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How to use Sysprep with Windows Product
Activation or Volume License Media to deploy Windows XP/2003?
If you are planning a large deployment
of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, obtain Volume License (VL)
media and use Volume Licensing. Activation is not required when you
use Volume License media (VL versions of Windows XP/2003) in
conjunction with the VL product keys.
Microsoft Volume Licensing customers can enter their unique VL
product keys into the unattended answer file. With Sysprep, you
enter this key in your Sysprep.inf file under the "UserData" section
by using the "ProductKey=" entry, for example:
(Where
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX is your product key)
This
enables Windows XP/2003 to install successfully.
Note: If you use Volume
License product keys with VL media, you are only required to enter
the VL product key in the "UserData" section by using the ProductKey
parameter as shown above. If you use Sysprep you need to edit the
unattended answer file (Sysprep.inf).
Windows
Product Activation is designed to work with drive imaging products
that are available from third-party manufacturers. You can use the
Sysprep utility that is included with Windows XP to reset activation
up to three times. The Sysprep.exe utility is located on the Windows
XP distribution CD-ROM in the Support\Tools folder in the Deploy.cab
file.
After
Windows XP/2003 is imaged and then deployed, Windows Product
Activation initiates the activation timer, which resets the
installation ID (and enables the full grace period) at first start
after the installation of Windows XP/2003 is complete on the target
computer. Unlike Volume Licensing, unique product keys are required
for each of the target computers. However, a manual telephone call
is not necessary as long as the target computers have Internet
connectivity and the product keys are valid; in that case, the
computer activates online automatically.
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