Key ID numbers must be unique?

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***** charles - 28 Sep 2004 12:58 GMT

Hi all,

A small church came to me to setup 4 computers with
Windows 98 SE on them. They had four OEM packs,
one for each computer. I opened one of them and installed
it on all four computers using the same KEY ID number
since I thought that if they had four COA's that the legal
letter of the law would suffice. Some linux guy came along
and told them that since the same KEY ID number was
used on all four computers that if Microsoft ever wanted to
sue them, they would loose since all the numbers were the
same even though they had all the documentation they
needed. So my question is which registry entry do I have
to modify so that all the KEY ID numbers match each of
the COA's and are there any other places in the computers'
OS that have to be modified?

thanks,
charles.....

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Ron Badour - 28 Sep 2004 13:12 GMT

First of all, I think the advice they got is flat wrong. I think what MS
would be interested in is if you can produce a valid license for each PC.
You could write to the legal people and ask them: piracy@microsoft.com. I
would explain the situation exactly as you have in the post except use
Product Key instead of Key ID so as to not confuse the issue.

While you can change the Product Key in the registry, you cannot change the
Product ID as it is generated during the operating system installation and
is based on the Product Key that is input. However, about the only time I
can think of when the Product ID is used is during support calls. To change
the Key:

Open regedit.exe to this key and look in the right pane for the entry
ProductKey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Signature

Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> thanks,
> charles.....

Reply to this Message

***** charles - 28 Sep 2004 14:38 GMT

> First of all, I think the advice they got is flat wrong. I think what MS
> would be interested in is if you can produce a valid license for each PC.

That was my thinking too.

> You could write to the legal people and ask them: piracy@microsoft.com. I

I will contect them.

> would explain the situation exactly as you have in the post except use
> Product Key instead of Key ID so as to not confuse the issue.
>
> While you can change the Product Key in the registry, you cannot change the
> Product ID as it is generated during the operating system installation and
> is based on the Product Key that is input.

If the Product ID is based on the Product Key, do all the computers now have
the same Product ID or is there some randomization process in there also
that
makes the Product ID's all unique?

If the machines were queried by Microsoft from the Internet before they are
reinstalled, would MS think 3 of the 4 are illegal copies?

Since this organization needs periodic work on the machines, I can always
use the unique numbers on the subsequent installs.

> However, about the only time I
> can think of when the Product ID is used is during support calls. To change
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> > thanks,
> > charles.....

Reply to this Message

Ron Badour - 28 Sep 2004 14:58 GMT

Since the Product Keys are the same, the Product IDs should be the same
also.

MS does not query machines from the internet so there is no way they could
tell the same Product Key was used.

Signature

Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

> > First of all, I think the advice they got is flat wrong. I think what MS
> > would be interested in is if you can produce a valid license for each PC.
[quoted text clipped - 62 lines]
> > > thanks,
> > > charles.....

Reply to this Message

***** charles - 28 Sep 2004 15:08 GMT

The email to Microsoft is on its' way so we'll see what they say.
thanks for the feedback.

> Since the Product Keys are the same, the Product IDs should be the same
> also.
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
> > > > thanks,
> > > > charles.....

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Vic Dura - 29 Sep 2004 09:54 GMT

>The email to Microsoft is on its' way so we'll see what they say.
>thanks for the feedback.

Let us know what they say.

Signature

To reply to me directly, remove the XXX characters from my email address.

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***** charles - 30 Sep 2004 15:01 GMT

> >The email to Microsoft is on its' way so we'll see what they say.
> >thanks for the feedback.
>
> Let us know what they say.

Been around 48 hours and no response, don't expect one. They
probably just ignored it.

charles.....

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