1

I have a number of HP ProDesk 600 G1. I use Windows Deployment Server (WDS) to deploy a custom image to these machines (effectively removing HP bloatware) and I'm trying to find the OEM-SLP key.

I have the HP supplied Windows 7 Pro recovery DVD and managed to find the HP Cert file at DVD:\sources\$OEM$\$$\system32\OEM\oem-cert.xrm-ms.xml.

I've installed the certificate using slmgr.vbs /ilc oem-cert.xrm-ms which worked fine, however Windows still requires a product key to fully activate.

I was hoping that somebody here could tell me where I could retrieve the OEM-SLP key from the HP Windows 7 Recovery DVD please? I'm not even sure where to look..

Thanks

EDIT: I have already mounted sources\boot.wim & sources\install.wim to a local directory in hopes that the key may be stored in these.

2
  • 1
    I actually found all the product keys in C:\SYSTEM.SAV\Tweaks\Start_MLGM_2PP.cmd and in C:\SYSTEM.SAV\Tweaks\UpdateBaseImage2.cmd on an untouched HP OEM machine. I found these files using a Linux live USB as allowing the system to perform it's normal sysprep Generalize/Specialize phases deletes most of the content in C:\SWSETUP and C:\SYSTEM.SAV. I'd still like to know where I can find these SWSETUP/SYSTEM.SAV files on the recovery DVD.
    – Robula
    Apr 30, 2014 at 14:16
  • I never found the keys on the DVD, yet doing an installation does put the product keys in the directories listed above so they obviously exist somewhere. My only guess is that they may be hard coded within some of the HP executables that run during the recovery.
    – Robula
    Apr 22, 2015 at 11:32

2 Answers 2

-1
  1. Copy all files from the OEM DVD in either of the following locations:
    • D:\sources\$OEM$\system32\OEM
    • D:\sources\$OEM$\$$\system32\OEM

To: C:\Windows\System32\OEM (You may want to remove the original files from this location first)

  1. Follow steps 1-11 from this post but only extract the "required folder": http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ation-dvd.html

The "required folder" (would be the folder or folders found in the root of this location): #\Windows\System32\spp\tokens\skus\

  1. Copy the extracted "required folder(s)" to the following location: C:\Windows\System32\spp\tokens\skus

  2. If the files do not copy properly, use the right click "Takeown" registry function to take ownership on the destination location: Add "Take Ownership" to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Windows

Once ownership is taken, rename/move/delete the folder. Perform step 3 again. Make sure to reboot the computer to check the license.

I believe this should work for all OEM manufacturer DVDs and versions. However, you will still need an OEM key which can be entered with the following script: cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

2
  • 1
    Can you summarise the omitted steps here? If that link does down, a huge part of the steps suggested in your answer will be missing.
    – bertieb
    Sep 12, 2015 at 0:08
  • "However, you will still need an OEM key". That's the whole point of the question! You are not answering the question.
    – user477799
    Jan 15, 2017 at 11:21
-2

You will not be able to recover this key, and you probably don't need to either: lists of the SLP keys have appeared on the net over the years, and they have been promptly taken down. But Microsoft has a tool to manage the pre-activation of systems; try using it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5114.

The official stance on this is that SLP keys are not needed when the system is installed (or re-installed, or recovered) from an official recovery media from the PC manufacturer: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/c1b4952d-db3d-4e1f-8e92-5e84b80e4395/preserving-oem-preactivation-when-reinstalling-windows-7?forum=w7itproinstall

4
  • Thank you for the documentation, though I am familiar with audit mode and I use it in all my installations before sysprep. However, the whole idea behind this question was to extract the key out so that I could use my own installation discs, embedding up-to-date drivers and most importantly; bypass the s**t that HP bundles with it. It's in my best interest to have no external modifications (from HP) to the Windows OS and the only way I could achieve that is using a retail copy of Windows as a base, NOT the HP tainted copy from the recovery discs.
    – Robula
    Apr 22, 2015 at 13:28
  • I completely agree with your reasons, but while Microsoft has published lists of "generic SLP" keys to be used in exactly your case for Windows XP, server 2003. There is no such list for Vista nor 7; hence my (sad) answer... Apr 22, 2015 at 14:17
  • 1
    While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes.
    – Ramhound
    Sep 2, 2015 at 11:49
  • 1
    Your links is dead. Now your answer is useless, as Ramhound said above.
    – user477799
    Jan 15, 2017 at 11:23

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .