Changing Windows product key (license) for a MDT OS deployment task

Creating a new OS deployment task in MDT you will be asked to specify product key


That’s easy enough, but what if you type in the wrong key or just want to change it (add it) later? You might even have gotten a new MAK.

That is not as easy, you cannot do it from the graphical interface, you have to do it from one of the configuration files. Well you might to it from graphical interface by typing it in every time deploying a computer gets deployed but that is not a great solution.

The configuration file containing the product key are the unattended file being used during the OS installation, the file are named “unattend.xml” and are located in the deployment share folder under the subfolder “Control” and a folder with the name of the task sequence ID used during the creation of the task.

 
In my case the path to the file will then be
D:\MDT-Folders\Deployment\Control\OSDEP03
 

Just open the “Unattend.xml” and browse down to “<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64"”. Processor architecture will be different on x86, but rest of the name are the same.  
 

Type in your product key and save the changes. Everything are now ready, but if you also are using this running from USB sticks, DVD or replicated shares you must remember to update those too.
And yes, it's a fake key in my example so it will not work ;-)

You can also set the key value in “customsettings.ini” file, but it will then be a global value for all your different deployment for that share.
To learn about this method you can visit Andrew Barnes blog here http://scriptimus.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/mdt-2010-managing-product-keys/

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