XP activation ?, ghosting

[JaY_III]

Was wondering with the XP activation if i could still use ghost.
Lets say I had 10 computers, all the same.
Why install XP 10 times when i could just install 1 and ghost the rest ???...

But with XP's activation I dont know if this would work (after 30 days that is) All systems have thier own lisense, but if i ghosted them, they would still be using the same key......
So, would it work if I manually changed the key with regedit?

Any ideas on this? anyone done this already?

And feedback would be great

[trey_w]

i hope this isn't illegal, and if it is, i am not responsible, i am only pasing on information that i have heard, i do not condone or use any of the following info

if you ghost XP, it gets so low level that it will work

[Wicked Klown]

I'd say it would be illegal. If not it`s just plan wrong, but thats just my $0.02.

[JaY_III]

I am not pirating anything here
I have a lisence for each computer
so what is illegal about that.
last time I check, ! lisence, 1 computer is legal.
I know the rules here, warez is not tolerated and thier are no ifs, and or buts about that subject...
And i dont want to lose my blue premoting warez.

I just wana say some time and that is all.

If you people still think this is bad, wrong, premotes warez, and or illegal activity, i will delete what i posted...
And you should also message a MOD.

[Rooster]

Only think it would be leagal if you had 10 licensed copies

[minoukat]

well, I don't know much about multiple licensing, but if you installed XP 10 times, wouldn't you still be using the same key ? Or do you have 10 copies of XP ?

[Ploaf]

Since you have a license for each box it would be hard to say. You could call MS and find out although the person on the other end will probably discourage this or just tell you no. I think a volume license is probably the only legitimate way to do it. Of course this is all a technicality. It would make it easier to install it on so many systems though.

[JaY_III]

i hate this XP activation crap
ghosting is so much easier
looks like i may have to talk to MS

[Yodums]

If there all the same computer and you have every component the same and liscenes for all of them you would just copy this file from your current activated Win XP OS, I forget where and skip the acitivation on the next machine and then copy the file and it won't even ask to activate again.

[bdf24]

All you should have to do is install XP on one machine. Activate it. Then ghost the drive and install the image on the rest of the machines. It should not ask you to activate anymore since it's already been activated. Especially if the hardware is all the same. It would never know the difference.

[chilledout]

hmm yes but they whould all have the same license key and thus be ilegal what is needed is a way to change the licensing key after windows instalation and drivers and programs have been installed.

how do OEM manufacterers do this?

also is there a reg hack to change the cd key?

cheers

[trey_w]

i believe OEM manufactures have a volume license. Only one key for many installations (corp) addition

and if you ghost, you won't need a different key, the ghost will get so low level that it can copy it over and everything works the same

[ken257]

If activation becomes to much of a pain to deal with use Win 2K. There is really not much of an advantage of using XP over 2K. Even if you do ghost it when you run the OS it is going to detect the hardware changes on each machine and need to be reactivated anyway. The corp. ver of XP that I am using doesn't give any of these problems :D

[bdf24]

I wonder if the only difference between the corporate version and Pro is the CD Key. If you used a Corp. CD key on the Pro would it take and disable the activation? I'm just curious about this, does anyone know?

[trey_w]

pro doesn't care if you have hardware changes

only the home edition

[davidsnot]

I know that with 98, me, ... the OEM's can set up a machine with an image, do an oem reset, and the machine goes back to day one. There has to be a similar tool for XP, but I have no idea where/how to find it.

I know that if I was building 10 machines, I would rather make 1 image and let it go than do 10 seperate installs. Especially if I had 10 licenses in hand to keep them all legal! M$ sure won't tell you can do it that way.

good luck

[MoPMatrix]

If u have corp version u can install it on all ur comps and it's still legal right?
Just like schools...
My school has over 1000 comps in it(2400 students), I don't think they payed for any of the software they have on the comps more then once :P
well... they so stupid they might have :P

[Jeff Bolton]

they probably have it set up as a server so you can log on as your username and access the OS but it is actually pretty much running on the server...at least that's how i understand it. i think that's how it is here at my college

jeff

[davidsnot]

The answer for that one is a site license. $30,000 and you get to give away all you want as long as they're affiliated with the school. Corps have the same type of deal, and of course the number of licenses varies with the contract.

[MoPMatrix]

Originally posted by Spike Spiegel
they probably have it set up as a server so you can log on as your username and access the OS but it is actually pretty much running on the server...at least that's how i understand it. i think that's how it is here at my college

jeff

Nah each comp has it's own OS
Some of em have 95, 98 and win2k,, and even when the network is down they all still work.

[Caffinehog]

Maybe it would be legal if you Ghost it, then regedit in the correct key?

[supraway]

I used to work at a computer shop, and we cloned hard drives with XP on them.

How you do this, is per the Microsoft OEM builder's manual, which states you actually run a .exe file which, at the next bootup, asks what your licence key, etc. is. Unfortunately, I forgot what this .exe file's name is.

So, you install XP onto one machine, do whatever updating is nececarry, then run the .exe file. Shut down, and clone the hard drive.

The next time you turn on any of the hard drives, it asks you for the key, your name, etc., and just enter the info accordingly.

I'll post later of what the program is to run, I'm gonna run by the old shop to pick up some ATI Rage Pros.

[dvj81]

I just installed XP about a month ago. You need the key to finish the installation. But you also need an activation code once. These are 2 separate codes. I think the activation code is all numbers.