W10P installation on Freedos laptop, pre-activation

[Michel19]

We are installing W10Pro on HP 450 G5 Freedos laptops.

But we would like to activate the windows online before you have to fill out the username. 

Pre-installed WIndows HP laptops have the windows key installed in the BIOS I have read. 

How can you solve this with Freedos models? 

So we don't have to finish the complete installation before you can activate it online?

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

I dont understand.

Have you bought a W10 OS and Licence from Microsoft or similar?

If so then enter the licence as you install.

If you are using something like...

Create Windows 10 installation media

To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows 10. You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below.

Download tool now

or

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

Then it is surely a retrospective action?

[WAWood]

@Michel19 

Basically -- you can't.  The HP OEM product key is only embedded into the firmware on those PCs where the OS comes preloaded.  Since yours did not, you have to activate the OS the same way anyone else would installing it to a new PC -- by manually doing the install and then, after that is done, the PC will automatically contact the MS Activation Servers and perform the activation.  You can not do this in advance of installation.

[Michel19]

We are a reseller of HP laptops, mainly Freedos.

We want to activate the Windows online, ship the laptop to our customers and they will have to add the username and settings.

Now we can only activate the Windows online when you do the full installations, settings and username.

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

You could try and get a (re-)seller licence from MS.  Your own OEM equivalent.

Ask the customer for a login name and use a default password, which they change.

Surely if you do the full install and provide an Image/USB/DVD for the end user, then when they use it a fresh username etc is requested.   And the Image is something desirable for the end client?

[iomare]

Hi,

You can insert the product key at installation and turn off the PC when the screen appears that asks for details. The next time you boot the PC it will go to OOBE screen and ask for user info and once connected to internet will automatically activate.

You could also try taking a look at Audit mode and Sysprep if you are installing and updating Windows for customers.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/boot-windows-to-audit-mode-or-...

Hope it helps,

David

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Excellent answer, so much better than my thoughts on slipstreaming that I dare not mention.