I've been working on an unattended 2008 server build for my company and have the non R2 versions working perfectly. The problem I have is around putting our product key (MAK) in the unattended file with 2008R2.
If I include the key then I get a message saying 'The unattended answer file contains an invalid product key. Either remove the invalid key or provide a valid product key in the unattend answer file to proceeed with the Windows installation.' All the other setting from the autounattend.xml are applied correctly.
If I leave the key out of the answer file and let the server build complete without it and then 'Activate Windows' and use the same key it activates fine??????
Has anyone successfully intergrated thier MAK key in an unattended file being used with Server2008R2? do you put it in the same section as the non R2 versions?
Any help greatly appreciated
For info here is my autounattend.xml
CODE
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DiskConfiguration>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Extend>true</Extend>
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Extend>false</Extend>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>SYSTEM</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
</Disk>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
</DiskConfiguration>
<ImageInstall>
<OSImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
</OSImage>
</ImageInstall>
<UserData>
<ProductKey>
<Key>xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx</Key> - KEY REMOVED -
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
</ProductKey>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
<FullName>My Company</FullName>
<Organization>MYORG</Organization>
</UserData>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<InputLocale>en-GB</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<UILanguageFallback>en-GB</UILanguageFallback>
<UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<OOBE>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>YwBjAGMAQgB1ADEAbABkADEAQQBkAG0AaQBuAGkAcwB0AHIAYQB0AG8AcgBQAGEAcwBzAHcAbwByAGQA</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
</UserAccounts>
<Display>
<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
<HorizontalResolution>1152</HorizontalResolution>
<VerticalResolution>864</VerticalResolution>
<DPI>96</DPI>
<RefreshRate>85</RefreshRate>
</Display>
<FirstLogonCommands>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Description>Turn off UAC and rename server</Description>
<CommandLine>c:\windows\system32\wscript.exe c:\windows\system32\firstrun.vbs</CommandLine>
</SynchronousCommand>
</FirstLogonCommands>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<InputLocale>en-GB</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale>
<UILanguageFallback>en-GB</UILanguageFallback>
<UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<AutoLogon>
<Password>
<Value>YwBjAGMAQgB1ADEAbABkADEAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<LogonCount>4</LogonCount>
<Username>administrator</Username>
<Enabled>true</Enabled>
</AutoLogon>
<ComputerName>*</ComputerName>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<ExtendOSPartition>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</ExtendOSPartition>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Identification>
<JoinWorkgroup>WORKGROUP</JoinWorkgroup>
</Identification>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<fDenyTSConnections>false</fDenyTSConnections>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Home_Page>about:blank</Home_Page>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/install.wim#Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERSTANDARD" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>