Clone installation while retaining separate OEM licenses

I am trying to accomplish the following:

I am buying 15 identical (Lenovo) PC's with a separate valid Windows 7 OEM license on each one (not a VLK). I want to set up one computer with all the software I need and remove all the bloatware (perhaps by doing a clean install), and then I want to clone that drive onto the remaining 14 PC's.

My question is, how do I re-apply the individual license to each cloned drive, so that I don't have multiple computers with the same license and hence violating Microsoft's EULA?
And what would be the best tool to do the cloning (I haven't done this before)?

All help and advice is appreciated!

August 20th, 2015 1:39pm

Microsoft uses major hardware (motherboard) and associates it with your Windows key. So when the machine contacts the server it checks the key with the motherboard to determine if it's valid.

So AFAIK, when you clone the drive and put it into another PC it will contact the server, realize that the key doesn't match the hardware and give you an error. From that error you should be able to type in the key that belongs to that PC and activate it properly.

Downside to that is, you'll have to type 14 activation keys :(

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August 20th, 2015 4:21pm

I am buying 15 identical (Lenovo) PC's with a separate valid Windows 7 OEM license on each one (not a VLK). I want to set up one computer with all the software I need and remove all the bloatware (perhaps by doing a clean install), and then I want to clone that drive onto the remaining 14 PC's.

My question is, how do I re-apply the individual license to each cloned drive, so that I don't have multiple computers with the same license and hence violating Microsoft's EULA?
And what would be the best tool to do the cloning (I haven't done this before)?

OEM licensing doesn't grant you the entitlement to do this (custom re-imaging) - only VL grants you that entitlement (and VL grants you the necessary media and keys, too)
August 20th, 2015 5:34pm

Hi SLLight,

Cloning the system is not an official method to install the machine and it is not included in the support scope.

Due to the limitation of the OEM version, I agree with DonPick, I am afraid it is not available to perfrom a custom installation.

As a workaround, we could create a share folder to keep software installation package and create a script to install the software.

Best regards

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August 21st, 2015 3:44am

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