Getting windows setup to check for firmware product key, digital license then fall back to a prompt with autounattend.xml

AIT · May 21, 2025

I've recently set up a PXE server at work (small pc repair shop) that lets me create/restore WIM files from windows PE but, not being very proficient at writing autounattend.xml files I've been using the excellent https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to generate autounattend.xml files that I pass to sysprep which works well but when it comes to licensing the site give me 4 options

use generic product key for home/pro/enterprise/education
interactively enter product key in windows setup
Use product key stored in BIOS/UEFI firmware
specify product key in unattend file

I initially created separate wim files for options 1-3 and this is where things get confusing. Using the option to prompt interactively actually does check for a digital key and bypasses the prompt if it finds one. And I used an unactivated win11 pro for my base install but when I tried it on a machine that had a win11 home digital license it silently failed and installed unactivated. I made a new install of win11 home and it worked but now I'm looking at maintaining 12 different wim files and having to install a random windows, then click activation trouble-shooting to find which license it has and I'm thinking there has to be a better way. Looking at the different unattend.xml files it seems the main difference between a firmware lookup and interactively entering the product keys is the firmware option has

<ProductKey>
<Key>00000-00000-00000-00000-00000</Key>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
</ProductKey>

And the interactive prompt uses <WillShowUI>Always</WillShowUI> Is it possible that using OnError here would also check for a firmware product key? I don't have any machines with a firmware product key to test on but if I could just maintain 4 wim files for home/pro/ent/edu that would be more feasible. Also does anyone know of an app/url that will tell me if a machine has a digital license and what sort?

antspants · May 21, 2025

Hi and welcome.

Autounattend is out of my league, but if you’re using an ISO to install, you could inject an ei.cfg file into the ISO.

A previous post of mine here:

If anyone ever wants to bypass the BIOS version restrictions, you can edit a multi edition Windows.iso

Open notepad and enter the following

Code:

[Channel]
Retail

Save the file as ei.cfg
Place the file in the ISO sources folder.

During installation you will be asked what version of Windows you would like to install.

OR

Code:

[EditionID]
{Edition}

[Channel]
Retail

[VL]
0

Replace the line {Edition} with the Windows edition you want to install.
EditionID can be: Home, Professional, Enterprise, Education, and so on, depending on the available editions in your specific Windows ISO

For example:

Code:

[EditionID]
Home

[Channel]
Retail

[VL]
0

Channel can be changed to Retail or OEM

You can also create a pid file and pre enter your product key.

Open notepad and enter the following:

Code:

[PID]
Value=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Save the file as pid.txt
Place it into the sources folder

Replace XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX with your product key. If you don’t have a product key or you want to manually enter it later just skip creating the pid.txt file.

garlin · May 21, 2025

I entirely disagree with Schneegan over one key point: You can leave <ProductKey> blank and it still works.

With a blank <ProductKey>, it works for any Windows retail edition and will automatically allow Windows to self-activate if an OEM product key is found in BIOS, or Windows connects online and later does digital activation. Setting ProductKey to all zero's prevents this method, because all zero's is neither a valid OEM key or a valid generic install key.

The bare minimum XML to skip Windows activation (during install) is:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
        <settings pass="specialize">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
                </component>
        </settings>
        <settings pass="windowsPE">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <ImageInstall>
                                <OSImage>
                                        <InstallFrom>
                                                <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                                                        <Key>/IMAGE/INDEX</Key>
                                                        <Value>1</Value>
                                                </MetaData>
                                        </InstallFrom>
                                </OSImage>
                        </ImageInstall>
                        <UserData>
                                <ProductKey>
                                        <Key></Key>
                                </ProductKey>
                        </UserData>
                </component>
        </settings>
</unattend>

Update your Schneegan file to contain these elements.

The other method is very intensive. First you create a master unattended file. Now clone it several times and add the generic keys for Home/Pro/Ent/EDU. Save this answer file as \Windows\Panther\unattend.xml inside each mounted image, on a per-image basis.

Yeah that doesn't sound enticing, or labor saving. Which means if you make a new unattended file, you're looping back and updating all those images. With the blank ProductKey method, you only need one unattended file which can be shared.

antspants · May 21, 2025

sorry, I seem to have missed the part about multiple pc’s
I also neglected that Garlin was online

AIT · May 21, 2025

That ei.cfg brings back memories of windows 7 days when I used something similar but FYI autounattend.xml is even simpler with scheegans and a windows install usb key, just copy the autounattend.xml file the site gives you into the top level of your windows USB key and you're good to go, no iso injections needed although I presume you could also inject it into the top level of an iso. It gives you several nifty options like bypassing oobe and autocreating a local user, bypassing the hardware requirement and even making edge uninstallable. Definitely worth a try even if you're not planning to build your own WIM images.

Topgundcp · May 22, 2025

You don't need multiple Wim files, just use the ISO download from Microsoft. However, you'll need multiple unattended.xml files, One for each Windows edition ie. Home, Pro....
1. Go to the website and create an autoattended file for Home using generic key for HOME then download it.
2. While still on the website, make the change for PRO, download. Repeat step 1 and 2 for other Editions.
3. Mount the Windows ISO using index 1 for HOME, navigate to Windows folder on the mounted folder,
create a folder and rename Panther. Rename autounattended.xml to Unattended.xml then copy it to this folder. Commit change then unmount it.
4. repeat step 3 for other editions.

NOTE: Windows will be activated if the pc has license key in the BIOS/Digital Activation.

In the future, if you need to modify any unattened files, open the website then click on import to make modification.

Hope this help.

Getting windows setup to check for firmware product key, digital license then fall back to a prompt with autounattend.xml

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