Vista - Vista not excepting product key

Hi all,

We buy HP computers which we sell to our customers with our software
installed and preconfigured. This computer come preinstalled with
Vista.

I've taken one of these computers, installed our software and
configured it per our requirements. I've then sysprep'd it using a
sysprep.xml answer file and then taken an image using imagex.

I then boot a new computer using WindowsPE, setup the partitions using
diskpart and then use imagex to apply the image. The image is
installed correctly, the system reboots and does its setup without any
user input. Next you are asked to enter the product key and you enter
the key number that's on the MS sticker on the computer. The next
screen asks you to activate, there's no option to activate later, so
you select activate now over the internet and you get the message that
it's not a valid product key. You have to phone MS to activate.

How can I get my install to except the valid product without the need
to phone MS?

TIA

Greg

<ghines@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1190076321.326762.114770@xxxxxxHi, Greg
I don't have an answer for you - I'm just trying to get more info on what
you are doing.

Am I correct in assuming that you are essentially wiping out the OEM
operating system version provided by HP on the hard drive and replacing it
with your customized OEM installation? Is this installation derived from an
HP-related OEM product, some other branded product, a generic OEM product,
or a non-OEM product? Is the OS product the same level (basic, premium,
business, ultimate) as the product associated with the product key?

-Paul Randall

Hi Paul,

I get an HP PC with the OEM OS on it, install my applications and
configure it, sysprep it and then image it.

Next I get another HP PC of the same model with the same type of Vista
Install, business in this case, and deploy the image using imagex to
that PC.

Does that make it clear?

<ghines@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1190097958.154003.56150@xxxxxxYes, that makes it clear. Seems to me, it should work. It may be that HP
somehow locked things up in their sysprep, blocking activation with the
changed you have made.

I bought a cheapo Compaq with Vista Basic & 160 GB SATA drive partitioned as
main and recovery partitions. I created a Ghost image of the hard drive
prior to first boot. I've restored the image to a 320 GB drive a number of
times. This system would NOT boot up properly if the two partitions are not
about the same size as on the original drive, although additional partitions
are not a problem. I have not taken the time to investigate whether there
is some leeway on partition sizes. I don't know what tools are available to
HP to block others from modifying their installation.

-Paul Randall

Hello,
I don't think the COA key ( the one on the side of the machine) will do
Internet activation.
I think those product keys require the phone call. That was a change
behavior in Windows XP around either SP1 or SP2 timeframe.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
|> From: ghines@xxxxxx
|> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|> Subject: Vista not excepting product key
|> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:45:21 -0700
|> Organization: http://groups.google.com
|> Lines: 26
|> Message-ID: <1190076321.326762.114770@xxxxxx>
|> NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.206.181.166
|> Mime-Version: 1.0
|> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
|> X-Trace: posting.google.com 1190076321 19600 127.0.0.1 (18 Sep 2007
00:45:21 GMT)
|> X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@xxxxxx
|> NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:45:21 +0000 (UTC)
|> User-Agent: G2/1.0
|> X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US;
rv:1.8.1.6) Gecko/20070725 Firefox/2.0.0.6,gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe)
|> Complaints-To: groups-abuse@xxxxxx
|> Injection-Info: w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com;
posting-host=203.206.181.166;
|> posting-account=ps2QrAMAAAA6_jCuRt2JEIpn5Otqf_w0
|> Path:
TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTFEEDS02.phx.gbl!msrtrans!
msrn-in!newshub.sdsu.edu!postnews.google.com!w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com!not
-for-mail
|> Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:25840
|> X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|>
|> Hi all,
|>
|> We buy HP computers which we sell to our customers with our software
|> installed and preconfigured. This computer come preinstalled with
|> Vista.
|>
|> I've taken one of these computers, installed our software and
|> configured it per our requirements. I've then sysprep'd it using a
|> sysprep.xml answer file and then taken an image using imagex.
|>
|> I then boot a new computer using WindowsPE, setup the partitions using
|> diskpart and then use imagex to apply the image. The image is
|> installed correctly, the system reboots and does its setup without any
|> user input. Next you are asked to enter the product key and you enter
|> the key number that's on the MS sticker on the computer. The next
|> screen asks you to activate, there's no option to activate later, so
|> you select activate now over the internet and you get the message that
|> it's not a valid product key. You have to phone MS to activate.
|>
|> How can I get my install to except the valid product without the need
|> to phone MS?
|>
|> TIA
|>
|> Greg
|>
|>

Is there a way we can find out about the COA key and what you think?
It could be very helpful.


On Sep 20, 5:52 am, Darre...@xxxxxx ("Darrell
Gorter[MSFT]") wrote:

