Discussion: Enterring Serial Key when Installing Windows

The_KiD

The_KiD

The_KiD

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Just wondering if anyone else had ever thought that when installing Windows why does MS ask you for the license key so late in the install.

The reason this comes up is because we have loads of PC's here some that came with XP OEM, some that have volume license version installed and some were full XP (not OEM or volume).

When re-installing the PC's it isnt until you have done the format, the DOS portion of the setup and most of the windows portion, that it asks you for the key and it is only at this point that it says Yey or Nay to the key you provide.

If it's the wrong one then you have used the wrong CD and need to start again from scratch, it's a right royal pain in the ass.

So why isnt it one of the first things that it asks you for?

- Discuss!
 
They don't expect anyone to get it wrong really I suppose - MS imagine that most folks with a few PCs at work will be deploying windows using nice shiny toys from a central location and using one of their corporate license deals.
 
I would imagine it is for the benefit of OEM sellers. They can do the large part of the installation of windows for the customer before they ship. So when a newby turns on his new pc all they have to do is input the serial and a few fields for date time etc and they are ready to rock. Rather than having to wait around for for an hour or two installing windows.
 
Eriedor said:
I would imagine it is for the benefit of OEM sellers. They can do the large part of the installation of windows for the customer before they ship. So when a newby turns on his new pc all they have to do is input the serial and a few fields for date time etc and they are ready to rock. Rather than having to wait around for for an hour or two installing windows.
Click to expand...

Nope, the OEM Pre installation kit allows you to do more then that without having to activate the product, which is what all OEMs use.

Burnsy
 
What really irks me about the XP installer is that it doesn't ask all of its questions at once. It has to sit there and pester you every five minutes for half an hour. Slipstreaming is the only way around this.
 
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