OEM Imaged Deployment and Activation

Thanks Mike, that helps.
--
Phil H.

"Mike Brannigan" wrote:

> "PhilHo" <PhilHo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B8312F4A-379F-4B3E-BC63-46EDAB5D2C02@microsoft.com...

> > Hi there,
> > We are deploying Vista in a lab environment this summer on PCs purchased
> > from Dell. We are planning on creating a master image and then, through
> > BDD
> > or Ghost, pushing it out to the other 40 systems. Since we are getting the
> > PCs pre-loaded with Vista Business, will we run into problems with
> > validation
> > and activation on the machines we push to?
> > --
> > Thanks,
> > Phil H.

>
> Yes - as each OEM license comes with its own product activation key.
> So unless you want each machine to have to type in its own unique key at
> first start up from the sticker on the device you will have problems.
>
>
> --
>
> Mike Brannigan
>

Why can't you change the product key to the correct one for each OEM system
after you install the master image
using the Control Panel System activation option?

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/produc...gevistakey.htm


"Mike Brannigan" <Mike.Brannigan@localhost> wrote in message
news:1FCDC976-2AD1-4A97-8A6E-19EAC7D49235@microsoft.com...

> "PhilHo" <PhilHo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B8312F4A-379F-4B3E-BC63-46EDAB5D2C02@microsoft.com...

>> Hi there,
>> We are deploying Vista in a lab environment this summer on PCs purchased
>> from Dell. We are planning on creating a master image and then, through
>> BDD
>> or Ghost, pushing it out to the other 40 systems. Since we are getting
>> the
>> PCs pre-loaded with Vista Business, will we run into problems with
>> validation
>> and activation on the machines we push to?
>> --
>> Thanks,
>> Phil H.

>
> Yes - as each OEM license comes with its own product activation key.
> So unless you want each machine to have to type in its own unique key at
> first start up from the sticker on the device you will have problems.
>
>
> --
>
> Mike Brannigan

"Mike Brannigan" <Mike.Brannigan@localhost> wrote in message
news:1FCDC976-2AD1-4A97-8A6E-19EAC7D49235@microsoft.com...

> "PhilHo" <PhilHo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B8312F4A-379F-4B3E-BC63-46EDAB5D2C02@microsoft.com...

>> Hi there,
>> We are deploying Vista in a lab environment this summer on PCs
>> purchased
>> from Dell. We are planning on creating a master image and then,
>> through BDD
>> or Ghost, pushing it out to the other 40 systems. Since we are
>> getting the
>> PCs pre-loaded with Vista Business, will we run into problems with
>> validation
>> and activation on the machines we push to?
>> --
>> Thanks,
>> Phil H.

>
> Yes - as each OEM license comes with its own product activation key.
> So unless you want each machine to have to type in its own unique key
> at first start up from the sticker on the device you will have
> problems.
>
>

There has to be another way - Dell doesn't make you enter the product
activation key, and I'd be willing to bet that they don't enter it for
you...

With XP, I remember there being a "super secret" set of activation keys
for OEMs that validated against the BIOS so that Dell and similar didn't
have to do this. As a matter of fact, I have a set of Dell XP SP2 Ghost
images that work this way that my predecessor set up. That is, I can
re-image any Dell I have in our office to the image for that particular
model and not worry about activation. And no, we are not Volume License
users. I'll bet there is a similar thing for Vista, but how you would
go about finding this out or using it I don't know. I'll be in a
similar situation in a few months when we go to deploy Vista, so if you
find the answer please post back.

Regards,

Dave

"Dave R." <dwragle at drbsystems dot com> wrote in message
news:4656f653$0$97260$892e7fe2@authen.yellow.readf reenews.net...

>
> "Mike Brannigan" <Mike.Brannigan@localhost> wrote in message
> news:1FCDC976-2AD1-4A97-8A6E-19EAC7D49235@microsoft.com...

>> "PhilHo" <PhilHo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:B8312F4A-379F-4B3E-BC63-46EDAB5D2C02@microsoft.com...

>>> Hi there,
>>> We are deploying Vista in a lab environment this summer on PCs purchased
>>> from Dell. We are planning on creating a master image and then, through
>>> BDD
>>> or Ghost, pushing it out to the other 40 systems. Since we are getting
>>> the
>>> PCs pre-loaded with Vista Business, will we run into problems with
>>> validation
>>> and activation on the machines we push to?
>>> --
>>> Thanks,
>>> Phil H.

>>
>> Yes - as each OEM license comes with its own product activation key.
>> So unless you want each machine to have to type in its own unique key at
>> first start up from the sticker on the device you will have problems.
>>
>>

>
> There has to be another way - Dell doesn't make you enter the product
> activation key, and I'd be willing to bet that they don't enter it for
> you...
>
> With XP, I remember there being a "super secret" set of activation keys
> for OEMs that validated against the BIOS so that Dell and similar didn't
> have to do this. As a matter of fact, I have a set of Dell XP SP2 Ghost
> images that work this way that my predecessor set up. That is, I can
> re-image any Dell I have in our office to the image for that particular
> model and not worry about activation. And no, we are not Volume License
> users. I'll bet there is a similar thing for Vista, but how you would go
> about finding this out or using it I don't know. I'll be in a similar
> situation in a few months when we go to deploy Vista, so if you find the
> answer please post back.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave
>

Royalty OEMs may ship PCs in a number of ways - such as installed but
requiring you to enter the key on first boot, or (although I have not seen
many) pre activated against the BIOS or potentially pre activated using the
OEM factory keys -(*again less common these days)
So the original poster may have issues depending on the particular
activation scheme Dell have used on those PCs.
If the machines are BIOS locked and self activate that way then no issue -
any other way and they will have to enter the keys to activate each machine
(as they may not use the original OEM internal key)

--

Mike Brannigan