Hello,
Checking, I have not heard back yet.
This was the link for Windows XP on the issue.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb457078.aspx
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
|> From: ghines@xxxxxx
|> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|> Subject: Re: Vista not excepting product key
|> Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:58:51 -0700
|> Organization: http://groups.google.com
|> Lines: 74
|> Message-ID: <1190239131.845970.199810@xxxxxx>
|> References: <1190076321.326762.114770@xxxxxx>
|> <8C$nlav#HHA.360@xxxxxx>
|> NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.206.181.166
|> Mime-Version: 1.0
|> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
|> X-Trace: posting.google.com 1190239132 11346 127.0.0.1 (19 Sep 2007
21:58:52 GMT)
|> X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@xxxxxx
|> NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:58:52 +0000 (UTC)
|> In-Reply-To: <8C$nlav#HHA.360@xxxxxx>
|> User-Agent: G2/1.0
|> X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US;
rv:1.8.1.6) Gecko/20070725 Firefox/2.0.0.6,gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe)
|> Complaints-To: groups-abuse@xxxxxx
|> Injection-Info: q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com;
posting-host=203.206.181.166;
|> posting-account=ps2QrAMAAAA6_jCuRt2JEIpn5Otqf_w0
|> Path:
TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTFEEDS02.phx.gbl!news-out.
cwix.com!newsfeed.cwix.com!newsfeed.gamma.ru!Gamma.RU!news.glorb.com!postnew
s.google.com!q5g2000prf.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail
|> Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:25955
|> X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|>
|> Is there a way we can find out about the COA key and what you think?
|> It could be very helpful.
|>
|>
|> On Sep 20, 5:52 am, Darre...@xxxxxx ("Darrell
|> Gorter[MSFT]") wrote:
|> > Hello,
|> > I don't think the COA key ( the one on the side of the machine) will do
|> > Internet activation.
|> > I think those product keys require the phone call. That was a change
|> > behavior in Windows XP around either SP1 or SP2 timeframe.
|> > Thanks,
|> > Darrell Gorter[MSFT]
|> >
|> > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights
|> > --------------------
|> > |> From: ghi...@xxxxxx
|> > |> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|> > |> Subject: Vista not excepting product key
|> > |> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:45:21 -0700
|> > |> Organization:http://groups.google.com
|> > |> Lines: 26
|> > |> Message-ID: <1190076321.326762.114...@xxxxxx>
|> > |> NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.206.181.166
|> > |> Mime-Version: 1.0
|> > |> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
|> > |> X-Trace: posting.google.com 1190076321 19600 127.0.0.1 (18 Sep 2007
|> > 00:45:21 GMT)
|> > |> X-Complaints-To: groups-ab...@xxxxxx
|> > |> NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:45:21 +0000 (UTC)
|> > |> User-Agent: G2/1.0
|> > |> X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US;
|> > rv:1.8.1.6) Gecko/20070725 Firefox/2.0.0.6,gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe)
|> > |> Complaints-To: groups-ab...@xxxxxx
|> > |> Injection-Info: w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com;
|> > posting-host=203.206.181.166;
|> > |> posting-account=ps2QrAMAAAA6_jCuRt2JEIpn5Otqf_w0
|> > |> Path:
|> >
TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTFEEDS02.phx.gbl!msrtrans!
|> >
msrn-in!newshub.sdsu.edu!postnews.google.com!w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com!not
|> > -for-mail
|> > |> Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
|> > microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:25840
|> > |> X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|> > |>
|> > |> Hi all,
|> > |>
|> > |> We buy HP computers which we sell to our customers with our software
|> > |> installed and preconfigured. This computer come preinstalled with
|> > |> Vista.
|> > |>
|> > |> I've taken one of these computers, installed our software and
|> > |> configured it per our requirements. I've then sysprep'd it using a
|> > |> sysprep.xml answer file and then taken an image using imagex.
|> > |>
|> > |> I then boot a new computer using WindowsPE, setup the partitions
using
|> > |> diskpart and then use imagex to apply the image. The image is
|> > |> installed correctly, the system reboots and does its setup without
any
|> > |> user input. Next you are asked to enter the product key and you
enter
|> > |> the key number that's on the MS sticker on the computer. The next
|> > |> screen asks you to activate, there's no option to activate later, so
|> > |> you select activate now over the internet and you get the message
that
|> > |> it's not a valid product key. You have to phone MS to activate.
|> > |>
|> > |> How can I get my install to except the valid product without the
need
|> > |> to phone MS?
|> > |>
|> > |> TIA
|> > |>
|> > |> Greg
|> > |>
|> > |>
|>
|>
|>

Thanks for the link Darrell, but it does not mention Vista, only XP.
But you can assume it would also apply to Vista.

The link gives you product IDs to overcome the problem for the XP
range of products but not Vista.

Surely it's possible to prepare an OEM version of Vista with your
apps. and settings, sysprep it, imagex it, restore and then have an
unattended install where the user just supplies the Product Key and
activates it before the grace period expires.

Are you telling me this is not possible??

Thanks for all your assistance it's appreciated.

Greg


On Sep 20, 12:13 pm, Darre...@xxxxxx ("Darrell
Gorter[MSFT]") wrote:

I had to reinstall Vista on my machine and did successfully use the product
key on the side of the machine to activate over the internet. Incidently, I
had to reinstall because a used a program called RegCure to clean up the
registry and Vista no longer functioned correctly after.

Regards
Chris Saunders

""Darrell Gorter[MSFT]"" <Darrellg@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8C$nlav%23HHA.360@xxxxxx

I build custom units and I have ran into this problem on several occasions.
In fact on several occasions I have put new Keys in and activated then later
I was requested to enter it again, But the second time it stated the Key was
previously used (Of course! I used it on that computer) Microsoft would then
activate over the phone for me but what a pain.

By the way you can uncheck the "Activate While online" box and it should
install fine. Mine always do. (No need to check a "Don't activate now" box
that doesn't exist.) Then you have 30 days before it stops working. It will
ask you several times if you want to activate now and all you have to do is
decline.