Product Key with XP-SP1 bootable CD?

Last night I finally got around to making an XPSP1 CD. I have a 250GB hard drive that when formatted and OS installed from DOS will only see 137GB if using a non-SP1 disk, and using the software supplied (Data Lifeguard) to format and copy system from another drive, from within Windows, always seems to leave something non-functional. Last time it was system restore. Anyway, I formatted my old 20GB hard drive and installed the XP-SP1 on it (to test), and was never prompted for a product key. Is that normal? Was it because I still had the other drive with OS installed attached? Thought it quite strange.
It worked fine, as it was supposed to. No SP1 offered at Windows Update. But there were 19 critical service packs available, and several recommendeds, including DirectX 9 and Media Player 9. Anyone know if those can be integrated too?

 

Go to Start > Run, and type:
oobe/msoobe /a

This will tell you if it is activated. Yes, it does seem strange that it didn't ask for the key.

There are ways on integrating the recent updates, but SP2 is supposed to be out in a few short months. Why not just wait and then slipstream SP2?

 

FWIW, this seems strange to me too. I can't remember ever installing Windows without getting prompted for the key. This includes reinstalling Windows on top of Windows. It never made any difference whether Windows was on the drive or not. I haven't ever had to do an over the top install of XP though. Maybe it's different????

 

Keep that CD safe. It's probably worth a lot of money.

Seriously, just to test again, make an image of the 20gig drive and then install again. But this time note down every step you take.

Question: It is an SP1/SP1a Slipstreamed CD right? Not an unattended CD?

 

Abraxas,

Will fire up that drive again tomorrow to check the activation status. And waiting for SP2 sounds like the sensible thing to do as far as the critical updates, but can the DirectX 9 and MP9 be integrated?

Zander,

First time for me without entering a product key. I reinstalled with the non-sp1 disk a couple months ago on the same drive, with new drive connected and loaded, and was prompted for it then.

Lee,

Three copies!! Yes, it is a slipstreamed SP1.

Thanks to all!

 

Sure they can! I don't know how, though.

DX8.1 is a good working version of DX, and WMP8 wasn't bad, either. I think I'll just wait for SP2.

But, chances are that these 2 won't even be included. There is talk of a WMP10 and DX will probably be updated by then, too.

 

noahdfear

Now that you have slipstreamed sp1, will you slipstream the Rollup Update next?

 

The results of

Window opened up showing it was already activated. I had high hopes that it wasn't. I thought that I may very well have said no to that step in setup, knowing that it was only to test the CD and installation would be wiped again. Oh well, will remain a mystery. Will see what happens when I use it for clean install on large drive. If that installation doesn't require a product key either, I may be sitting on a gold mine (well maybe silver)

I am going to play around with integrating the latest updates, DirectX 9 and MP 9, just for kicks. Rollup? Probably. And will do it all again when SP 2 is available.

Pete, I may just get the MS disk too. Might be handy for other peoples installs.

 

Would be interesting to go online with your new installation of XP (even the Corp edition wants the product key on install, though no WPA is necessary) and see how XP acts.


Johanna

 

Johanna,

Did that. Straight to Windows Update. Offered 19 criticals. All other internet activity working normally too. Made my last post here running on that installation.

 

The DirectX files are all in the i386 folder on the XP CD. So, using PowerArchiver, I extracted all the files from the DirectX9.0b redtstributable. It gave me a self-extracting exe as a result. Then, extracted that and got a number of .cab files. Extracted the one with "nt" in the title and got the DirectX files.

I suspect that with DX, since the new and old versions of the files have the same names, that simply replacing the ones in the i386 folder with the extracted versions will make it install DX9.0b.

But WMP9 may be another story. Those files do not have the same names as the ones for WMP8.

 

If I'm following you right Abraxas, your saying if I replaced them prior to integrating SP1 to make the slipstreamed CD, then DX9 would (should) be on the new installation CD. Have never used Power Archiver and not familiar with it or what it does. Where can I get it? Is that something Winzip could do? I haven't yet gotten the DX redistributable, so don't even know what type of file it is.

 

uh, Dave, if you have created a functional XP cd that doesn't require a product key or WPA , watch out for snipers and lawyers from Washington State. (Do you have any idea how you did it, or was it a fluke? Better reply off list!)

Please be careful, watch out for SWAT teams, and don't sell out to the highest bidder. I think that's the part that makes you a criminal- profiting off your illegal software!

Johanna

 

I followed the instructions given here and used Roxio 5. I wasn't trying to make one that didn't require a Product Key, and it's MINE, MINE MINE. Not open for bidding. I don't know what happened with that install, but will surely know if it's for real on my next install. Don't expct me to tell the results of that though, Washington! I'll be sure to keep an eye looking over my shoulder.

 

PowerArchiver is a multifunctional archiving program. I've been using it for a long time since it opens (or creates) about any archive imaginable.

It was only recently, though, that I tried opening an executable that wasn't a self-extracting exe. And, Lo and Behold!, it opens most and extracts the files it contains.

There is still a free version kicking around, but I don't know how well it works.

http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=powarc

And, yes, that is my idea. Just add the DX files to the iso before burning. But that is a solution just for DX that may or may not work. Someone must have a method with more general functionality that will allow any update to be integrated.

 

Thanks Abraxas! Just downloaded version 6.11. In another recent thread, NOTEPAD???, you stated that it can open .exe's and wordpad for larger ones. I'm assuming that it opens them in text format, but also allows one to see what files it contains. I say assume because I have been unable to figure out how to open them, other than opening them which makes it run rather than view. I have several .exe (autorun) files that I would like to open and extract a file from (picture), and Power Archiver may do that, but if notepad/wordpad would do that also, I would like to know how.

I did try to integrate MP9 today and just did another slipstreamed install. Didn't work. Oh well. It was fun trying. Once again not prompted for PID. Command line reports activated. Reg entry shows ID#. Found a reference elsewhere that identifies two pirated ID's that SP1 looks for. Mine is not one of them. Thinking that original CD is a corporate. It's a Gateway version 1.0. Anyone know if they used corporates for distribution and maybe had a list of ID's to supply when installed for retail?

To all that read this thread! I started it ONLY to find out what I did wrong, or possible reasons for the results I have had. I did NOT start it to advertise that I have an XP-SP1 disk that doesn't require entering a PID. My original OS disk was supplied by the retailer and is legitimate, and the new SP1 slipstreamed disk was made legitimately from that OS disk. My earlier reference to 'sitting on a gold mine' was meant to be humorous. I will under no circumstance distribute either of these disks, or copies of, to anyone, for any reason. To those of you that would think to, DON'T ASK!

 

I don't know how you got around this MS security detail...but they are gonna wanna know....

Watch your back!
Johanna

 

xp serial

there is only one microsoft cd that I have ever seen that does not prompt you to install a serial and validate, it was the educational version of windows 98se, the way microsoft wrote it, it was already in the cd, like you had typed it in at the begining of the installation.

ofcourse I have the xp version which is worth the most $$ I have the original version, before all the ms fix's and before the activation, it is the non corp, but unlimited user......
yes the verry first 2001 first edition. No Bugs.

 

Notepad only shows the code for programs, scrambled and unreadable, most of it. Character conversions can reveal more.

But that is not what you were looking for. PowerArchiver actually "unzips" the exe's to extract the files it contains (most exe's I have tried).

I have v.8.50.17 of PA. There have been improvements. One version in the 7's always opened .rar archives to produce an empty folder. That has been fixed .

I didn't know much about archives when the earlier versions came out so I don't know how well they worked or whether exe's were "extractable ".