Activating XP if I can't find my product key

[Guest]

Hi all. Several years ago I bought two copies of XP Home w/SP1 for computers
that I built for myself and my wife. Over the past weekend I had to reload
both machines for various reasons. I could only find one of the CDs, and one
of the product keys, so I went ahead and used the same CD and product key to
reload both. I found the second CD later, but the little piece of cellophane
with the second 25-character key is nowhere to be found--through a move, a
baby, and many life changes, it was a miracle enough to find the CDs! But
since it worked, I didn't think anything else about it (I thought I heard
somewhere they weren't worrying about activation anymore anyway?), installed
SP2 and all the upgrades, and we went on our merry way.

So yesterday, when I installed some DVD-ROM software on my wife's machine,
XP yelled at me saying that I needed to re-activate because I changed
hardware (which I *hadn't* since the initial activation Sunday) and that I
had to use a new product key. So now I'm stuck. I can't find the second
product key, it says it won't let me use the first one again, and the clock's
ticking. I can't use a utility to extract the product key on my wife's
because I used the same CD and product key on both machines, so I'm not sure
what to do. And I really don't want to have to spend well over $100 on
something *that I already have*, which is XP Home.

Has my losing that tiny piece of paper doomed me to spend money on another
license, or is there a way to get around this?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Lewis Gregory
Richmond, VA

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How to replace lost, broken, or missing Microsoft software or hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-us

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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:

| Hi all. Several years ago I bought two copies of XP Home w/SP1 for computers
| that I built for myself and my wife. Over the past weekend I had to reload
| both machines for various reasons. I could only find one of the CDs, and one
| of the product keys, so I went ahead and used the same CD and product key to
| reload both. I found the second CD later, but the little piece of cellophane
| with the second 25-character key is nowhere to be found--through a move, a
| baby, and many life changes, it was a miracle enough to find the CDs! But
| since it worked, I didn't think anything else about it (I thought I heard
| somewhere they weren't worrying about activation anymore anyway?), installed
| SP2 and all the upgrades, and we went on our merry way.
|
| So yesterday, when I installed some DVD-ROM software on my wife's machine,
| XP yelled at me saying that I needed to re-activate because I changed
| hardware (which I *hadn't* since the initial activation Sunday) and that I
| had to use a new product key. So now I'm stuck. I can't find the second
| product key, it says it won't let me use the first one again, and the clock's
| ticking. I can't use a utility to extract the product key on my wife's
| because I used the same CD and product key on both machines, so I'm not sure
| what to do. And I really don't want to have to spend well over $100 on
| something *that I already have*, which is XP Home.
|
| Has my losing that tiny piece of paper doomed me to spend money on another
| license, or is there a way to get around this?
|
| Thanks for any help you can provide.
|
| Lewis Gregory
| Richmond, VA

 

[Guest]

Wow, thanks for the fast response. Of course, finding proof of purchase for
something that I bought a good 3 1/2 years ago might be a bit tough...may
well be easier to tear the office apart looking for that piece of cellophane.
:/ Maybe if I took a picture of me waving around my two XP CDs or
something...

If worse comes to worse and I do have to purchase another license, would an
"upgrade" package/license work or would I have to spend the $150+ on a full
XP Home install? Seems pretty ridiculous if it'd require a full version, but
that's neither here nor there. I could've sworn I read something a while
back about MS not worrying about activation anymore, but maybe that was for
OEM copies, and these were both purchased from Newegg when I built our
matching systems.

Guess that'll teach me to write this stuff down.

 

[Larry Samuels]

Not worrying about activation? It is being enforced more strictly than ever
on all versions.

An upgrade version will not work if you ever have to do a clean install--it
will ask you for the qualifying previous version during install.

PS: you were supposed to stick those cd keys on the computers. That way they
don't get lost <G>


--
Larry Samuels Associate Expert
MS-MVP (2001-2005)
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm
Expert Zone-

 

[Guest]

I know, I know, lesson learned. I called Microsoft tonight and after a
bit of a phone runaround, explained the situation to a customer service rep
and they set me up with a new product key, so all ends well.

 

[Larry Samuels]

Glad to hear all worked out well!

--
Larry Samuels Associate Expert
MS-MVP (2001-2005)
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm
Expert Zone-

 

[Michael A. Covington]

Not worrying about activation? It is being enforced more strictly than
ever on all versions.

An upgrade version will not work if you ever have to do a clean
install--it will ask you for the qualifying previous version during
install.

But it doesn't ask you for the product key of the previous version. I just
recently reinstalled an upgrade version, and since I didn't have the
previous Windows CD handy, I gave it an old Windows NT 4.0 CD to look at.
It was happy with it. I did not have to type in the Windows NT 4.0 product
key. (If indeed it even had one.)

 

[Larry Samuels]

True--it only needs to verify the media.

--
Larry Samuels Associate Expert
MS-MVP (2001-2005)
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm
Expert Zone-