URGENT NOTICE: Windows Welcome May Not Prompt for End User to Input Product Key

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Are you using imaging in Windows Vista? Do you want your end users to be prompted for the correct product key? You will need to use specified product keys when installing using the OPK or when creating your master image installations for Windows Vista.

Issue Summary

Windows Welcome (sometimes also known as OOBE) may not prompt end users for the product key. This can be caused by using OEM product keys during image creation. This document provides several methods of working around this.

Product Applicability

Windows Vista (all skus)

Scenarios

  1. Existing Vista Image (non-Starter Edition)
  2. New Vista Image creation (non-Starter Edition)
  3. New or existing Starter Edition image

Solutions

 

A. Existing Vista Image (non-Starter Edition)

The OEM custom image already exists. These steps will allow you to patch it without rerunning Setup.exe or needing to re-customize the image.

Warning: If the system was originally slated for Audit mode to run scripted actions in a factory environment, it may be necessary to reset the system for those actions after performing this work around. Remove those scripted actions from the unattend.xml by authoring or replacing the unattend.xml in the Windows\Panther folder before booting into Audit mode. Re-add the scripted actions by running sysprep –audit –unattend:<your unattend.xml> or place the unattend.xml back in the Windows\Panther folder while in WindowsPE before recapturing the image.

Note:Master image is assumed ready to be deployed and 1st boot will be OOBE. If first boot is already set to Audit mode, skip step 2.a and take note of the warning above.

Procedure:

Apply and boot master image

1. Apply master image to system

2. Boot master image to Audit mode

1. This may require placing an unattend.xml in the c:\windows\panther\unattend folder using WindowsPE or pressing Ctrl+Shift+F3 when OOBE comes up.

                                                                                       i. Note: Using the Control+Shift+F3 key-press command will still launch any FirstLogonCommands before rebooting into Audit mode.

                                                                                     ii. The setting in the unattend.xml that will cause Audit mode to start instead of OOBE is the reseal key. Set it to Audit in the OOBESYSTEM pass. Refer to the unattend.chm in the OPK/WAIK for more information.

Audit Mode

3. Run the following commands from a cmd prompt:

1. Cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs –ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX

                                                                                       i. Note: Replace the ‘X’s with an actual 5x5 “default” product key (the default product keys are listed at the end of this document)

4. Prep the system for re-imaging

1. If the Sysprep Preparation Tool Dialog box is not still open, run Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe

                                                                                       i. Select an option for System Cleanup Action

1. Ensure to check the Generalize box if you are planning to create an image for deployment

                                                                                     ii. Select a Shutdown option

Capture master image

5. Boot to WindowsPE and capture Operating System

OOBE will now prompt the user for a product key.

B. New Vista Image (non-Starter Edition)

If an OEM still has not created an image of Windows Vista, Setup.exe will be used to create a new install which can subsequently be customized and imaged for factory deployment.

Procedure :

1. Use default product key (provided at the end of this document) during Windows Vista install to create a master image (unattended or manual). See the OPK.CHM provided on the OPK Tools DVD for additional help in deploying Vista.

C. New or Existing Vista Starter Edition image

Starter Edition is only licensed in the OEM channel, so there is no concept of a default product key as mentioned above for the other Windows Vista editions. Therefore for Starter Edition, the only way to ensure OOBE prompts for a product key is to do the following -

Warning: If the system was originally slated for Audit mode to run scripted actions in a factory environment, it may be necessary to reset the system for those actions after performing this work around. Remove those scripted actions from the unattend.xml by authoring or replacing the unattend.xml in the Windows\Panther folder before booting into Audit mode. Re-add the scripted actions by running sysprep –audit –unattend:<your unattend.xml> or place the unattend.xml back in the Windows\Panther folder while in Windows Preinstallation Environment (WindowsPE) before recapturing the image.

Note: If you are modifying an existing image, skip to step 2 and take note of the warning above.

Procedure :

1. Create Starter image using a non-OEM Activation product key (as is currently being done).

2. Boot into this Starter image to audit-mode. Refer to the opk.chm and unattend.chm in the OPK for guidelines on how to do this.

Audit Mode

3. In audit-mode, delete the DigitalProductId registry-value present under registry-key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.

4. Do any other image customizations steps as normally done.

5. Prep the system for re-imaging

      1. If the Sysprep Preparation Tool Dialog box is not still open, run Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe
        1. Select an option for System Cleanup Action
          1. Ensure to check the Generalize box if you are planning to create an image for deployment
        2. Select a Shutdown option

Capture Master Image

6. Boot to WindowsPE and capture Operating System

Vista Default ProductKeys:

Business - 4D2XH-PRBMM-8Q22B-K8BM3-MRW4W

BusinessN - 76884-QXFY2-6Q2WX-2QTQ8-QXX44

HomeBasic - RCG7P-TX42D-HM8FM-TCFCW-3V4VD

HomeBasicN - HY2VV-XC6FF-MD6WV-FPYBQ-GFJBT

HomePremium - X9HTF-MKJQQ-XK376-TJ7T4-76PKF

Ultimate - VMCB9-FDRV6-6CDQM-RV23K-RP8F7