How to place Windows Product Key in the Rules on the MDT Properties?

Question

Hello,

I have a single MDT setup to support Windows 2016 Server imaging. I placed the Windows Product Key in the Rules section of the MDT Properties "ProductKey=XXXX-YYYY-ZZZZ-AAAA...". The real product key is not known here. It has been running fine until now I need to create a new Task Sequence to support W2019 Server imaging. I created a new W2019 Task Sequence to deploy W2019 to a computer. The deployment failed at "Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup]". I searched the Internet and it stated that this is due to an invalid Product Key in the Task Sequence.

1) How can I place a W2016 and a W2019 Product Key in the MDT Rules area so that I can image wither W2016 or W2019 server?

2) Is there a way to place a W2016 Product Key if I run the W2016 Task Sequence deployment and a W2019 Product Key if I run the W2019 Task Sequence deployment?

3) Is there a way to inject the W2016 Product Key or W2019 Product Key within the Task Sequence instead of putting the ProductKey in the Rule section in the MDT Properties?

Thanks,
Brandon.

Answer 1

Hi, @Brandon Ho

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A forum.

You may set the Product Key per Task Sequence in customsettings.ini, the customsettings.ini could be like:

[Settings] Priority=TaskSequenceID, Default

[Default]
xxx=xxx
xxx=xxx
xxx=xxx

[W2016]
ProductKey=XXXX-YYYY-ZZZZ-AAAA

[W2019]
ProductKey=EEEE-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD

For your reference:
https://www.deployvista.com/2010/05/24/settings-per-task-sequence-using-mdt-2010/
(Please Note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, just for your reference.)

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