Windows 7 Support

[scarface]

personnaly when using official sp1 iso it didnt even bother with activation with the key given in your pdf. but anyway there are other ways to bypass this problem. with windows 8 it seems it cant be done so easily, so everyone should avoid it. For unknow reason my vmware installation rebooted one time after the sysprep then crashed. In this condition I will wait for february updates to do something. I wont ever try Maher iso anyway. everyone should know that windows 7 sp1 is 2,7go vs 3,7go for maher version and that a real sleepstreaming is faster to install.

[harkaz]

personnaly when using official sp1 iso it didnt even bother with activation with the key given in your pdf.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here. If you are talking about the slmgr /ipk command this is not something you do after installation but you run this periodically to refresh your Virtual Machine's rearm countdown.

with windows 8 it seems it cant be done so easily, so everyone should avoid it.

I haven't tested it yet on Windows 8, can you elaborate on the problem?

About the Virtual Machine crashing after syspreping - that is weird. You should back up your virtual machine hdds just before you start sysprep and revert to these versions immediately after capture is complete.

Sysprep, as you know, rearms Windows Activation and reduces the number of remaining rearms by one. SkipRearm=1 SKIPS rearming (obviously :p). That's bad.
I try to reset WPA, so that you can rearm with sysprep and then revert to the original remaining rearm count.
The way I propose to reset WPA is of course not perfect (5 remaining rearms instead of default 3). But it is certainly better than setting SkipRearm to 1 in unattend.xml because this does not refresh the activation files.

[scarface]

It seems there is no fast mean to activate windows 8, even if you own a licence and reinstallation on the same computer can be fastidious. I have a licence for windows 8 for one computer but there is no way to install it on another computer. It is somewhat different with windows 7...
if the reinstallation of windows is becoming a hardship, its better to stay with previous version.

[harkaz]

It seems there is no fast mean to activate windows 8, even if you own a licence and reinstallation on the same computer can be fastidious. I have a licence for windows 8 for one computer but there is no way to install it on another computer. It is somewhat different with windows 7...
if the reinstallation of windows is becoming a hardship, its better to stay with previous version.

This is not a problem if it is only about the activation process. If it affects rearming, then it might be problem. I don't have a retail copy of Windows 8 and I cannot test it. Microsoft-downloaded ISOs cannot be permanently activated, as far as I know.

[scarface]

not a problem? for me its the main problem along with the crappy metro. dont know about rearming.

[harkaz]

not a problem? for me its the main problem along with the crappy metro. dont know about rearming.

Ok, I will try downloading a torrent to test it. Metro is TERRIBLE, I totally agree 
If there is a problem with updates integration using sysprep I will tell you.

[scmp]

Bom bisurdo... Valeu pelo post... Thanks...

[scarface]

I think metro can be disabled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERxpbwBt0U and eventually deleted.

[harkaz]

Now I understand what was scarface's problem with product key: it is required in windows setup.
This is a LUDICROUS attempt of Microsoft to replace the old "Select you operating system list" screen. (Proof: If you create a custom ei.cfg file and add it to the ISO - then entering product key is no more required).

Entering product key is the new way ( ) of selecting the SKU.

To install Windows 8 in Virtual Machine you have to use the default product key for the version you want to install.

You'll find a list of all Windows 8 Versions Default Product Keys in this link:
http://pastebin.com/NA5baGkP /  Edited by Ahmad

It goes without saying that you cannot activate Windows using these keys; you have to change your product key later - if you want to permanently activate Windows - do not do this in Virtual Machine which is used for sysprep.

UPDATED AFTER TESTING:Everything else in installing, updating in audit mode, syspreping and capturing is pretty much the same.
A slight difference: "You can run Sysprep an unlimited number of times to build and configure your installation of Windows." - we read at Technet library.
In fact you can rearm 1000 times - means 1000 syspreps. So, resetting WPA is your option - do it only if you are serious about the originality of your installation image.

P.S.  There are two different ISOs of Windows 8 RTM Retail. If you purchase it from the Web you WILL NOT get an install.wim - instead you will get an encrypted WIM file - the notorious install.esd file. But if you buy it from Amazon or other shop you will get install.wim.
Make sure you get the INSTALL.WIM ISO and say goodbye to ESD ISO's bulk.

I think metro can be disabled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERxpbwBt0U and eventually deleted.

This does not work.

[bimbim2kd]

thx Maher alot for all your copies
we would appericate it more if you can make a torrent file of Win 7 Jan updates
it's more easier for us to download it as torrent
thank you again & good luck