Solved How to setup 3 PC's with 8.1, install apps, upgrade Pro?

Mike1326

New Member
Messages
6
I am looking for suggestions on the best way to setup 3 new laptops exactly the same way. The details are as follows:

I have 3 new laptops with Windows 8.1 pre installed.
Uninstall bloatware.
Install the same set of programs (stuff like 7z, Chrome, etc.) on them all.
Upgrade them to 8.1 Pro for which I have purchased 3 Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Pack PC Card Keys.

I think the best way to do it would be to setup one exactly how I want it, and then copy it to all the others. But I am not sure the best way to do that? And I am concerned about winding up with having the same license on all three?

I am open to any suggestions on how best to perform this task.

Thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
I would suggest install on one, don't activate, setup the way you want, image it, restore image to other two, activate each.

And welcome to the forum!

EDIT: You may need to use the slmgr command on the original machine to deactivate it before doing the image fore the other two. You're kind of doing a network deployment without the network. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
Yeah, I just checked and the Win 8.1 on the Laptop was automatically activated, I think basically when I turned it on. I am not familiar with slmgr would this be the correct option?

slmgr/rearm

Thanks for the quick reply!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
Either that or /upk but not 100% sure. Don't want to steer you wrong, there are so many options with that command and I've personally never done a multiple install like you are doing. Maybe someone else can tell you for sure. I guess worse case is you may have to call the number if something goes wrong on the activation side.

Here is the Microsoft page on slmgr:Slmgr.vbs Options for Volume Activation
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
This what I have done so far: I setup the 1st PC's drive as I wanted. I then used the Lenovo Image backup utility to backup to my USB Drive. I then took the 2nd PC and on first power up, I immediately went into the Lenovo Recovery Mode and restored from the USB backup of the 1st PC. I then went to the Windows Activation screen, they both show activated but with slightly different Product ID's. All seems fine so far.

I took this route just to see if there was a problem I need to fix, instead of trying to "fix" it first using something like slmgr.vbs.

If there was to be a problem, do you think I would I know about it already? Anyway to force any issues to popup now?

Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
Did you read the tutorial theog linked to just above your post? That should be a sure way to put in the individual keys, no slmgr required.

Option two at the bottom does show how to do it with slmgr.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
I did, but my screens look nothing like any of those in that Tutorial. There is no Product Key to be found on any of the screens. My activation screen has no Product Key section. I looked on the bottom of the Laptop, I looked in the BIOS, I looked on the box itself.

So I could find no to product key to type in. Hence why I did the restore the way I did. I'm not sure I have a any other choice if everything else would require me to type in a product key.

Very Confusing....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
I'm confused too. Thought you said you bought 3 keys. The option two using slmgr should work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
Upgrade them to 8.1 Pro for which I have purchased 3 Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Pack PC Card Keys.

Did you upgrade?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
I see, sorry no, I have not used the Pro upgrade keys. I just purchased them. I figured I would do that last. As it made no sense to upgrade one to Pro, then try to use that Pro Image, when I would have to type in each key to upgrade the other 2 laptops anyway.

So I have only imaged the stock Lenovo Win 8.1 on the 2nd Laptop. If that has no issues, I will do the 3rd Laptop with that same image. Then I will apply the Pro upgrade key to each laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
I'm confused too. Thought you said you bought 3 keys. The option two using slmgr should work.

Upgrade them to 8.1 Pro for which I have purchased 3 Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Pack PC Card Keys.

Did you upgrade?

I see, sorry no, I have not used the Pro upgrade keys. I just purchased them. I figured I would do that last. As it made no sense to upgrade one to Pro, then try to use that Pro Image, when I would have to type in each key to upgrade the other 2 laptops anyway.

So I have only imaged the stock Lenovo Win 8.1 on the 2nd Laptop. If that has no issues, I will do the 3rd Laptop with that same image. Then I will apply the Pro upgrade key to each laptop.

Ahhh, I was thinking you went through the whole process of upgrading the first machine to the finished way you wanted and were using that image on the other two. Not so confused now. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
With Windows 8/8.1 the product code on OEM PC's with Windows 8.x preinstalled, is embedded in the BIOS. It will not be listed on the COA sticker or visible in the BIOS settings menu. That's normal, just so you know. It's not displayed on the System Page either, all you'll see there is the PID, which is not the product code. If these are identical PC's, hardware wise, and the PID's are different, that would indicate (to me) that they are using different product codes.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
It all seemed to work out, this is what I did, pretty easy really:

3 Lenovo Laptops with Win 8.1 with Lenovo OneKey Backup software being the key.
Turn on Laptop #1, keep the other two off until ready.
1) Uninstalled trialware/bloatware - not that much stuff really
2) Install stuff I wanted on the laptops
3) Do Windows Updates, system clean up, defrag HD
4) Backup image using OneKey utility
5) Apply Win 8.1 Pro Key

Turn on Laptop #2 to go directly to Restore Mode. Never even booted into Win 8.1 on this PC. Don't know if that really matters but its what I did.
1) Restored image
2) Reboot
3) Apply Win 8.1 Pro Key
4) Repeat for Laptop #2

Everything seems happy and functioning normal.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro
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