HD Cloning and Licensing?

[PorterComp]

Situation. Customer is running XP on 6 identical machines that were downgraded from W7pro when he got them. So he has the W7Pro license key on each PC. Good right! Customer wants to upgrade to W7Pro now that XP is no longer supported. Not a problem, we'll just reload using the W7 Key.

Now, my thought on cloning. I recently bought a new toy, a HDD cloning device. If I were to reload one of these machines with W7, and then clone the others, how would that effect the licensing since it would in effect have the same license key on all machines? Could the license key be changed?

Years ago I did this with I believe 98 and put it in a form of pre-boot, pre-windows something or another to make this happen. But that was years ago, haven't done it since and this old guy has forgotten what it was called. Is that even possible with W7 now?

Thoughts?

If it won't work, I'll just reload them all. Customer has approved the work, Just was trying to save myself some time.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Google Sysprep windows 7

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Do sysprep. That will rearm the activation.

 

[altrenda]

Google Sysprep windows 7

either sysprep or install Win 7 Pro without the key, run the updates, install any software then do your image.
Enter the proper keys when you start each machine.

not the way MS wants it done, but each machine gets the proper key and it saves time.

 

[Wheelie]

either sysprep or install Win 7 Pro without the key, run the updates, install any software then do your image.
Enter the proper keys when you start each machine.

not the way MS wants it done, but each machine gets the proper key and it saves time.

^^^ What he said ^^^

Just make sure you use an OEM disk not a retail disk.

.

 

[brandonh]

Sysprep is good, another way is to run slui 3

 

[creapure]

Sysprep is the way to go it is used for stripping OS of PC and user specific features, drivers etc. leaving a clean image for mass distribution as far as I am aware slui is for activation, correct me if I am wrong.

 

[brandonh]

Yes, slui is for activation, which is really all he needs to do once he turns on each computer with a newly cloned drive.

 

[hcdemon]

Install (without entering a product key)
Do your setup, drivers, software, etc.
Clone the drive to the other machines.
Do activation like normal on each machine after that.

I have done this with custom OS "images" from XP to 7, never had an issue.