Windows 7 Image Build / Unattended Install Fails With Product Key Error

Symptoms of the Problem:
Windows 7 will encounter the error message below during and unattended installation or binary image with a prodcut key.

"The unattend answer file contains an invalid product key. Either remove the invalid product key or porvide a valid product in the unattend answer file to proceed with Windows installation."

Cause of the Problem:
An incompatible setting in the product key node from the unattend.txt template file ships with Swimage Encore 5.0.6.9. The bolded section below displays the problematic section.

    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UpgradeData>
                <Upgrade>false</Upgrade>
            </UpgradeData>
            <Display>
                <ColorDepth>16</ColorDepth>
                <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
                <RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
                <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
            </Display>
            <ComplianceCheck>
                <DisplayReport>OnError</DisplayReport>
            </ComplianceCheck>
            <UserData>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX</Key>
                </ProductKey>
            </UserData>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SetupUILanguage>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <DriverPaths>
            </DriverPaths>
        </component>
    </settings>

Methods to Resolve this Problem:
There are two methods of resolving this problem.

1. Modify the template file as well as the unattend.txt file from the Windows 7 OS(s).
   This problem will occur with either 32Bit or 64Bit Windows 7.
   1. Navigate to .\swimage\UnattendTemplates
   2. Open Unattend-Win7x86.txt
   3. Go to line 28 (<ProductKey>)
   4. Remove lines 28,29,30
   5. Save the file
   6. Navigate to .\Swimage\OS\"Windows 7 OS Name"\Unattend
   7. Repeat steps 2-5 for all applicable Windows 7 Operating System selections
      *These changes do not require a Distribution Point Update
2. Request the supported file from encoresupport@intrinsic.net

Affected Encore Versions:

• 5.0.6.9

Intrinsic has corrected this issue in all versions of Encore after 5.0.6.9.