Any MS Volume Licencing Resellers here?

Forums › IT Pro and developers › Any MS Volume Licencing Resellers here?

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#175349 25-Jun-2015 18:05

I have a bunch of HP Laptops that come pre-installed with Windows 7 Professional x64 however includes OEM recovery DVDs for both Windows 7 & 8.

There's no COA key on the laptops, just a little Windows 8 sticker so I assume the key(s) is programmed into the BIOS.

I'm wanting to setup one laptop as a master then image it to the rest of the devices.

I understand in order to do this I need to setup the first machine using a Windows 7 Pro x64 Volume Licence CD & key, then that image / single key can be used on the subsequent OEM machines.

Hence I'm looking to purchase a Volume License.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1331645 25-Jun-2015 18:50

You need a VL agreement to get reimaging rights, which will allow you to use VL media to create the image and VL keys to activate it.

You will also need to purchase at least one copy to get access to the media via VLSC.

I would guess you already have at least an Open agreement.

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1331666 25-Jun-2015 19:25

nathan: You need a VL agreement to get reimaging rights, which will allow you to use VL media to create the image and VL keys to activate it.

You will also need to purchase at least one copy to get access to the media via VLSC.

I would guess you already have at least an Open agreement.

Hi Nathan, no I don't currently have any MS licencing agreement hence I'm looking to get one.

insane

3236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1331676 25-Jun-2015 19:35

I believe Ingram Micro are a re-seller

jhsol

102 posts

Master Geek

#1331821 26-Jun-2015 00:04

Or save yourself some money.
- Wipe, reinstall a base Windows 7 x64 image. You can get the Iso from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery by using a W7 Auth Key.
- Install this on any of the HP machines, install all the drivers, updates and any software that you wish to install.
- Sysprep the machine (using generalize oobe option) and shut down the machine.
- Use whatever you use to capture the image of this reference machine (I use MDT/Imagex but ive also used Ghost before).

Deploy it to each machine and upon running for the first time you can add the windows key via System Properties. It takes all of 2 mins and saves you buying an additional license.

Do you have an Active Directory domain (or are you imaging more than 5 machines)? Try using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

Ramjet007

319 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1331833 26-Jun-2015 05:31

Take the battery out. Often the key is there on HP laptops.

CYaBro

4582 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1331853 26-Jun-2015 07:50

Why not just make one a master using the already imaged HP windows 7?
If the HP machines are all the same then the image you take from the master will work on the rest without needing a product key entered at all as it will have the HP own key already.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1331863 26-Jun-2015 08:33

CYaBro: Why not just make one a master using the already imaged HP windows 7?
If the HP machines are all the same then the image you take from the master will work on the rest without needing a product key entered at all as it will have the HP own key already.

Can you point to any official documentation which supports this approach? Everything I've read states that this can't legally be done.

e.g. http://www.aidanfinn.com/?p=14534

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1331974 26-Jun-2015 11:22

kenkeniff: I have a bunch of HP Laptops that come pre-installed with Windows 7 Professional x64

assuming all the laptops are the same model.
Make one standard image for all laptops . ** TEST IT ** as sometimes lappies come with non standard partitioning that can screw up restores from images
They will all have the same pre-installed HP Install key : HP use their own install keys .

You can extract install keys from Win, they should all be the same HP key , I would imagine.
Using the image to restore: you may need to reactivate when Win sees the Network Cards MAC adress is differnet.
If needed , the install key can easily be changed after a restore from the image you made.
If you need to ring MS to get the activation done, tell them its a downgrade from Win8Pro

* in general
Windows8Pro gives you downgrade rights to Win7Pro .
You are entitled to downgrade all your OEM Win8pro laptops to to 7 (as was done at factory)
On the downgrade, you use valid install key to set them up, MS acknowledge that key will allready be in use.... so much of the lic info out
there wont actually cover this.
Ive been through this when talking to MS Activation after downgrade, they said use they key from an existing PC .

In reality , MS only really care about the no of valid licenses. They do not audit for this sort of thing (recovery images)
In fact, often they do nothing about blatant piracy .

lxsw20

3552 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1331994 26-Jun-2015 11:43

jhsol: Or save yourself some money.
- Wipe, reinstall a base Windows 7 x64 image. You can get the Iso from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery by using a W7 Auth Key.
- Install this on any of the HP machines, install all the drivers, updates and any software that you wish to install.
- Sysprep the machine (using generalize oobe option) and shut down the machine.
- Use whatever you use to capture the image of this reference machine (I use MDT/Imagex but ive also used Ghost before).

Deploy it to each machine and upon running for the first time you can add the windows key via System Properties. It takes all of 2 mins and saves you buying an additional license.

Do you have an Active Directory domain (or are you imaging more than 5 machines)? Try using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

I am pretty sure, like Nathan said above, you need an agreement with MS before you can do this without breaking their T&Cs.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1332503 27-Jun-2015 03:20

lxsw20:
jhsol: Or save yourself some money.
- Wipe, reinstall a base Windows 7 x64 image. You can get the Iso from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery by using a W7 Auth Key.
- Install this on any of the HP machines, install all the drivers, updates and any software that you wish to install.
- Sysprep the machine (using generalize oobe option) and shut down the machine.
- Use whatever you use to capture the image of this reference machine (I use MDT/Imagex but ive also used Ghost before).

Deploy it to each machine and upon running for the first time you can add the windows key via System Properties. It takes all of 2 mins and saves you buying an additional license.

Do you have an Active Directory domain (or are you imaging more than 5 machines)? Try using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

I am pretty sure, like Nathan said above, you need an agreement with MS before you can do this without breaking their T&Cs.

Yes indeed

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1332519 27-Jun-2015 06:01

jhsol: Or save yourself some money.
- Wipe, reinstall a base Windows 7 x64 image. You can get the Iso from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery by using a W7 Auth Key.
- Install this on any of the HP machines, install all the drivers, updates and any software that you wish to install.
- Sysprep the machine (using generalize oobe option) and shut down the machine.
- Use whatever you use to capture the image of this reference machine (I use MDT/Imagex but ive also used Ghost before).

Deploy it to each machine and upon running for the first time you can add the windows key via System Properties. It takes all of 2 mins and saves you buying an additional license.

Do you have an Active Directory domain (or are you imaging more than 5 machines)? Try using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

Please don't do this. You are not licensed to do this

Any reimaging, with anything but the OEM-provided recovery media, is not allowed by OEM licensing. You need a VL agreement to do anything like this.

It’s not buying an additional license either – it’s just having the VL agreement in place. Got 10,000 machines? Buy enough stuff (five copies) to sign an Open agreement, buy one copy of Windows 7 Pro so that VLSC has the media for it (in case you want to use that VL media to create the media rather than grabbing an ISO from a public location), and you’re golden.