localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 I'm working on our various images for Windows 7 and as it takes a while to do it, Windows is now telling me that I'm using counterfeit software... But of course, you don't enter a real key in the system yet do you? That is done when the machine syspreps, and it gets told to look for the KMS server. What it means for me though is that I can't run Windows Update. Thoughts? How do people build images if they start reporting that they are counterfeit? The idea I was going on was to have virtual machines set up which can simply be updated and saved, then sysprepped and uploaded to Fog for deployment. So, if a new update comes out I just update the image. Should I be putting in a key during the set up stage, for sysprep to remove later?
Fazza Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 You normally get 3 days from the actual installation before it reports that it needs activating. If you are using a Volume Licensing version of W7 then enter a key that you had, the sysprep process will remove the key when you run it.
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 You normally get 3 days from the actual installation before it reports that it needs activating. If you are using a Volume Licensing version of W7 then enter a key that you had, the sysprep process will remove the key when you run it. 3 days is nowhere near long enough for us to build an image. Not to mention the image will constantly be updated over the years to come. So, I'll just add a key for now then.
3s-gtech Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 3 days till automatic activation, but 30 days until you get the 'non-genuine' messages - should be enough surely?
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 3 days till automatic activation, but 30 days until you get the 'non-genuine' messages - should be enough surely? Nope. Started the image back in June, have it working with all our hardware types. Just received 2 new models of PC, so need to add driver packs for them both. And then we'll do this in the same way for the foreseeable future. Otherwise it means that when we want to update the image in the future, we end up having to rebuild it from scratch.
Achandler Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 An image takes mew about 4 days to make. But then i make it at the start of the holiday with little interruption and knowing what PCs it is to be used on. Surely if you activated it, then sysprep would jsut remove the key again and that wouldnt be an issue?
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 An image takes mew about 4 days to make. But then i make it at the start of the holiday with little interruption and knowing what PCs it is to be used on. Surely if you activated it, then sysprep would jsut remove the key again and that wouldnt be an issue? Indeed, adding a key does the job. I just didn't want to have to waste MAK keys doing this. The KMS server here is not past its initial activation count yet - as we've not started rolling out stuff. And I started my image earlier in the year as I have 2 million things to do this summer. 4 days? We have about 12 different models of PC to get the drivers working for. The process for doing that isn't that quick. Then we also have 3 schools on the site, each with teacher and student images, and an admin image. Around 150 different pieces of software to install and configure... 4 days? Not a chance. Not to mention, that is besides the point, as every month I want to be able to update the image without using sysprep counts with the latest Windows updates, flash, java etc...
Achandler Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 Your other choice would be, though you obviously don't have time this year now, is to create packages for al your software then deploy it, makes updating easier and makes your image much quicker as it becomes drivers only. Maybe a project for next yeah. Our image only has about 60 bits of software in, but I guess I am luckier with the PC variations. I have about 4 models mainly, then 1 or two odd ones that I just do manually.
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 Your other choice would be, though you obviously don't have time this year now, is to create packages for al your software then deploy it, makes updating easier and makes your image much quicker as it becomes drivers only. Maybe a project for next yeah. Our image only has about 60 bits of software in, but I guess I am luckier with the PC variations. I have about 4 models mainly, then 1 or two odd ones that I just do manually. Packages? Nightmare. Takes a *lot* longer to do. Not to mention, imaging machines then takes 10x as long. Sticking a single 25GB image on machines means we can reimage a suite in an hour. Doing it via packages means it takes 3 or more. Serif MoviePlus takes 15 minutes to install on its own!
Achandler Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 Longer to do short term, imaging does take longer to which is worse mid term but easier in the summer or half terms. Personally I use a full image mate, I think it is easier and cleaner. Edit: I'm waiting for 30gb of Moodledata to move servers...
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 Longer to do short term, imaging does take longer to which is worse mid term but easier in the summer or half terms. Personally I use a full image mate, I think it is easier and cleaner. Edit: I'm waiting for 30gb of Moodledata to move servers... We use a 'reimage is the answer to everything' policy here. So, if something is broken we just reimage. It works well. So, long reimage times would be a problem during the term, where we're expected to get a fix within half an hour for any machine. And I know what you mean... I'm waiting for 2.5TB of data to finish mirroring...
FN-GM Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 @Achandler think yourself lucky i have just moved our moodle and the moodledata is 500GB!
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 You should be able to rearm the activation period You can only do this 3 times total.
Duke5A Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 What are you building the image on? I build mine (XP and 7) in virtual machines and use snapshots. When I first created the installs I fed them a MAK key and right before I get ready to run sysprep I shut them down and create a snapshot. When the sysprep/capture process is complete, I revert back to that snapshot.
localzuk Posted July 25, 2012 Author Posted July 25, 2012 What are you building the image on? I build mine (XP and 7) in virtual machines and use snapshots. When I first created the installs I fed them a MAK key and right before I get ready to run sysprep I shut them down and create a snapshot. When the sysprep/capture process is complete, I revert back to that snapshot. VirtualBox. That's the same process I use, except I haven't been putting a MAK in.
ChrisH Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 Sounds like you need to use slmgr as a run once to change your key once the image is deployed and use the mak for the image. We use MDT build our base image with driver injection and certain apps are automated into that build. The build and capture is automatic so it just gets the latest updates. We also use app-v which helps greatly with a great number of apps.
Theblacksheep Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 Just incase you've not seen it, SCCM 2012 does offline wim servicing: Ronni Pedersen's deployment ramblings » ConfigMgr 2012 – Offline Service for OS Images
Duke5A Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 I read your original post wrong... Try this... Find the appropriate key from the link below and change both the key in your VM install, and in the answer file to match. When using one of these keys Windows will try to activate against a KMS first thing. KMS Client Setup Keys If I had to guess, your image right now is trying to activate directly with Microsoft with some key and completely bypassing your KMS server.
Michael Posted July 25, 2012 Posted July 25, 2012 I have to agree, three days to build an image is too short. I just activate using a MAK key. On a similar topic, it looks like Windows 7 SP2 is predicted for a early-mid 2013 release. Does Microsoft expect everyone to deploy SP2 on existing installations or rather the quicker/easier way to create a newer image with SP2 integrated? And more to the point, how is this going to work with any KMS or MAK activation system?
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