Old problem: Fresh install xp on T42

Message

indiglo · #1 Post by **indiglo** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:01 pm

Hi all,

I got my T42 from ebay couple months ago without any recovery CD and HPA. Since this T42 still in warranty, thus I call IBM to have a set of recovery CD with free and finally they sent to me last week. I successfully recover it to factory default, no problem. After that, for testing the fresh install, I copy the "C:\I386" folder and try to built a bootable CD by following the each steps in
http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_ ... /index.htm

And try to fresh install xp, using the product key in unattend.txt to avoid windows activate.
No dice... That key in "unattend.txt" doesn't work!

Next, I enter the key on the bottom of T42. Yeah! It passed and install.
After reboot, xp ask me to activate. Thus I connect to Internet to do it.

No dice... "Incorrect Product Key" ??? Microsoft ask me to enter a valid one. What that problem is?
Should I call IBM or call Microsoft to activate windows by phone?
Thanks all.

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:16 pm

Read throught this thread from the Windows OS forum and you should find your answer.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=22783

EDIT: Look for magic jelly bean key finder posted by bill bolton.

indiglo · #3 Post by **indiglo** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:27 pm

GomJabbar wrote:Read throught this thread from the Windows OS forum and you should find your answer.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=22783

I have read it before, but still don't know why and how to do it now. I also tried "magic jelly bean key finder" to got the key after I first recovery to default. And have try to use this key for fresh install, but ... Doesn't work.
I really confuse now...
Am I wrong in any step? Thanks.

#4 Post by **bill bolton** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:26 pm

indiglo wrote:And have try to use this key for fresh install, but ... Doesn't work.

If you have a mismatch between the key version type and the installation image type, ie. using an OEM key with a retail image, this is the result you get!

Can you explain again what it is you are trying to do, its not very clear to me why you need to be using anything other than the factory recovery CD set?

Cheers,

Bill

lithium726 · #5 Post by **lithium726** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:28 pm

what XP version did you install? (retail or OEM?)

the retail cd shouldnt even take an OEM key... but maybe? i dunno, call IBM and MS to find out whats up. why do you need the key? you got the recovery CD's, so why not just use those?

indiglo · #6 Post by **indiglo** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:55 pm

bill bolton wrote:
indiglo wrote:And have try to use this key for fresh install, but ... Doesn't work.
If you have a mismatch between the key version type and the installation image type, ie. using an OEM key with a retail image, this is the result you get!

Can you explain again what it is you are trying to do, its not very clear to me why you need to be using anything other than the factory recovery CD set?

Cheers,

Bill

Ok, let me explain again.

1. Recover to factory default via recovery cd. -- Success
2. Copy "C:\I386" to another disk.
3. Find the product key in "unattend.txt" --- Key-1
4. Use "jelly bean key finder" to get another key after recover --- Key-2
5. write down the key on the bottom of T42 --- Key-3
6. Follow the fresh install xp step by step, built bootable cd --- Success
7. Remove all partition include HPA, use bootable cd created in step6 to fresh install
8. XP ask me to input product key, use Key-1 ---- Fail!
9. Try Key-2 --- Fail!
10. Try Key-3 --- Pass, start to install
11. After reboot, ask me to activate, connect via Internet --- Activate Fail!, Incorrect product key. Retype Key-3, Fail again!

Do you think is it possible that this product "Key-3" was been activated too many times by someone preowned this T42. Cause I bought it on ebay.

I don't know why "Key-1" does not pass? It should work and unactivated, doesn't it? In fact, I google this "Key-1" and find exactly same one as shown in the search. I doubt that microsoft has disable this Key-1.

Moreover, I found these sets of recovery cd were built in January 2005. I don't know if this related to any of my problem, just for reference.

In fact, I start considering to call them to activate. Will that have any trouble in license XP? Thanks for all.

indiglo · #7 Post by **indiglo** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:57 pm

lithium726 wrote:what XP version did you install? (retail or OEM?)

the retail cd shouldnt even take an OEM key... but maybe? i dunno, call IBM and MS to find out whats up. why do you need the key? you got the recovery CD's, so why not just use those?

