Microsoft OEM Partner Center

Microsoft System Builder Bypass Tool Download

With the introduction of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), a computer must be validated as genuine prior to receiving security patches from Windows Update. Windows must first be activated for the validation tool to run; however, most system builders do not activate computers on behalf of the end user. This poses a problem for system builders who want to sell systems pre-patched with updates but not enable automatic updates.

The System Builder Bypass tool (sbbypass.exe) will allow system builders to download and install critical updates on new PCs without the requirement to activate or validate.

Download the System Builder Bypass tool .zip 182 KB

Requirements and Usage

The System Builder Bypass tool is to be used to assist system builders with building a new PC, and thus requires sysprep to be running in factory mode. An internet connection is required to download critical updates.

Usage The tool can be used with the following operating systems:

Windows Vista (all editions)
Windows Server 2008 (all editions)
Windows XP (all editions)
Windows Server 2003 (all editions)

Running the tool Type "sbbypass.exe" at a command prompt on the computer that requires critical updates. You may use additional parameters, discussed below.

Note: If a reboot is required, you must manually reboot the machine and run the sbbypass tool again.

Common Usage Scenario Many system builders will run the tool by copying it to C:\sbbypass.exe and simply running it from a Command Line (either manually or as part of an automated process):

The tool will not run correctly without sysprep running on the computer:

Additional command line switches can be found by running sbbypass.exe /? from a command line.