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Building a Pre-activated CD from an existing installation


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I don't mean to be arrogant. I just know that you'll give up if you burn a few bad ones. Starting with an OEM CD gives you the most likelihood of completion. Once you've done it a few times and have working examples to compare to you could try to build the disks from the folders on the hard drive created by the restore CD's.

Here is a hologram cd. You can buy one, borrow one, or obtain one by other methods.

The above CD as purchased installs with the key included. If you install this on a system that already has an OEM windows license you are purchasing an unnecessary extra license. If you have a big brand computer then a license is already on your case and the instructions in this thread show you how to build an install CD from the above CD that matches that license. Unless you have time or friends to learn how to build an install CD and can leverage that knowledge over many systems you might waste less time by purchasing a clean install like the one above and forget about preactivation.

The new CD is a modification to the above CD which adds the CD Key and updates the OEMBIOS files so the new CD will preactivate with your system. To do that you will be copying the entire CD #1 onto the hard drive. Update 4 files and add 1 key file. Then you obtain an XP boot sector from online sources, then write out a new BOOT ISO CD with Nero or CDImage. CD #2 will function correctly as provided. The process is similar to "Slipstream" for which detailed instructions can be found all over the web.

>Is it possible that I delete the trial softwares from the Recovery DVDs

Consider the recovery CD's as unmodifiable. The most you could do is to restore them, modify the system to remove the stuff, and build new ones. There's a lot of tools involved in that process that you don't have.

>Sorry cant find the OEM HOLOGRAM......in the recovery DVD kit?

HP does not provide one because it gets them a better deal from Microsoft. Microsoft would rather OEM's supply crappy restore disks that apply only to a small number of models rather than generic install CD's that apply to a large number of models. HP would rather supply you with restore disks because tech support can lead most anyone through a restore and they like the revenue from the software deals. Dell supplies clean install disks for those who ask. For the other brands you'll need to live with what you got or learn to make your own.

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Hologram CD.......Retail/OEM my names.......misinterpretation.

Simply answer how I can make a MCE CDs/DVD from the 2 set Recovery DVD bought from Sony.

I simpy dont want the bloat they stuffed.

& stop being analytical & judgmental.

Hoping to hear your view regarding making a XP MCE 2005 from Recovery DVDs.

Regards.

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@eDOC,

Just because your not getting the answers you want, it doesn't mean the guys here aren't trying to help you.

I've been making my own Unattended and Multi Disks for a couple of years now, and I've yet to be able to make one that works from my Vaio S-Series recovery DVD's. So its not something a beginer is going to be able to do.

If you really want a 'Sony' install but without all the bloat, heres the only sensible way to do it.

1. Do a full restore from either your recovery patition or DVD's.

2. Go to Add/Remove programs and remove what you don't want.

3. Add any programs. util's or extras you want/need.

4. Image the disk and burn that to DVD.

6. Use that image everytime you reinstall.

The only other way is to get yourself an OEM disk, rip it to your hard disk, Modify some of its files and Add others to it. As has been explained in this thread.

But you won't have any of the 'Sony' programs or Util's, you'll have a basic install of XP. You'll have to go the Vaio site to get any of them that you want, and believe me trying to get those files from the Vaio website is not easy.

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2 years holy........

No offence intended your IQ must be pretty low......

In 2 years you could have done some thing better & with results.

Btw thanks for your suggestions.....they are pretty subaverage.

Just my thoughts.

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@eDOC,

In another 2 years I may have increased my intellect enough to have thoughts like yours.

In the meantime, I'll just have to put up with actually achieving the things I set out to do.

Whether that be creating my own Unattended / Recovery Disks in XP and Vista, Thanking / Making Friends of the people that having taken the time to help and advice me, Improving my basic communication skills, and getting myself a life.

Yours Most Sincerely

ZaForD

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hi! perhaps this topic: Trouble with slipstream Dell OEM Win XP could have a thing or 2 to share in this ... specifically, to

Anyone try UWin Installer?

This is from the readme:

Do You Want To Install Or Upgrade Micosoft Windows Operating System On Your

Computer With Setup Files On Your Hard Disk.

Then UWin Installer (UWI) is what you NEED!

UWI Is A Tool For Quick & Easy Install Or Upgrade Of Microsoft Windows O.S.

By End User From Setup Files On Hard Disk Without End User Attention.

UWI works for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003 Operating System Installation.

What Can UWI do:

- Makes Windows Operating System Installation Quicker By 30%

...

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

I have an Compaq laptop with a Windows XP Pro installed on it by my office (apparently a volume license). Can I use any of the methods listed above to create a CD for reinstalling Windows after format, and which does not require reactivation.

Thanks in adance for your help.

guptasuneet

Edited by guptasuneet
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To verify that you have a corporate edition go to System Properties and look at your PID.

#####-640- Corporate (these tools will not produce what you want)

#####-OEM-0011903-##### Compaq (these tools will produce what you want)

If you have a corporate key then these tools will not help you because you already have the corporate key and a corporate install CD. The tools were meant to be used on your Compaq before your company overwrote the OS with their corporate edition.

