Automated Setup

Edited text of question

You did verify that the number is right, right?  As a note, if you were to setup from a CD, any number from any CD package will work but a number from a floppy package will not.  Just saying that there is a difference in the CD OEM and the Floppy OEM numbers, they cannot be mixed.

Yes, ryans, I am quite accurate.

Have you used the mspolicy editor?  check out and it will allow to get around that dialog. Have you tried other ways to do your automaion such as Ghost or other disk copying utils

                                                                   Raider

Policy editor is Way off base.  I am looking for a way to bypass the install program from prompting me for the Product ID on a Workstation Install.

Try key-in this code "12297-oem-0021981-47296" maybe this will help you out.

You should enter the product id in quotes.

Try it like:

ProductID="XXXXX-OEM-XXXXXXX-XXXXX"

first then play with the format.  You may need to drop the OEM part of the code and the dashes. I am sure that it must be in quotes though.


Tom

Plastic_74,

You should not give out product id's on this site.  You can get the folks running this site in trouble that way.

plastic_74, thanks,, however,, I have an certified authentic number that works fine if I enter it in manually.  I want it automated so that I don't have to type it in Every Workstation.  

You need to edit the "ProductType" line in setuppp.inf.
See OSR2 FAQ http://www.compuclinic.com/osr2faq/index.html

Sherwood,,, thanks for the link,, however,,, this method involves more work than entering the ProductID>>>   I am looking for Zero Administration.  But not the Zero Administration Kit, that MS offers for policies.

Thanks for trying,
Gary

Complete Zero administration is the Holy Grail of all
Windoze administrators.

I've done the above, and indeed it works to the point where
you can do an install without having to come back to the
machine.

A better method uses a package such as Ghost.  Ghost allows
you to create one disk the way you want it, then either clone
it to another disk, or put a compressed image of the disk on
a server.

Ghost then allows you to rebuild a disk by booting off a floppy
with ghost on it, and rebuilding the disk from the server
image.

Problem with ghost is that you will have problems with the
hardware if you have different hardware for different machines.
You essentially have to make a different ghost image for each
hardware configuration.

This does not help my situation,, because of the difference in setup configurations.  I have Ghost already but I am not asking for an image,, instead I need a solution to my original problem,,, Please RE-READ before answering again.

gosowski,

Where are you at with this CD-KEY thing?  What I mean is what have you tried?

I am not sure exactly how you get the software to accept the product id for the OEM version, but in the regular version you simply enter the CD-KEY after the equal sign with NO DASHES.  I have never tried to automate the installation of an OEM version but you may be able to enter the CD-KEY with no dashes and the OEM part ommitted.  The entire key is just numbers just like you would enter it at the keyboard.  If your CD key is:

99999-OEM-1111111-22222

Then you would enter the INF file entry as:

ProductID=99999111111122222

A guy that claims to have gotten this to work told me that this was the way.


Tom

tbaffy,,, I have tried several different methods for the ProductID,,, And I will try yours also..  I will let you know how it turns out.  Thanks,,, Gary

tbaffy,,, I have tried several different methods for the ProductID,,, And I will try yours also..  I will let you know how it turns out.  Thanks,,, Gary

tbaffy,,, I have tried several different methods for the ProductID,,, And I will try yours also..  I will let you know how it turns out.  Thanks,,, Gary

tbaffy,, I tried your approach,, but still prompts for the input of the OEM #.

It must be the last string under the [Setup] header.

This is the worst documented line in the entire setup script.  I have gotten this automation to work with Win95 and Win95a, but have never gotten it to work with an OEM version of Win95 (b or c).  Every time I try it I run into the same problem that you have.


Tom

Dear Gosowski,
You can't do that. Sorry. Nobody can use automation with the product ID.

Doesn't work with OSR2, because MS did not provide the netsetup toolwith the "B" version. You should be using the OEM Preinstall kit availble from the OEM ie dell or IBM. If you install the B version in this manner you are violating the license agreement. Although I have heard of setting the product id to 1 will work. Search the iternet and newsgroups for extra help. Be careful you are attempting to break the law.

 

MrFixit,
I am not doing anything un-ethical here.  There is no validation for what you said in the license agreement.  We have a site license for this product, therefore it is perfectly legal according to the site license.  Do not reply to this.

Call Microsoft and ask them the same question you posted. See if they will help you. They told me it was unsupported and to search the web or newsgroups.
Did you try product id =1 in the msbatch.inf
Good luck

Found this on the internet through Yahoo search engine.
Microsoft and Oem will not support this so you are on your own except for people like me that are trying to help people like you.
Do Not reply to this message...
Maybe next time I won't go the extra step to help people in need if I continue to run across people like yourself. Even though you have a site license you are violating the licsence agreement. Because MS did not provide netsetup with the "B" version then how can you use a msbatch.inf unless you use the cab files on the local machine. Stepping down off he soapbox. Your answer is below..
Good luck

create an msbatch.inf with at least these 2 lines:
[Setup]
ProductType=1

Then create an msbatch.xpr with at least this 1 line:
HKLM,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion","ProductId",,""

that's all on 1 line.. w/o spaces.
and yes... there are 2 commas there near the end.
What this does is tell setup, "Here is the product id"..
and there isn't one... you can enter you PID# there if you
want to.  But if you leave it out, setup will generate one
for you, but which will probably void any kind of support
from your OEM.
 

I just spoke with my boss,,, whom was able to resolve the situation by adding a separate inf file called OEM.

This question will closed

gosowski,

Could you please give me a little more detail on what was done to fix this situation.  I have tried to do this same type of install a couple of times and ran into the same problem.

From your post I gather that you created a file called oem.inf but what should it contain?


Tom

tbaffy,
I will find the details out tomorrow and post them by Friday this week.
Gary

I am posting the solution found by gosowski so it can be saved in the previously asked questions.  Please see your customer service question for an explanation.

Linda Gardner
Customer Service @ Experts Exchange

Comment
     From: gosowski
                                    Date: Tuesday, August 25 1998 - 12:40PM PDT

     I just spoke with my boss,,, whom was able to resolve the situation by adding a
     separate inf file called OEM.

linda,  since I answered my own question,,, how do I get my points back?
the detailed solution:
Create a separate file called "OEM.inf"
this file has the following contents:

ProductType=1
ProductID="XXXXX-OEM-XXXXXXX-XXXXX"

The X's being the prduct ID number.