Installing windows xp using GPO

[dezt]

Help, someone please help.

 

I've been installing Windows XP through the school over the hols using GPO's, which is working ok. But the only problem I have is that when the install starts it asks me for the product ID.

 

Now I have a VLK for windows XP and was hoping, no praying, that someone out there knows how to get the Product Key entered without having to type it. As i'm sure you can imagine, walking around about 125 computers and manually entering the key is really anoying, especially when most of the computers are in there own classrooms like 1 per room.

 

please help me find some way around this.

 

dezt.

 

](*,)

[Gatt]

using GPO? do you mean RIS?

 

The usual method for auto-entering the Product ID is in the Sysprep.inf file and dumping in the

C:\Sysprep\ folder or on a floppy disk.

 

However, with RIS, you also need to edit the corresponding .SIF file in the RIS image's folder

 

There are various "stickies" on here about RIS and what you need to do.

[dezt]

i'm not using RIS, that only allows new installations.

 

What I am doing is upgrading from win 2000 to win xp pro. I've got the GPO working and it starts the upgrade, but then asks for the Product ID.

 

I was wondering if there is a way to pre enter the PID like you can with Office 2003.

I have tried using msiexec.exe but it does not work for windows XP. It works fine for the office 2003 installation I'm doing via GPO.

[ChrisH]

I think I know what your doing but didnt know it could be done that way. I am sure the answer will lie in having the product code in a file called winnt.sif. You can specify this file at the normal command line but there is also a copy in the i386 folder where you can put default values so try in there.

[GrumbleDook]

This page has all the information about setting up answer files for unattended installs, Sysprepped images and riprepped images.

 

Things may vary if you are using ghost though ... not to sure about that side of things on the enterprise version of ghost.

[Gatt]

You can use RIS for re-imaging PCs by running RIPREP from the master PC - this copies the current build to your ris server, where you can then replicate this out to other PC's - as long as the hardware is the same

 

I have done that here - a base Office Image and an image with all the software needed for the ICT suites

[dezt]

I don't want to use RIS to re-image PC's, first of all I don't have a RIS server, secondly, all my PC's are different spec, and finally I have all the software already instlled on the PC's so I don't want to spend what little time I have left trying to install the various software we have on all the PC's.

 

But thanks for the Idea. Maybe when I get a bit of spare time, which is usally never, I'll build a RIS server with all the different images on for the school. I'll have to do a bit of reading about it first though.

 

Just been informed by a deputy head hes switched off one of the PC's that was busy installing XP, he thought it shouldn't have been on, cheers buddy, time to start that again.

 

Teaching staff, here to make my life hell......

[GrumbleDook]

You don't have to have a RIS image for every flavour of machine ... you can make a generic image with drivers and config for pretty much all of the machines (Though some HALs can be interesting). You then prepare your apps as MSIs to push out where you need.

 

A fair bit more work to start wth but will save you hours, days and even weeks in the long term.

 

At the moment we have a RIS image for each room, partly because there are a few extra things we like to do with the machines, but eventually we will move to as few images as possible and GPOs to push out MSIs.

 

The link I posted also deals with answer files for sysprepped machines too as well as unattended installs. It should have what you need.

[dezt]

I've been typing in the product key for the installs so far, i've got about 20 - 25 computers to do now in the RSLA and science blocks.

 

I can remember the product ID off the top of my head now, thats bad.....

[Teth]

I've long believed that once you've memorised a product key it should be yours

 

Lets see that in the volume license agreement MS.

[Geoff]

Surely that'd cause your brain to be illegal (because its a copy protection circumvention device under the EUCD) and you'd have it confiscated?