I'm embarrassed to post this but i need some clarification on Windows imaging and SYSPREP. I've been trying to sysprep a Win 2008 R2 server and I keep getting the old "fatal error" message. In investigating this error I've read a lot of talk about rearm counts and the number of times I can run sysprep for a given image. I've tried to find a simple explanation of how this all hangs together but can't so can someone please explain in very clear English what is the relevance of the rearm count and does it have a direct connection to the number of time i can run sysprep? Also, does the rearm count have any bearing on the kind of media used to install the OS when capturing images. I have volume license media and and I find it strange that I am limited to 3 uses of sysprep on an image when I can use the media to install the OS on as many machine as like.Hibs Ya Bass!

Hi, Please refer to the following articles first: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929828 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744512(WS.10).aspx Tim Quan

Hi, Please refer to the following articles first: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929828 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744512(WS.10).aspx Tim Quan Thanks for that. I've read those through but I still have a question. It says "For Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) clients, the recommendation is to install the MAK immediately before running Sysprep the last time, prior to delivering the computer to a customer" - what happens if I don't do this? What I have done is recovered an Acronis image of a server whose OS was originally installed using MAK media and whose MAK had already been activated. What I did after the restore of the image was re-name the server (and in doing so removed it from the domain) and then attempted to run sysprep /generalize. I realise this isn't really how to use sysprep but I'm trying to test a DR plan and need a few servers set up quickly using the acronis image.Hibs Ya Bass!

You can install Windows 2008 R2 and choose not to install product key and after 30 days server will go into "Notification Mode" which means every time you try to login, we will ask you to activate the server. Desktop background will turn "Black" When you run sysprep on a client machine, then we will re-arm the server. You can re-arm a server which is activated using Mak key or Retail key only 3 times. Are you planning to us KMS server in your network? If you use KMS then you have an option to activate the server with KMS, before running sysprep on the client machineAnkito

You can install Windows 2008 R2 and choose not to install product key and after 30 days server will go into "Notification Mode" which means every time you try to login, we will ask you to activate the server, and desktop background will turn "Black" When you run sysprep on a client machine, then we will re-arm the server. You can re-arm a server which is activated using Mak key or Retail key only 3 times and you will get fatal error 4th time you try to re-arm the machine. Are you planning to us KMS server in your network? If you use KMS then you have an option to activate the server with KMS before running sysprep on the client machine. This will give you an extra re-arm count. Ankito