Just want to fresh install xp. I used "c:\i386" folder after recovery and built bootable cd by the steps posted in my first post.

#8 Post by **bill bolton** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:58 pm

indiglo wrote:1. Recover to factory default via recovery cd. -- Success

So, now you have an installed copy of XP with a legitimate OEM key!

2. Copy "C:\I386" to another disk.

Why are you doing this (and any of the subsequent steps)?

7. Remove all partition include HPA, use bootable cd created in step6 to fresh install

Is your goal just to avoid having the HPA? If not, what it it you are trying to achieve?

Cheers,

Bill

#9 Post by **Kyocera** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:01 pm

I believe he is trying to get a plain vanilla image of XP for "whatever" use. I have read about making the image with the i386 file on a installed copy of XP, it was probably done with the retail out of box xp cd, not the ibm oem.

3to4 · #10 Post by **3to4** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:54 pm

bill bolton wrote:
2. Copy "C:\I386" to another disk.
Why are you doing this (and any of the subsequent steps)?

Bill

With the factory install, you have all the programs including the ones you don't use (or you don't like.) Of course, you can uninstall the ones you you don't use, but that will always leave some traces in the registry. etc. And, the installation size is smaller with a clean install. So, I always clean install and put only the programs I use. This is the purpose of the operation, isn't it?

By the way, in my case, KEY 1 has always worked. (Windows XP SP1)

indiglo · #11 Post by **indiglo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:03 pm

3to4 wrote:
bill bolton wrote: Why are you doing this (and any of the subsequent steps)?

Bill
With the factory install, you have all the programs including the ones you don't use (or you don't like.) Of course, you can uninstall the ones you you don't use, but that will always leave some traces in the registry. etc. And, the installation size is smaller with a clean install. So, I always clean install and put only the programs I use. This is the purpose of the operation, isn't it?

By the way, in my case, KEY 1 has always worked. (Windows XP SP1)

Yeah, you really understand what I'm doing about...

I don't like the default software that I will never use in the future...

Guess what... I finally solve my xp activate problem bye use of another key attached on the bottom of my brother's T42.
Thus I think the reason may due to that too many time of activation of winxp.

#12 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:44 pm

indiglo wrote: I don't like the default software that I will never use in the future...

Its your call, but quite a lot of the instrinsic value in the ThinkPad hardware is initimately linked to "the default software" that IBM/Leveno supplies with the machines.

Cheers,

Bill

3to4 · #13 Post by **3to4** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:23 am

bill bolton wrote:
indiglo wrote: I don't like the default software that I will never use in the future...
Its your call, but quite a lot of the instrinsic value in the ThinkPad hardware is initimately linked to "the default software" that IBM/Leveno supplies with the machines.

Cheers,

Bill

Each person has "his" best way of using his computer. In my case, I prefer clean installing on all of my PC's (Thinkpads and Toshiba's). There are reasons for this. I prefer installing the programs I use starting from the clean install, rather than uninstalling from the factory setup. I think with the default software too many processes start up. (With the default software, Thinkpads have more processes running than Toshiba's, at least as long as the one I have had up to now are concerned.)
By the way, I disable all the services which are not required for what I do. (Although it is not sometimes so easy to determine which services are necessary and which services are not.) Anyway, I have now about 30 processes running at normal times. Some of you may say that computers these days can suppport more processes runnning without any problems, and I agree to this. But, simply I prefer using my PC's in this way. So, I installed XPlite, and uninstalled some Windows components which normally cannot be uninstalled. This way, I have a rather light system, but it works very well for what I do.

sparta.rising · #14 Post by **sparta.rising** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:32 am

If you can acquire a Windows XP OEM cd, install with that, use the product key on the bottom of your machine. When you go to activate, there's a 50/50 chance it'll work over the internet. If it doesn't work, just activate by phone, call up microsoft, and they'll give you the confirmation key (or whatever it's called). Hey, its on the bottom of your machine, you didn't steal it! I've done this with 4 machines, no problems.

Old problem: Fresh install xp on T42

Old problem: Fresh install xp on T42

Who is online