Ghost Solution Suite

We buy Dell PCs with OEM Office licenses for each PC. Each PC has a unique serial number for Office that is on the cardboard CD holder that comes with the PC. We are interested in imaging our PCs to save time on rebuilding them but how do I handle each PC having a unique serial number for Office? Is there a way to change the serial number after Office is already installed? Or will I have to make images without Office and then install Office manually on each PC? We have considered going with Microsoft Open Licensing for Office where we would have one serial number for the company but we cannot afford the cost of that right now (as we'd have to license every PC at once).

Dell's windows image is an OEM license.  I would imagine the office one is too.  The only time those numbers with the system would be valid would be if you re-isntalled manually from CD's that come with it instead of using the image that came on it. 

What I mean is compare the key the machine is using now to what is on license sticker.  It won't match.

As long as you have license for the products in question on the machines you apply your image to you should be good.

When Dell ships the PC, they somehow get Office onto the PC without the serial number being input yet. When I start up the new Dell PC and start Office, I then have to type in the serial number that is on the CD envelope that shipped with the PC and then activate Office online. When I setup the PC that I will create the image from, I have to reinstall Windows and Office on it myself. To reinstall Office, I have to type in the numbers that are on the Office CD envelope before I can proceed with the install. I then have to "activate" Office afterwards. If I install Office with the same serial numbers on multiple PCs, it won't activate Office because I've already activated that serial number on another PC. So, I have to have a way to put the unique serial number on each PC. Does this mean I have to just manually install Office on each PC after imaging it?

I would say its worse than that.  You could write an unattended installer for Office but you will have to employee one for each CD key.

We use an enterprise license, we didn't get it from Dell.

At this point I would suggest using Dell's image and have the employee at the workstation Activate it with the numbers on the side of the box unless microsoft has tools for you.

I use Dell's image for new PCs and put in the Office key when I finish setting it up. That's not a problem. The thing is, I often have to rebuild PCs, such as when redeploying to another user or if the user gets it hosed. We use PCs for 6-7 years or more before retiring so they get a number of rebuilds in theri lifetime (we even have some test PCs that are 9-10 years old still in use). And it is time-consuming to install Windows, install the Dell drivers, install Office, install Windows Updates, etc. So I am looking into imaging options for rebuilding of PCs in the office.

As long as you own  the correct licenses for the number of deployments you have then i wouldnt sweat the key for the os

The key for the OS is not the problem. The Dell PCs come with a Windows XP CD that does not require a key. The problem is the Office CD, which requires a key to install it.

Ok, I guess I dont get the problem then.  You have OS licenses and you said you don't mind having the user type in the Key for Office.

It's not a matter of the user typing in the key for Office. I cannot install Office at all without putting in the key FIRST. I do not have the means to install Office without putting in a key (as I am not an OEM). So I cannot include Office in the image.

It's not a matter of the user typing in the key for Office. I cannot install Office at all without putting in the key FIRST. I do not have the means to install Office without putting in a key (as I am not an OEM). So I cannot include Office in the image.

It's not a matter of the user typing in the key for Office. I cannot install Office at all without putting in the key FIRST. I do not have the means to install Office without putting in a key (as I am not an OEM). So I cannot include Office in the image.

Sorry for the multiple msgs. I am chatting online with Dell and my cursor keeps going to the chat window and appearing not to work here.

Ahh,

Well, again.  As long as you own the correct number and kind of licenses then there is not much microsoft can do to you.  So what if all the machines have the same Key.  I know it doesnt matter on the OS, why would office matter.   

Again my knowledge on "activated" products is limittted.  Will this keep it from running? Its not the machine it was activated on?  What does it do?  Say "Give me a new key to activate" ?

I do believe though that when its stickered on the chassis its non-trasferable.  Meaning I don't think you can toss the computer in 6 years and install the image with OS and Office on a new machine and continue on as if you were legal.

Otherwise, I see no dilema.

The reason it matters is you can't activate Office if you have the same key on 2 different machines (I know because I've tried). And if you don't activate Office, I believe it stops working after a while (like 30 days or something).

Perhaps this MS article entitles "How to change the product key for Office XP, for Office 2003, and for the 2007 Office system" might help:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895456

It appears that it might require a custom script post imaging to modify the key with the user entering it on first office launch. 

Heck, now that I think of it... the change is to delete some keys... delete them and then pull the image.

Hmm, that might work to strip the key from the PC before I image it. I'll give that a try.

According to the Document it will just prompt the user for a key on first launch.  Good luck!