Clone PC and change product key

[andre_x]

Hi guys,
at work we rent PCs for events and we need to wipe them every time they come back.
Right now we use Acronis True Image (a bootable USB and a 2,5" HDD), but we have to do a single pc at a time and we need to change the product key once the pc is ready.
The image is not a standard “Windows first setup”, is an image we’ve taken from a pc because we need to install some software first.
Can this process be automated with FOG associating the MS Windows Product Keys to the MAC addresses?
Thanks!

[george1421]

Ok lets break your request apart for the answers.

1. Do you require a system wipe every time they are returned to your shop, or is a reimage good enough?
2. How many systems are you talking about reimaging at one time?
3. Do these systems all get the same reference (golden) image or are they system specific?
4. Yes FOG can associate specific Product keys with each system. In the host definition you can define a unique key for each host as in the picture below.
   

[andre_x]

Hi George,
so:

1. Sorry but I can’t see the difference. I don’t need to do a deep wipe
2. It depends, from 1 to 20
3. They are system specific since I have different model. Every model has a specific image
4. Wonderful. Without the need of interaction?

Thanks for your time,
Andrea

[george1421]

@andre_x Excellent, just a few follow ups.

1. Some require a military dod wipe to ensure all data has been removed before reuse. Since you don’t appear to need that, just a standard reimage is all you need.
2. Since you are not doing 100s in one session unicast image deployment will work for you.
3. Since all systems have their own specific image multicasts are not possible. Understand if the only differences between the images are the drivers there are ways to create a single golden image and deploy it to different hardware. You will need to sysprep the system to do that but its not hard to setup.
4. You will need to install the fog client in your golden image to get access to this feature. The fog client is needed to interact with the fog server post image deployment. I have not personally used this feature (product keys) since we use a KMS server I don’t need to deal with individual keys so I can’t give you first hand experiences with it but I know people on the forums that do use it.

[andre_x]

@george1421 Thanks George, you’ve been very helpful!

[andre_x]

I’ve tried what you’ve told me, but the Windows key is not updated.
I don’t see any option on the FOG client to force it.
Since you haven0t used this feature, is there anybody else that can help me with this?
Thanks!

[george1421]

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

Since you haven0t used this feature, is there anybody else that can help me with this?

@x23piracy Do you have any input on this issue?

[andre_x]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

Since you haven0t used this feature, is there anybody else that can help me with this?

@x23piracy Do you have any input on this issue?

Well…actually very few: I’ve installed the client on a Windows 10 virtual pc (Hyper-V) without inserting a product key. I’ve then created the image.
I’ve created a new host with a Windows product key (in the “Host Product Key” field) and I’ve deployed the image. All went fine, but the product key has not been inserted.

[x23piracy]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

Since you haven0t used this feature, is there anybody else that can help me with this?

@x23piracy Do you have any input on this issue?

Hi,

i need to know if @andre_x has computers for rent with product key in their bios?
If so he can read the keys from bios and activate em.

Method one, active key reading in fog options (you need to dig a little) then when you register a host the key will be read and added to the host definition:
https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/10808/fog-client-fos-report-bios-product-key-to-database-host-activate-through-bios-key-deployment/30

Method two, find a tool that can read the bios key through command line (i can give you the binary), pipe the output into a script (slmgr.vbs -ipk KEY, followed by the activation itself slmgr.vbs -ato):
https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/9694/read-windows-keys-from-registry-and-bios-oem-key-fog-client/2

Regards X23

[andre_x]

Hi @x23piracy, I don’t have the product key in the bios.
I’ve read the 2 links you’ve provided me, but they’re both relative to the bios keys. They are all pc provided without any license, we’ve bought them separately.
Is there a way to change the product key of a deployed image with the one inserted in the host definition under the “Host Product Key” field?
Thanks!

[x23piracy]

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

Hi @x23piracy, I don’t have the product key in the bios.
I’ve read the 2 links you’ve provided me, but they’re both relative to the bios keys. They are all pc provided without any license, we’ve bought them separately.
Is there a way to change the product key of a deployed image with the one inserted in the host definition under the “Host Product Key” field?
Thanks!

