just bought a used IBM laptop with pirate WinXP

[Guest]

My question is:
Can I retrieve the original product key from MS by sending my hardware
information if it was activated before?

My situation is:
I just bought a use IBM laptop with WinXP Pro installed on it. Then when I
tried to update, it failed the activation process. The seller also had the
product key sticker removed from the back of the laptop, which I overlooked
when buying it.

Assuming that the original WinXP was activated on this laptop, is there
anyway I can retrieve the original product key from MS by sending the
hardware information?

 

[Roberto]

My question is:
Can I retrieve the original product key from MS by sending my hardware
information if it was activated before?

My situation is:
I just bought a use IBM laptop with WinXP Pro installed on it. Then when I
tried to update, it failed the activation process. The seller also had the
product key sticker removed from the back of the laptop, which I
overlooked
when buying it.

Assuming that the original WinXP was activated on this laptop, is there
anyway I can retrieve the original product key from MS by sending the
hardware information?

You might be better off contacting IBM, they surely would have all
the details of the Notebook

rgds
Roberto

 

[Malke]

My question is:
Can I retrieve the original product key from MS by sending my hardware
information if it was activated before?

My situation is:
I just bought a use IBM laptop with WinXP Pro installed on it. Then when I
tried to update, it failed the activation process. The seller also had the
product key sticker removed from the back of the laptop, which I
overlooked when buying it.

Assuming that the original WinXP was activated on this laptop, is there
anyway I can retrieve the original product key from MS by sending the
hardware information?

You can use a utility from Nirsoft to see the product key in use, but this
isn't going to do you any good. The product key you will see will be the
pirated one. You'll need to go buy a new version of XP. If you are thinking
you could retrieve the original product key that was preinstalled by IBM,
unless your laptop has a restore partition that will take the laptop back
to factory condition and you do this - no. To find out if the laptop has a
restore partition, start looking on Lenovo's tech support site for your
specific model laptop and/or give them a call.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Malke

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My question is:
Can I retrieve the original product key from MS by sending my hardware
information if it was activated before?

No, Microsoft doesn't keep any such records.

My situation is:
I just bought a use IBM laptop with WinXP Pro installed on it. Then when I
tried to update, it failed the activation process. The seller also had the
product key sticker removed from the back of the laptop, which I overlooked
when buying it.

Assuming that the original WinXP was activated on this laptop, is there
anyway I can retrieve the original product key from MS by sending the
hardware information?

No. And chances are awfully slim that IBM kept a record of which
Product Key shipped with each computer. Odds are, you'll have to
purchase a new WinXP license of your own, unless you can get
satisfaction from the individual who sold you the computer.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Frank]

Bruce Chambers wrote:
|| TBT wrote:
||| My question is:
||| Can I retrieve the original product key from MS by sending my
||| hardware information if it was activated before?
||
|| No, Microsoft doesn't keep any such records.
||
||| My situation is:
||| I just bought a use IBM laptop with WinXP Pro installed on it. Then
||| when I tried to update, it failed the activation process. The
||| seller also had the product key sticker removed from the back of
||| the laptop, which I overlooked when buying it.
|||
||| Assuming that the original WinXP was activated on this laptop, is
||| there anyway I can retrieve the original product key from MS by
||| sending the hardware information?
||
|| No. And chances are awfully slim that IBM kept a record of which
|| Product Key shipped with each computer. Odds are, you'll have to
|| purchase a new WinXP license of your own, unless you can get
|| satisfaction from the individual who sold you the computer.
|| --
||
|| Bruce Chambers
||
|| Help us help you:
||
||
||
|| They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
|| safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Just use Malke's advice. Reading your OP there is no need to
buy anything at this point.

<http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html>

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Before buying anything, why not ring MS to see if they can activate your
system for you. There could be many reasons why your system cannot
activate online. One reason could be that the key has already been
activated once on that same machine. Therefore, second time, you need
to pick up the phone and ring MS for it to be activated again. You have
nothing to lose by ringing MS!!

This is the price you pay for buying systems from unknown "dell-boys"!

hth