lol, this thread is barely getting closer to the goal I started it for
Now that we are all understanding how Keys work with disks and activation. We still must find out how to implement preactivation.
In my mind, my first thought still stands, if the preactivation check through the oembios files, simply tries to match the bios to the files on the restore CD (thus pining the CD to that particular bios), then preactivation should be possible. This makes sense because:
1) You cannot use this CD on any other PC, because of the special files locked to this one BIOS.
2) If you use another CD to load this particular PC, it will require regular activation because the files are not locked to this PC for preactivation.
These two points make it seem as though this is NOT a matter of specials keys from MS, or special BIOSes. Because either way, MS and BIOS manus have to be making deals about things. Which doesn't fit.
Is does NOT make logical sense that Microsoft makes a deal with mobo manufacturers to put certain data in each individual bios and link it to each key. Then sells those keys to the same company who is buying the mobos. That isn't right.
The only way this can work for an end user is IF the preactivation is NOT key based, or hardware based. In which case there is a special way to lock a CD to a BIOS thus facilitating the function of preactivation.
As I've said earlier, XP creates these oembios files after Windows is installed. I found a script to extract them from the system folder. After placing them back on the CD again using an ISO utility, and creating an answer file with the keycode in there, it still didn't work. And it might only be because I missed a step.
It doesn't make sense to me that preactivation is some super-secret pact between OEMs, MS, and mobo manus. Nor does it make sense that MS gives out special keys that allow for preactivation. I don't think the key has anything to do with it. I think it has everything to do with putting the right, system locked, files onto the OS CD with the right answer file, in the right formats, to allow preactivation.
I've seen many times, that multiple keys work with preactivation. This is apparent simply in the fact that, say Dell, will mass copy their hard drives, all with the same oem key, but slap another sticker on the case of a completely different key. Both keys will still preactivate.
And again, this can't be a special key from MS, because preactivation doesn't contact MS, so they can't check if a key is "special" to begin with.
Obviously I may be wrong on some points, because I've yet to find documentation on exactly how OEMs preactive. Besides the generic answer of "checking for special text in the bios" or something like that. That doesn't help. I don't even think it is
specific text in the BIOS, only that what it is, matches what the CD is looking for.
Anyways, I haven't given up, there is a lot of good WPA info in this thread. Thanks everybody.
