Command line options for offline activation

Posts: 10 · ktp 17 Jan 2018, 07:28

Hello,

Is it possible to have a command line options to load product key (donation version) from a text file for offline activation, instead of manually pasting the product key? Example of use is to run FreeFileSync under WinPE environment where no Internet access is available.

Thank you.

Posts: 7212 · Zenju 17 Jan 2018, 08:52

What would be the benefit compared to pasting manually?

Posts: 10 · ktp 17 Jan 2018, 14:46

The advantage is convenience and speed. FreeFileSync is one of my preferred tool used in WinPE for rescue environment (for example to restore files and folders). I put my tools categorized and started with Pstart launcher ( http://www.pegtop.net/start/) . With the command line option, I can feed the command parameter to FreeFileSync (FFS) entry in Pstart menu then start FFS with Pstart with one click. Otherwise, I have to start FFS with Pstart, then use a filemanager (or Windows file explorer) to search for my text file containing the product key, open it with an editor or file viewer, copy the product key string to the clipboard, close the editor/viewer, close the file explorer, then paste clipboard content to FFS then launch FFS by clicking the Active Offline button.

For example another tool is Total Commander where the main configuration file wincmd.ini or the FTP configuration file wcx_ftp.ini could be provided on its command line: totalcmd64.exe /i=my_wincmd.ini /f=my_wcx_ftp.ini.

Posts: 7212 · Zenju 17 Jan 2018, 14:57

Activation is only needed once, so there wouldn't be much of a time saving. BTW FFS accepts alternate config files via command line: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=command-line

Posts: 10 · ktp 17 Jan 2018, 15:08

OK, I will verify this, because I had to do offline activation several times, usually after shutdown a WinPE session then start another.

Posts: 10 · ktp 17 Jan 2018, 15:27

OK, after quick investigation, I dropped my request.

Effectively the activation is done only once, the magic apparently relies on install.dat file that is updated after activation. But in WinPE environment, Portable FFS run in RAM disk packaged as other applications inside a WIM file, so the update to install.dat in RAM disk is lost after shutdown. In order to keep activation, the WIM file must be built after the activation occurred.

Thank you for your quick support.