Not sure if you meant no VLK for MCE 2005 but if so, oops. Still, you guys helped me correct a critical situation that would've otherwise made it very inconvenient for all involved to resolve. Tks again super Tito and all others!
Have used this tool a few times without problems. Im trying to install XP Pro VLK on a Lenovo laptop. Install goes fine and boots to desktop. I used the OEMBIOS Tool Boot CD to determine correct BIOS and grabbed both the IBM and Lenovo OEM BIOS sets from the Skydrive link. I have tried both BIOS sets and after what appears a successful install using the OEM BIOS Changer, i end up with the laptop in an endless reboot loop. On my 3rd clean install and not sure what is going on with this. Help! OK clean install #4 here we come. Tried running the OEMBIOS changer in Safe Mode and got a different looking dialog at the end of the install and thought i was free and clear. Still have the same reboot issue. Searched around MDL and this thread and havent seen anyone else with this issue. I can be the only lucky one can i? Ok so i cant remember if i had to do this with the OEM Bios files i downloaded before, but when i unzip them the file extensions are truncated to 2 letters I.E. OEMBIOS.DA_, OEMBIOS.CA_, OEMBIOS.SI_ and OEMBIOS.BI_ . I have to rename them with the correct .dat, .cat, .sig and .bin. Could this be part of my problem? I tried putting the zip file in the compressed folder with nothing else in the uncompressed folder and i get an error with OEM Bios Changer. I havent run a CRC check on the OEM BIOS files from Skydrive, so maybe that needs to be done first?
I don't like MCE 2005, once I have tried this edition of XP because I have a DVB-T USB pen, and guess what it's incompatible with Media Center, making this edition useless.
DO NOT rename the files. If the files (you download) are 2 letters like .DA_ then they are compressed files and go into the compressed folder. If the files were .dat then they are uncompressed files and they go into the uncompressed folder. That's it. Renaming them will screw them up!!
This did it. Thanks OldSh_t! The OEM BIOS files i grabbed on previous occasions must have mentioned they were uncompressed or compressed. The skydrive ones didnt. Having not done this for a year, the gears were a little rusty. Sorry to muck up the thread.
Also, this Windows XP Pro computer is on my LAN (Windows 2000 Server domain based), and I can ping its IP address, but a Windows 7 computer using Remote Desktop cannot connect to it. I receive the following from Remote Desktop on the Windows 7 computer - Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons: However, I never did enable Remote Desktop access on the Windows XP Pro PC before. So, I'm still stuck. I do have another Windows XP Pro system (actually 2 more) on my domain based wired LAN...maybe it can connect to my locked up Windows XP PRO "Half and Half" VLM and OEM installation system. Calling the doctor...please help...Thanks!
For the Repair Install, should I create a Pro SP3 OEM (Optima) SLP x32 CD, per Suicide Solution's procedures, as outlined here in this sub-forum's sticky?
I shall try using a retail one that I create, per Suicide Solution's outlined procedures. (BTW: His procedures worked great for creating an OEM SLP version from a Retail version of a Windows XP Tablet PC 2005 Edition with SP3 slip streamed DVD for a Gateway Tablet Notebook. It automatically activated after I connected to the Microsoft website to validate it as genuine. However, in this case, I don't believe I will be able to do a Repair Install over a VLK installation using and OEM CD. I found this out after doing some additional research. The reason: I won't be provided the option to do a Repair Install using the OEM CD. You have to start the Repair Install while Windows XP is running, and I can't log into Windows XP due to the Error Code: 0x80004005. But, like I said, I will try your suggestion, and see what happens. I have to make certain I don't set the OEM CD up as an unattended install. I guess the WINNT.SIF file in the TEMP folder that Suicide Solution provides for the build is for an unattended installation. I'll omit including this WINNT.SIF file in the i386 folder on the CD. Thanks.
Check the readme: Code: **************************************************************************************************** Language files ****************** Special situations only **************************************************************************************************** The pidgen and dpcdll files are provided for you with english installs. These will also work with other languages most of the time. If problems with acivation are anticipated, place these two files in the Language_Files folder prior to running the program. These can be from the ISO of the install disk, or from the install in the Windows\System32\ folder. It is not necessary to decompress the DPCDLL.DLL file if it is taken from the CD. The file will decompress it for you. *** This is not used for WHS *** This is also the folder to put the pidgen, dpcdll, and oembios,reg files in if you run a saved backup from inside the tool. ****************************************************************************************************
I just wanted to say thanks to both 911medic and Suicide Solution. The repair install using the "Retail" or " OEM" version of Windows XP Pro slipstreamed with SP3 worked great. I did have some problems with the activating after the Repair Install, but Safe Mode with Command prompt, typing in explorer.exe, and then using a CD burnt with Internet Explorer 8 for installation, and a Product Key Changer allowed me to activate it using 911medic"s OEM Product Key for the Optima PC included in his program. I did have a problem with getting Windows Update working, but I located a solution on the Internet to get it working again. (Tip: Pay attention to the messages in the WindowsUpdate.log in the windows folder to resolve any Windows Update problem you're having). Again, thanks!
Guys, I've been searching for hours but I can't find anyone who's tried and achieved what I'm trying to do. I want to convert an OEM windows xp install into a VLK without having to reinstall. I'm guessing it would probably involve replacing these files (booting from WinPE to avoid them being locked by the OS): %systemroot%\system32\pidgen.dll %systemroot%\system32\dpcdll.dll %systemroot%\system32\oembios.sig %systemroot%\system32\oembios.dat %systemroot%\system32\oembios.bin %SystemRoot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\OEMBIOS.CAT And then replacing these registry entries: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Pid] "Pid" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion] "ProductId" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion] "ProductId" "DigitalProductId" I'll copy the registry values from an existing Windows XP VLK installation in another computer. Can anyone confirm, please?
Ok, I've bite the bullet and tried it on one of my older PCs (a Fujitsu Siemens that came with XP Professional pre-activated from the factory). It does work correctly. I used these commands under WinPE if anyone is interested: reg.exe load HKLM\temporarysys c:\windows\system32\config\system reg.exe load HKLM\temporarysoft c:\windows\system32\config\software reg.exe import productid.reg xcopy.exe oembios.bin c:\windows\system32\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.dat c:\windows\system32\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.sig c:\windows\system32\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.cat c:\windows\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.bin c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.dat c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.sig c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H xcopy.exe oembios.cat c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H xcopy.exe dpcdll.dll c:\windows\system32\ /H xcopy.exe pidgen.dll c:\windows\system32\ /H xcopy.exe dpcdll.dll c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H xcopy.exe pidgen.dll c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ /H reg.exe unload HKLM\temporarysys reg.exe unload HKLM\temporarysoft (the productid.reg was obtained from another computer with a properly licensed Windows XP Pro VLK, and edited with notepad to contain the "temporarysys" and "temporarysoft" strings for correct operation under WinPE )