Hi,

you should be able to add your keys into to each host definition in fog, then when you have the fog client in your image it should activate with the supplied key.

Regards X23

[george1421]

Cross linking active post because the conditions sound very similar: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/13084/activating-windows-10-pro-after-deployment

@andre_x if you review the fog client log on the target computer is there anything useful that mentions client activation?

[andre_x]

@x23piracy said in Clone PC and change product key:

Hi,

you should be able to add your keys into to each host definition in fog, then when you have the fog client in your image it should activate with the supplied key.
Regards X23

It should and it did!
Guys sorry sorry sorry sorry and again sorry. I’ve messed up with the virtual machines and I was looking at the wrong one.
The product key is added to the system!
Thanks for the support!

Now…another question: what about the Ms Office license?
From this post of @george1421 I’ve seen that there are scripts to change it, but where can I store it and how can I retrieve it with the scripts?
Andrea

[x23piracy]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

Cross linking active post because the conditions sound very similar: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/13084/activating-windows-10-pro-after-deployment

@andre_x if you review the fog client log on the target computer is there anything useful that mentions client activation?

Hi,

@Sebastian-Roth mentioned in another thread that the fog client should be 11.6 else something with activation isn’t working propperly (afaik something about the parsing of the key (with, without the dashes) 25-29 signs.

Btw. i hate that the webif shortens the key from 29 to 25, the key contains that dashes and i think it should always be displayed with them, nice idea to save space in the db but hey it’s not 1980

Regards X23

[george1421]

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

From this post of @george1421 I’ve seen that there are scripts to change it, but where can I store it and how can I retrieve it with the scripts?

Wow that guy who posted the instructions there is pretty smart

I’m not sure I understand your question. You can place that activation script in your setupcomplete.cmd batch file or in the unattend.xml file under the first login section. How do you retrieve that key? You don’t since its your license key. You should receive that key when you buy your MS Office license.

[andre_x]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

Wow that guy who posted the instructions there is pretty smart

Is he? Do you happen to know him???

I’m not sure I understand your question. You can place that activation script in your setupcomplete.cmd batch file or in the unattend.xml file under the first login section. How do you retrieve that key? You don’t since its your license key. You should receive that key when you buy your MS Office license.

I can’t find the login section…where is it? Are you talking about FOG or Windows?

[george1421]

@andre_x said in Clone PC and change product key:

I can’t find the login section…where is it? Are you talking about FOG or Windows?

Here is a sanitized version of my unattend.xml script: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/11920/windows-10-1803-sysprep-problem/7 Search for the the <FirstLogonCommands> for examples if you wan to use the unattend.xml method. Or just place the commands in the setupcomplete.cmd file. Of course both methods require you to sysprep the computer to have these bits run during WinSetup/OOBE.

[andre_x]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

Of course both methods require you to sysprep the computer to have these bits run during WinSetup/OOBE.

I’m not sysprepping the pc, I already have the master images with a lot of software installed.
Any other way to launch a command after the image deployment with a custom variable (Ms Office product key) from FOG?

[george1421]

@andre_x Then use a fog snapin to deploy a cmd file to the target computer. The only issue here is that you must have a single key for all Office installs.

On a side note, even if you have custom software installed, you can sysprep the image to make the image generic for all hardwares. Its up to you how you want to manage this, just don’t let preinstalled applications be the reason for not sysprepping a system. The only risk of preinstalling applications are the ones that create a unique GUID upon install (like most AV software). If you install these first then every cloned machine will have the same application GUID which will probably confuse the management console for the software.

[x23piracy]

@george1421 said in Clone PC and change product key:

@andre_x Then use a fog snapin to deploy a cmd file to the target computer. The only issue here is that you must have a single key for all Office installs.

(like most AV software). If you install these first then every cloned machine will have the same application GUID which will >probably confuse the management console for the software.

for example ESET’s Agent is creating a unique key, even if you sysprep it’s still the same, the solution was to generate a new uuid and change it in the ESET’s Agent db file on the local hd.

Sysprepping is always the best idea anyway.

Regards X23