> number of the CPU chip itself). You can make this even more bullet-proof
> if you manually restore the volume serial number of the hard drive
> partition(s) so that they also have not changed.
>
> Julie wrote:
>> http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/10...n_to_bit-tech/
>> Referring to this article, I'd like to know if someone could clarify one
>> part for me... I like to format my PC every now and then, like many
>> others. My question is, if my HD is the same, but I am reinstalling it,
>> wouldn't that mean I'd have to reactivate it? I would think that when the
>> HD is formatted and a fresh install existing, it would not remember that
>> I previously activated it.
>>
>> Unless the MS server has my HD ID and compares it on fresh install?
>>
>> Anybody know?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>> Julie.
>>
>> ps. KJP, Please Don't Respond. You're Responses Are Usually Incorrect,
>> Just FYI.
>
>
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> Tested on: 16/11/2006 8:05:38 AM
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>
>
>




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Yes, it can, my Complete PC back-up is on an external (mybook) hard drive.

"William" wrote:

> Can this procedure be done with an external hard drive also?
>
>
> "Gene Fitz" <GeneFitz@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:66C480C0-88B9-48C0-AC26-870A0D6EE74D@microsoft.com...
> > Well, Julie, when you format your computer, you wipe out all the stored
> > information on it. Thus, your computer is freshly loaded. At that point,
> > it
> > doesn't know whether you have activated or not..
> > But here is a little secret for ya.
> >
> > 1. Get yourself a small hard drive, doesn't need to be more than about 20
> > Gigs.
> >
> > 2. After you set Vista up and get it just how you like it, goto Start >
> > All
> > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup Status and Configuration.
> >
> > 3. Choose the Complete PC Backup option.
> >
> > 4. When you are there, click the text that says "Create Backup Now." You
> > will be prompted by a UAC message, Click to continue.
> >
> > When the window comes up, asking you where to place your new backup, point
> > it to your extra (small) hard drive. then Click next.
> >
> > What this will do is back up your computer's configuration, EXACTLY as it
> > sits, to a file on that hard drive that is protected, even from you.
> > Moreover, it is saved as activated, so when you format and restore that
> > back-up, it is already activated, drivers are already installed,
> > anti-virus
> > and everything is already running, you will have no problems.
> >
> > Now, to restore from that back-up, you put your Windows disk in, and
> > instead
> > of choosing to install, you want to choose the "fix" option. When the
> > prompt
> > comes up, you choose Complete PC Backup and restore from that backup.
> >
> > Something else that does, is enable you to play around a little. If you
> > screw it up, you can always restore from that backup. And using this
> > system,
> > it will automatically format, re-install, and set everything up, exactly
> > as
> > it was when you created the backup. And this way only takes about 20
> > minutes
> > from disk insert to up and running happy vista.
> >
> > Hope this helps :-)
> >
> >
>
>
>

Now, I would assule that is quite possible, however, understand, first you
will need to use your install disk to boot into repair mode. Second to that,
the image is very large. Mine is about 12.5 GB, so unless you are using
BluRay it will be very difficult to load from a disk.

"Daze N. Knights" wrote:

> Gene Fitz wrote:
> > Well, Julie, when you format your computer, you wipe out all the stored
> > information on it. Thus, your computer is freshly loaded. At that point, it
> > doesn't know whether you have activated or not..
> > But here is a little secret for ya.
> >
> > 1. Get yourself a small hard drive, doesn't need to be more than about 20
> > Gigs.
> >
> > 2. After you set Vista up and get it just how you like it, goto Start > All
> > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup Status and Configuration.
> >
> > 3. Choose the Complete PC Backup option.
> >
> > 4. When you are there, click the text that says "Create Backup Now." You
> > will be prompted by a UAC message, Click to continue.
> >
> > When the window comes up, asking you where to place your new backup, point
> > it to your extra (small) hard drive. then Click next.
> >
> > What this will do is back up your computer's configuration, EXACTLY as it
> > sits, to a file on that hard drive that is protected, even from you.
> > Moreover, it is saved as activated, so when you format and restore that
> > back-up, it is already activated, drivers are already installed, anti-virus
> > and everything is already running, you will have no problems.
> >
> > Now, to restore from that back-up, you put your Windows disk in, and instead
> > of choosing to install, you want to choose the "fix" option. When the prompt
> > comes up, you choose Complete PC Backup and restore from that backup.
> >
> > Something else that does, is enable you to play around a little. If you
> > screw it up, you can always restore from that backup. And using this system,
> > it will automatically format, re-install, and set everything up, exactly as
> > it was when you created the backup. And this way only takes about 20 minutes
> > from disk insert to up and running happy vista.
> >
> > Hope this helps :-)
> >
> >
>
> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create such
> an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs, instead of
> using a HD?
>
> --
> Daze
>

All of the major image programs (Ghost, Acronis True Image, Drive Image
(no longer sold but still available)) have the ability to write the
image directly to a CD or DVD (to some extent, this may depend on the
version of the program you get, later versions are more capable in terms
of the types of devices that they can write to directly). Or, you can
save the image file on an intermediate media or drive and manually burn
it to a CD or DVD later (all of these programs can "split" an image file
into CD or DVD media size pieces).

True Image, at least, has the ability (in recent versions) to make the
CD or DVD media containing the image directly bootable. In other cases,
you boot from a boot floppy or the product CD (which can be copied) and
the image can then be restored directly from the CD or DVD media which
contains it.


Daze N. Knights wrote:
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>> Yes, absolutely.
>>
>>
>> Daze N. Knights wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create
>>> such an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs,
>>> instead of using a HD?
>>>
>
> That's nice to know, but can you, perchance, elaborate on the
> methodology of doing so?
>

Barry Watzman wrote:
> All of the major image programs (Ghost, Acronis True Image, Drive Image
> (no longer sold but still available)) have the ability to write the
> image directly to a CD or DVD (to some extent, this may depend on the
> version of the program you get, later versions are more capable in terms
> of the types of devices that they can write to directly). Or, you can
> save the image file on an intermediate media or drive and manually burn
> it to a CD or DVD later (all of these programs can "split" an image file
> into CD or DVD media size pieces).
>
> True Image, at least, has the ability (in recent versions) to make the
> CD or DVD media containing the image directly bootable. In other cases,
> you boot from a boot floppy or the product CD (which can be copied) and
> the image can then be restored directly from the CD or DVD media which
> contains it.
>
>
> Daze N. Knights wrote:
>> Barry Watzman wrote:
>>> Yes, absolutely.
>>>
>>>
>>> Daze N. Knights wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I assume this procedure creates an image. Is there a way to create
>>>> such an image, burn it to DVDs, and then restore it from the DVDs,
>>>> instead of using a HD?
>>>>
>>
>> That's nice to know, but can you, perchance, elaborate on the
>> methodology of doing so?
>>

Yes. I was aware that third-party tools can create images and then allow
one to write them to DVD(s), but I was wondering if Vista's backup can
be used to accomplish this without third-party tools.

--
Daze