(no subject)

[hangingstar.livejournal.com]

We're using symantec ghost corporate 7 to make images for all the labs.
we are putting winxp on them, but every time we ghost a machine it still asks for a cd key.
we run sysprep, so it shouldnt be asking us.
does anyone have any ideas?

(it didnt do this with win2k, jsut xp)

(i figured one of you tech support people might know...)

Comments

[noiresque.livejournal.com]

That's the way it works here for us. I think you have to set something for it not to ask for a CD key or maybe you can't. We just have to put the CD key in every time.

[child2day.livejournal.com]

sysprep is what is making it ask for a CD key. there is a part of sysprep that you enter all of your CD keys in and it divies them out, but i dont know how to use it. Plus ghost 7 does not tecnicaly support win XP, only 7.5 does ( i think)

[lordstorm.livejournal.com]

Norton Ghost 7 does actually support Windows XP: version 6 supported FAT16/32 and Windows 2000's version of NTFS (NTFS 5.0), and version 7 supports the above and XP's version (NTFS 5.1). Version 7.5 is more of an Enterprise edition with remote clienting, Ghost servers, and Windows 2003 support off the top of my head.

[lordstorm.livejournal.com]

Sysprep is a fantastic tool, however it is a little limited.

Sysprep rips into Windows' registry and removes quite a few chunks about security and hardware settings, the SID for the machine, and registration details, amongst others: this actually does include the Windows registration key.

How I got around it was to actually specify the CD keys within the sysprep.ini file: I usually specified one of three, depending on the build of Windows 2000 (eg: Pro RC2, Server retail, or Advanced corporate editions), but I think sysprep could support one of five. I could also place answers to setup questions (such as workstation names, network addressing, regional details, etc), and automate the system as far as possible.

It took quite a bit of experimentation with options and such: check the support folder of your Windows 2000 (Adv) Server CD and check the help file that's usually kept there, otherwise there's plenty of information regards to Sysprep 1.1 (for Windows 2000) and Sysprep 2.0 (for Windows XP/2003) on newsgroups or forums all over the internet.

winnt.sif

[(Anonymous)]

If it's not too much trouble you can just add it into the normal Windows hands-free installer script winnt.sif. Google for info on the syntax. I've never used sysprep before so I don't know its specificities. Sorry. --Colin