If you have factory restore CD's then restore them and these tools will produce the key and OEMBIOS files you need. Without those, use this tool to detect what OEMBIOS files you need and download them from here. The key can be obtained from any Compaq or HP running the same Windows you are: Home, Pro, TabletPC, or MCE. Unfortunately we can't trade it here though it is quite easy to find in Google if you know what to look for.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I've put together two files that can be used to make a pre-activated CD if all you got with your computer is a restore CD you will also need access to an OEM hologram CD for the rest of the files. Put the following files in the same folder

getfiles.bat

attrib -s %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
attrib +s %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.BIN
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.DAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.SIG
cscript //nologo getkey.vbs > winnt.sif

getkey.vbs

Dim objFS, objShell
Dim strXPKey

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

strXPKey = objShell.RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProductName")
If Len(strXPKey) > 0 Then
WScript.Echo "[UserData]"
WScript.Echo "ProductKey=" & chr(34) & GetKey(objShell.RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId")) & chr(34)
WScript.Echo "[Data]"
WScript.Echo "MSDosInitiated=0"
WScript.Echo "UnattendedInstall=Yes"
End If

Function GetKey(rpk)
Const rpkOffset=52:i=28
szPossibleChars="BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
dwAccumulator=0 : j=14
Do
dwAccumulator=dwAccumulator*256
dwAccumulator=rpk(j+rpkOffset)+dwAccumulator
rpk(j+rpkOffset)=(dwAccumulator\24) and 255
dwAccumulator=dwAccumulator Mod 24
j=j-1
Loop While j>=0
i=i-1 : szProductKey=mid(szPossibleChars,dwAccumulator+1,1)&szProductKey
if (((29-i) Mod 6)=0) and (i<>-1) then
i=i-1 : szProductKey="-"&szProductKey
End If
Loop While i>=0
GetKey=szProductKey
End Function

Getfiles.bat will generate 5 files to be placed in the i386 directory of your CD. the files are:

OEMBIOS.BI_

OEMBIOS.CA_

OEMBIOS.DA_

OEMBIOS.SI_

winnt.sif

What if you don't have a OEM hologram cd but a recovery cd made with recovery cd software

that was installed on the pc when it was bought?

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What if you don't have a OEM hologram cd but a recovery cd made with recovery cd software that was installed on the pc when it was bought?

Most of the time the disk you end up with fails. :(

Lots of recovery disks use images of the hard drive, so they don't have the Windows install files.

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What if you don't have a OEM hologram cd but a recovery cd made with recovery cd software that was installed on the pc when it was bought?

Most of the time the disk you end up with fails. :(

Lots of recovery disks use images of the hard drive, so they don't have the Windows install files.

I have a different question now since I was able to get a hold of a oem hologram xp cd... Is it possible to take files

from the i386 folder on my recovery cd and copy them over the files in the i386 directory of my XP work folder and

have it work as being pre-activated?

Edited by Rebeldawg
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  • 4 weeks later...
I've put together two files that can be used to make a pre-activated CD if all you got with your computer is a restore CD you will also need access to an OEM hologram CD for the rest of the files. Put the following files in the same folder

getfiles.bat

attrib -s %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
attrib +s %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.BIN
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.DAT
makecab %SystemRoot%\system32\OEMBIOS.SIG
cscript //nologo getkey.vbs > winnt.sif

getkey.vbs

Dim objFS, objShell
Dim strXPKey

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

strXPKey = objShell.RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProductName")
If Len(strXPKey) > 0 Then
WScript.Echo "[UserData]"
WScript.Echo "ProductKey=" & chr(34) & GetKey(objShell.RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId")) & chr(34)
WScript.Echo "[Data]"
WScript.Echo "MSDosInitiated=0"
WScript.Echo "UnattendedInstall=Yes"
End If

Function GetKey(rpk)
Const rpkOffset=52:i=28
szPossibleChars="BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
dwAccumulator=0 : j=14
Do
dwAccumulator=dwAccumulator*256
dwAccumulator=rpk(j+rpkOffset)+dwAccumulator
rpk(j+rpkOffset)=(dwAccumulator\24) and 255
dwAccumulator=dwAccumulator Mod 24
j=j-1
Loop While j>=0
i=i-1 : szProductKey=mid(szPossibleChars,dwAccumulator+1,1)&szProductKey
if (((29-i) Mod 6)=0) and (i<>-1) then
i=i-1 : szProductKey="-"&szProductKey
End If
Loop While i>=0
GetKey=szProductKey
End Function

Getfiles.bat will generate 5 files to be placed in the i386 directory of your CD. the files are:

OEMBIOS.BI_

OEMBIOS.CA_

OEMBIOS.DA_

OEMBIOS.SI_

winnt.sif

OK. Pardon the ignorance.

I have tried to read through this thread.

I still don’t know if this is what I need.

I have used your script and have the Files.

I have an OEM XP Pro CD.

If I copy the Files (OEMBIOS.BIN etc.) into the I386 folder, then burn it, will that work to reinstall XP to the system and avoid Activation?

I have an Acer laptop with no XP CD.

XP pro is installed.

I do not need an Unattended Install. I just need a XP CD so I can do a Clean Install.

I see in the “winnt.sif†it says “UnattendedInstall=Yesâ€

I do not understand what that means.

I need to be able to “Partition†and “Format†manually and then install XP.

Thanks.

Joe :huh:

PS.

If I want to use an XP Pro SP2 CD to build CD that might work to reinstall on a Computer with XP Home, Will that work?

I do not nee Pro but that’s what I have.

My Desktop is XP Home SP1 and I need to have an XP SP2 CD.

Edited by JoeGons
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I do not need an Unattended Install. I just need a XP CD so I can do a Clean Install.

I see in the winnt.sif it says UnattendedInstall=Yes

I do not understand what that means.

I need to be able to Partition and Format manually and then install XP.

The winnt.sif exists only to provide the product key so it technically is a partially unattended install. It is possible to create the CD without the winnt.sif but you will have to manually enter the correct key (not the key on the sticker).

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