From: Tim on
Is it possible to install XP Pro similar to an OEM factory install? I
have a customer who is selling a notebook, and wishes it to be re-
formatted and restarted with XP-Pro. He would like it done in advance,
so whomever gets the notebook would just need to type in the username
and activate XP. He currently has the XP-PRO CD, COA, and a SP3 update.

I recall a way to do this on older systems, but I have never done it
with XP. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance,

- Tim -
--
From: Andrew E. on
"Just to activate xp".Right there is a big problem with microsoft,a copy of
xp can only be registered by one person,if the new owner tries,it'll be
rejected by microsoft product activation..Also,if it gets activated by useing
the old name,then the old owner now has others running a OS with his name,
& would be responsable for that & actions on the pc (good or bad)...

"Tim" wrote:

> Is it possible to install XP Pro similar to an OEM factory install? I
> have a customer who is selling a notebook, and wishes it to be re-
> formatted and restarted with XP-Pro. He would like it done in advance,
> so whomever gets the notebook would just need to type in the username
> and activate XP. He currently has the XP-PRO CD, COA, and a SP3 update.
>
> I recall a way to do this on older systems, but I have never done it
> with XP. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in Advance,
>
> - Tim -
> --
>
From: Ben Humpert on
Andrew E. wrote
> "Just to activate xp".Right there is a big problem with microsoft,a copy
> of
> xp can only be registered by one person,if the new owner tries,it'll be
> rejected by microsoft product activation..Also,if it gets activated by
> useing
> the old name,then the old owner now has others running a OS with his name,
> & would be responsable for that & actions on the pc (good or bad)...
>
> "Tim" wrote:
>
>> Is it possible to install XP Pro similar to an OEM factory install? I
>> have a customer who is selling a notebook, and wishes it to be re-
>> formatted and restarted with XP-Pro. He would like it done in advance,
>> so whomever gets the notebook would just need to type in the username
>> and activate XP. He currently has the XP-PRO CD, COA, and a SP3 update.
>>
>> I recall a way to do this on older systems, but I have never done it
>> with XP. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Activate not Registering!


From: Zaphod Beeblebrox on

"Tim" <tim(a)tim.tim> wrote in message
news:MPG.252af4b0394daf539896b4(a)msnews.microsoft.com...
> Is it possible to install XP Pro similar to an OEM factory install?
> I
> have a customer who is selling a notebook, and wishes it to be re-
> formatted and restarted with XP-Pro. He would like it done in
> advance,
> so whomever gets the notebook would just need to type in the
> username
> and activate XP. He currently has the XP-PRO CD, COA, and a SP3
> update.
>
> I recall a way to do this on older systems, but I have never done it
> with XP. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>

I would expect that the notebook came with (or provided a way to make)
recovery media so that you could take it back to a "factory fresh"
state. If not, or if the media has been misplaced, then you might
consider sysprep, Microsoft's system preparation tool. You can
download it as a part of the XP SP3 deployment tools at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=673A1019-8E3E-4BE0-AC31-70DD21B5AFA7&displaylang=en

Also, you might look at
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx, Preserving
OEM Pre-Activation when Re-installing Windows XP. If the XP Pro is a
branded OEM version, this will allow you to pre-activate the OS just
like the OEM did originally. Otherwise, when the key is entered from
the COA sticker, they will have to call MS for activation.

Hope this helps.

--
Zaphod

Voted "Worst Dressed Sentient Being in the Known Universe" for seven
years in a row.


From: Tim on
In article <h9stjf$rrt$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>,
Zaphod.Arisztid.Beeblebrox(a)gmail.com says...
>
> "Tim" <tim(a)tim.tim> wrote in message
> news:MPG.252af4b0394daf539896b4(a)msnews.microsoft.com...
> > Is it possible to install XP Pro similar to an OEM factory install?
> > I
> > have a customer who is selling a notebook, and wishes it to be re-
> > formatted and restarted with XP-Pro. He would like it done in
> > advance,
> > so whomever gets the notebook would just need to type in the
> > username
> > and activate XP. He currently has the XP-PRO CD, COA, and a SP3
> > update.
> >
> > I recall a way to do this on older systems, but I have never done it
> > with XP. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> >
>
> I would expect that the notebook came with (or provided a way to make)
> recovery media so that you could take it back to a "factory fresh"
> state. If not, or if the media has been misplaced, then you might
> consider sysprep, Microsoft's system preparation tool. You can
> download it as a part of the XP SP3 deployment tools at
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=673A1019-8E3E-4BE0-AC31-70DD21B5AFA7&displaylang=en
>
> Also, you might look at
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx, Preserving
> OEM Pre-Activation when Re-installing Windows XP. If the XP Pro is a
> branded OEM version, this will allow you to pre-activate the OS just
> like the OEM did originally. Otherwise, when the key is entered from
> the COA sticker, they will have to call MS for activation.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
They have just a regular OEM CD, but the COA is branded. It's all a moot
point now anyways, as the guy decided to give the notebook to his
daughter. He just deleted his personal files and gave it to her the way
it was setup.

Thanks for the replies,

- Tim -