I'm trying to deploy Server 2008 R2 Enterprise on a Server. It fails with an error 0x80004005. Here's what i found in SetupAct.log: 2012-01-09 15:42:13, Info [0x060114] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend:User specified an unattend xml file. 2012-01-09 15:42:13, Info [0x060115] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend:Using ProductKey WillShowUI value of [Never]. Setting will not be used as product key UI page can no longer be displayed. Retrieving key from unattend file... 2012-01-09 15:42:13, Info IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend:Validating Product key. 2012-01-09 15:42:13, Info [0x060122] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: Entry 2012-01-09 15:42:13, Info [0x060124] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: Validating user supplied product key 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info [0x060125] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: Successfully validated product key 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info IBS SetVolLicInfoOnBb: Product Key is Vol license key. 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Error [0x060551] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: EditionID for product key was NULL. 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: EulaType (a.k.a. ChannelType) for product key is [Volume]. 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Error [0x060554] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: An error occurred writing the product key data to the blackboard. 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info [0x06012e] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: ProductKey Value=NULLSTR Error=ERROR_INVALID_DATA Show=1 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: Storing return code 0x80004005 on the blackboard. 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info [0x060130] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate: Exit 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Error [0x06011a] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend:Product key did not successfully validate.[gle=0x00000490] 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Error [0x0603c7] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend:Did not pass validation; halting Setup.[gle=0x00000490] 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Error [0x060120] IBS Callback_Productkey_Validate_Unattend: An error occurred preventing setup from being able to validate the product key; hr = 0x80300006[gle=0x00000490] 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info [0x0640ae] IBSLIB PublishMessage: Publishing message [The unattend answer file contains an invalid product key. Either remove the invalid key or provide a valid product key in the unattend answer file to proceed with Windows installation.] 2012-01-09 15:42:18, Info This installation is blocked from completing due to compliance failures or invalid input; this is not an internal error. I'm not even using an unattended xml file: The product key is specified here: Here's what I've tried so far: I KNOW the product key is correct. If I use the same image without SCCM and manually deploy it, the produce key works. I tried using an unattend.xml file with the product key specified in there. It didn't work. Any other ideas? I'm completely out of them.

what happens if you leave the key out ? is there any key present in a pid file on your media ? Step by Step ConfigMgr 2007 Guides Step by Step ConfigMgr 2012 Guides I'm on Twitter > ncbrady

I figured it out. Sort of. Instead of specifying the product key during install, I left it blank and set it after the operating system installed.