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[Anami]

Original Thread Title: XP Pro - How to auto-enter Product Key?

I have my retail box of XP Pro, and I wanted to add some updates to the CD and boot. That's working, but how and where do I put a script so that my serial number, computer name, and all are automatically entered? I looked up "unattend" and I guess I need help from a MCSE with this. Can I set it up so that SETUP just finds the answer file, the next time I flatten and want to reload from scratch? Thanks for the input (I'm tired of digging around in WinNT.sif and Sysprep pages, trying to figure this out...)!!

 

[orion7144]

This might help. Here

 

[orion7144]

I was just looking over that site and it seems pretty informative. I may even have to make a disk myself.

 

[orion7144]

I not sure if you have added SP1 to your disk but it can be done as well. Here

 

[deathcrow]

mcse to the rescue - you need to create an unatend.sif file , you can do this using either setup manager ( found in the deploy.cab file in the support tools folder) or you can type it manually ( not advised ) - the command line is productid = xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxxx , you can also add third party drivers by using oempreinstall=yes
oempnpdriverspath= drivers\nic ( etc )

 

[Doh!]

I didn't know you need a mcse to do a search at microsoft.com or even at google.

 

[Anami]

Hey! Thanks, guys! Looks like the site posted by Orion is enough for the lay-man :^) and I will begin reading it. Deathcrow, thanks for the comment, but what is simple for you is not enough for me, n'est pas? Where is that file placed, a little on how that works? You learned all that as part of your studies, and it's the rest of it that I don't yet have in my head. I want enough to know all the basics, but that one phrase of yours is just a tease, man! Know what I mean?

 

[Budman]

While you are building a XP sp1 cd you can put a file called " WINNT.SIF " in your I386 folder.

In this file put the following





;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=0
MsDosInitiated="0"
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[UserData]
ProductID=Insert your cd key here
FullName=""
OrgName=""
ComputerName=*

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[TapiLocation]

[Branding]
BrandIEUsingUnattended=Yes

[Proxy]
Proxy_Enable=0
Use_Same_Proxy=0

[GuiRunOnce]




Now save the file in your i386 folder & name it winnt.sif , after that no more cd key propmt. it least it worked on my XP -sp1 cd.