The Windows XP setupp.ini file controls how the installation media behaves. Is the install source an OEM version or retail copy of WIndows XP? First, locate the setupp.ini file in the \i386 directory on your Windows XP CD. Open in a text editor, and the contents will look something like this:
ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000
The Pid value is what we’re interested in. What’s there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it’s a retail, OEM, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts.
The first five digits determines how the CD will behave. Is the CD a retail CD that will allow either a clean install or upgrade, or an OEM CD that only allows a clean install?
The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example, you could make a Windows XP CD that acted like a retail CD, yet accepted OEM keys.
Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangeable, but usually you’d keep them as a pair:
Retail = 51882 335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM
So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:
Pid=51882335
And if you wanted a retail CD that accepts OEM keys, you’d use:
Pid=51882OEM
Note that this does NOT get rid of Windows XP activation. Changing the Pid to a Volume License will not bypass activation. You must have a volume license (corporate) key to do so.
I will soon post a guide for how to slipstream all of the WIndows XP SP3+Updates into a new ISO image. Stay tuned.
