Windows 2000 Prof and Office XP

[gerrit]

hello,

we are preparing a Windows 2000 environment for our customer. We have set up a Windows 2000 with RIS (Remote Installation Service) to dump an image of a configured Windows 2000 Professional.
Office XP is installed on the Windows 2000 Prof image.

The problem we have is after dumping a new image. The first time we start Word, Excel, Access,... a Registration wizard is started indicating that Office XP has detected hardware changes and it needs the CDrom to update the configuration.

Does anyone know why this wizard is started after the dump, and how to avoid it???

thx
Gerrit

 

[MIScoord]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Microsoft.

I haven't used Office XP yet, but from what I have read about it, it is tied to the specific hardware configuration of the machine it is first installed on. With the scenario you are describing, where you are dumping an image, XP is expecting the computer it is dumped onto to be exactly the same hardware-wise as the computer it started on. This is Microsoft's attempt to cut down on piracy.

There may be a way to hack into the OS or the program files and disable this, but I have no idea what it is and it's illegal regardless. You'd be better off getting some kind of license agreement with Microsoft that will allow you to do what you want to do.

Best I can come up with. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Zelandakh]

I think there is a way that you can load the CD of XP onto the hard disk and point the registry at it hence the need for the CD and hopefully the prompt go away.

MS must have solved this as they are hyping RIS as the greatest thing since sliced bread even though it means every copy of the OS and all apps all have the same serial numbers.