ei.cfg, pid.txt, product.ini files in \sources

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by molecule, Jun 4, 2018.

  1. molecule

    molecule MDL Novice

    Oct 6, 2012
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  2. mxman2k

    mxman2k MDL Developer

    Jun 20, 2007
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    #3 mxman2k, Jun 4, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2018
    Using the pid.txt with a key the Windows setup will attempt to install the Edition that the key is for, ie Pro Key then Pro will be installed. If the key is not a valid one then Setup will abort with a message saying why.

    The key within the pid.txt is not used to activate it is only used to tell the setup what Edition to install. Likewise ei.cfg is similar as you can also select the Edition and if the setup will accept retail/OEM or Volume Keys.

    Ei.cfg is somewhat the same as the old XP's setupp.ini which you could change the windows setup to accept OEM/Volume keys (along with some changes to other OEMxxxx.xxx files etc on XP). The ISO/install medium must be Business(VL) or Consumer or Setup failure will occur as the ISO is not the right type or have the correct Editions.

    On 7 - using PID.txt or ei.cfg method will still require a valid key to be inserted later to be able to activate (or use Daz's Loader), the pid.txt will just skip the key section of setup.

    The _Default option in ei.cfg just tells setup to show all Editions available that can be installed within the ISO/setup medium. It is mainly used for those computers that have a MSDM in the bios which normally on a win8.x/10 install will bypass the selection and install the Edition the MSDM internal key is for (usually Core/Home for consumer computers and Pro etc for Business ones depending on what License was paid for). Pid.txt can be used in the same way if the ei.cfg method fails to allow you to select any Edition, (some rare cases this happens).

    For any Windows OS below 8.0 the MSDM key is ignored.
     
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  3. molecule

    molecule MDL Novice

    Oct 6, 2012
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    thanks Enthousiast and mxman2k

    I have a valid 7 pro key (at least that's what I'm hoping ... apparently in today's market there's no way to tell -- even years after activation by MS, MS does a 180 and shuts down people's computers). I'm trying to build a 7 iso to build a 7 system starting from my XP box (which I trust). What I'm finding out is that building a 7 iso in an XP box ain't exactly a cakewalk. dism 6.1 (aik 7) and 6.2 (adk 8.0) is coughing up warnings and errors in XP -- I'll post summary of warnings and errors in the two dism.logs in another thread. 6.2 error warnings differ from 6.1in dism.log

    Also, I'm thinking of going to a newer mobo before everything gets locked down with activate -- my 10 yr old MSI P43 NEO3F core2quad DDR2 mobo is starting to show age -- Speccy and CPUZ report the 12v channel at 10v ... but good voltmeter applied right at both ATX mobo connectors report 12v solid. Probably just the sensor. Also I got lazy and I'm way overdue in tossing 10 yr hdds, so I'm looking at hardware changes as well. I love the 2 JMicron 36x "SATA" channels (SCSI emulation).-- I'm 75 and lving very tight on social security, I'm already having to convert personal protein into computer parts for a few months. haha -- seems I got addicted to BOTH! MDL = both me any my puter are getting old together -- haha

    So I'm trying to figure out how to lock down an iso for a 7 AHCI system for potentially a new mobo, starting with an older mobo running XP on IDEs that will be discarded. Trying to delay activation until I work through some trial builds, and then select a mobo upgrade before activation. I prefer to build (actually build to sell to my brother, who then will then sell back to me). Though I respect Daz' work tremendously, I'd like to avoid his solution if possible, even for a temporary system to build an iso. I have no doubt MS (Pentagon) is watching my system (alt-medicine, anastasia foodie, ringing cedars activist). Deep state already has S/Ns on my modem, mobo and CPU. XPs xxxBIOS.xxx files don't hide hardware s/n's.

    In XP I haven't done monthly patches in years, and I don't want to do the simple hack to spoof Embedded XP POS Ready -- tired of begging MS to "please fix me all up, scottie." And I don't run AV or malware watchers -- they do more damage than good, cooking my brain with paranoia as well as my CPU,and HDDs and increasing my carbon footprint needlessly etc. I don't seem to have any problems. Every month or so I save critcal MRUs, restore system image from a build I know to be clean (whch removes malware, fishhooks, cookies, and whatever else "deep state programmers" feel they "just need" to sneak into my machines), restore MRUs to refreshed imaged. For my 7 box, Terabyte has a dos version that runs in a thumbdrive booting Freedos. It can do a restore (!) a system image by batch. That's my planned method of avoiding monthly patches in 7. On my daily shutdowns, insert Freedos thumbdrive, run a batch I don't accumulate anything I want to keep in my user account. Every year or so I can rebuild a clean 7 image with updated patches -- probably migrate to 8.1 or 10 a few years after 7 dies.

    Ryan VM board is still running. Looks like MSFN is still down? If so, that's so sad. Actually, it frightens me a little. Pressure and Interference coming from deep state hoodies, or even sabateur infiltrators, wouldn't surprise me.