Automatically activating XP

Six6siX · 9 Aug 2008 at 17:56

When doing an (OEM) install of a licensed version of XP, is there any way to make it so that when it loads into the desktop, its already activated - like OEMs do when using recovery media that installs windows as normal but the final result is a 'pre-activated' install?

Cheers

Burnsy2023 · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:22

No. You need special product keys for that.

Burnsy

Six6siX · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:27

Special product keys? So the key used by the OEM different to the one on the case sticker then - in what way - VLK? :confused:

I'm guessing the situation is different with Vista (seen the OEM preactivation kit floating around) ?

muon · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:30

The way I understood it is that XP installed from oem discs with pcs with the correct oem bios does not require activation. Therefore its probably more to do with the discs rather than the actual key. Any windows authentication checks obviously have to allow these keys as well though.

As you mentioned, people have tricked the dell Vista oem disc into installing on any bios.

badbob · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:32

If you have corporate edition of Windows you don't need to activate,

Burnsy2023 · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:32

Six6siX said:
Special product keys? So the key used by the OEM different to the one on the case sticker then - in what way - VLK?

Yes, they are different. A special type of VLK.

Six6siX said:
I'm guessing the situation is different with Vista (seen the OEM preactivation kit floating around) ?

I am not aware of this. It's not part of the OPK.

Burnsy

Burnsy2023 · 9 Aug 2008 at 18:33

ghost101 said:
As you mentioned, people have tricked the dell Vista oem disc into installing on any bios.

Which is illegal and therefore not allowed to be discussed.

Burnsy

Six6siX · 14 Aug 2008 at 23:31

Just following up with this...

Came across this nifty little utility...OEMScan

http://www.msfn.org/board/OEMScan-Automated-Multi-Manufacture-Pr-t82638.html

Scans BIOS addresses for OEM tag and selects the correct OEMBIOS set from ones you specify as long as you're using a Royalty key.

I implemented this using WPI and it works like a charm.

AtreuS · 15 Aug 2008 at 10:17

You can also have special "site license" versions of xp that places like schools or business's can use that dont need activation. They come with a single activation key that is used on all the installs and it never asks to register or activate.

There are many different breeds of xp around.

Burnsy2023 · 15 Aug 2008 at 10:20

AtreuS said:
You can also have special "site license" versions of xp that places like schools or business's can use that dont need activation. They come with a single activation key that is used on all the installs and it never asks to register or activate.

There are many different breeds of xp around.

They're called Volume Licence Keys and no, they don't require activation although Vista does either through a multiple activation key (MAK) or a Windows Key Management Server (KMS). All of this requires a Volume Licence Agreement With MS, Such as an Open, Select 6 or Enterprise agreement.

Burnsy