HELP...lost product ID

[Dezeree]

Hi.....My whole computer crashed..so I had to restore it
to its factory default..I need to have xp pro and office
pro on my computer for school...but I lost the product
IDs...what can I do?? My university won't give me another
office or windows xp disk and I have a paper and
presentation that needs turned in on monday..and I can't
open them or edit it...so does anyone know what I do if I
lose my product id?? Please help!

 

[Bill Gates]

You will find that the serial numbers of a genuine copy of
xp are on a label on the case of the pc.

If you have a recovery disc, this should sort out the
number for you.

You dont need another disc from your uni just a number as
the uni will be licenced for multi pc's. But not your home
pc. only ones on site.

I think you are talking about your home pc
If you have got a pirate copy....your in the sh1t.( see
the bloke you got it from)

The sticker with xp serial WILL BE on your pc case or you
have a pirate copy.

Also bad news, if you have recovered your drive to factory
settings you've lost all your work. unless you have a back
up disc...
Your work is lost...go up the pub.

joking aside look on the case...it will be there. but you
have lost your work unless you got backups.
Hope this helps....

Bill
..

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi.....My whole computer crashed..so I had to restore it
to its factory default..I need to have xp pro and office
pro on my computer for school...but I lost the product
IDs...what can I do?? My university won't give me another
office or windows xp disk and I have a paper and
presentation that needs turned in on monday..and I can't
open them or edit it...so does anyone know what I do if I
lose my product id?? Please help!

The Windows 25-character Product Key (required to perform the
installation) is stored on the CD packaging on a bright orange sticker
that says "Do not lose this number." If it was an OEM (factory
installed) license, it's stored on a label that the PC manufacturer
affixed to the exterior of the PC case, or on the bottom of a laptop.

To recover a lost Product Key:

If your system still runs, you should be able to use Belarc
Advisor from http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html to find the
Product Key. (If you have a factory-installed OEM license, and
haven't since reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is probably
of the drive image used at the factory and not your specific Product
Key; therefore, it probably cannot be -- and definitely should not
be -- used for a re-installation.)

If it was a retail license and you have proof of purchase:

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;326246

If it was an OEM license, you should contact the computer's
manufacturer; although very few manufacturers/vendors keep records of
the Product Keys they've sold, it's worth a try before you have to buy
a new license.

--

Bruce Chambers

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count on having both at once. - RAH

 

[Vanguardx]

My university won't give me another
office or windows xp disk ...

Wow, a school that gives away software that they had to pay for. Not
likely. If they "loaned" you a license then you'll have to get the
install media and product key from them. But they how did YOU ever
manage to get the software installed without the product key in the
first place, you know, the bright orange sticker that is on the jewel
case, CD wallet, paper sleeve, or whatever the install media came in?
Threw it away? Well, back to school again to beg with them. Sounds
suspiciously like you stole the software, been using it for awhile, and
now after a system recovery the school won't "give" you the software.

If you are unwilling to pay for the software which you use on your
computer for your work then get something free, like OpenOffice.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Actually, many schools are subscribed to programs that allow them to
distribute Windows, Office, or Visual Studios to their students for free.
The student gets a copy of the install disks, and has to send for a Product
Key through a secure web site. Obviously, this student (assuming this is a
student) did not save the email with PK on it, and the school is usually on
a "one to a customer" rule, nor can they assist with lost PK's. It's still
the user's fault for not properly caring for this data, but the
circumstances are a bit different.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Harry Ohrn]

It sounds like you have restored your computer so have an operating system
running, is that correct? You just need a way to open your presentation to
edit it, right? But you don't have Office XP or MS Word to work with. If
this is so then download OpenOffice. It is free but 50MB d/l so you need a
fast connection. It will open MS Word documents, edit them and save them
again as MS documents http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.2/index.html

 

[Michael Pardee]

As others have pointed out, any documents you didn't have
backed up to floppies, USB drives, Zip disks or whatever
are in serious jeopardy. They may be recoverable with
third party software - available at computer stores or
office product superstores - but that's not something to
rely on.

For using XP and Office XP until you get this
straightened out, your fastest way is to find a computer
you can use in the meantime. If you don't have a friend
or friend-of-a-friend you can lean on, you may be able to
rent one for a week. My daughter's university has a study
area with properly configured computers - maybe yours has
one, too. You might have to wait in line and the hours
are not what you'd choose, but you have your hat in hand
now.

Mike

 

[Vanguardx]

Actually, many schools are subscribed to programs that allow them to
distribute Windows, Office, or Visual Studios to their students for
free. The student gets a copy of the install disks, and has to send
for a Product Key through a secure web site. Obviously, this student
(assuming this is a student) did not save the email with PK on it,
and the school is usually on a "one to a customer" rule, nor can they
assist with lost PK's. It's still the user's fault for not properly
caring for this data, but the circumstances are a bit different.

It was my understanding that the schools still had to track the licenses
(i.e., they don't get permission to distribute an unlimited number of
licenses). However, in this case, it appears the license tracking is
being done by Microsoft.

What seems peculiar is that this "student" could not get another product
key using the scheme you mentioned. Since it was a restore (which was
probably a disk image to "restore to factory default"). I would doubt
that every CD dispensed by the school is encoded with a unique key for
just that CD. They're probably all the same CDs for all students that
get them. So why wouldn't a fresh install of Office on a fresh install
of Windows allow the user to get a new product key? After all, it could
be a new computer you bought, you wiped the old one, and you're putting
Office on the new computer. Of course, the OP never did mention what
happened when they tried to get a new product key (not from school who
apparently refused but when using the secure web site).

With a little time as there remains for this highly critical document
needed by Monday, the OP better head to the library (if still open) and
see if they have Office installed for him to open the files, or use some
other program that can read and update his Office files.

A Sharpie permanent marker and writing the product key on the CD sure
helps prevent from losing it. If you lose the CD, too, then the problem
won't be about not having the product key but instead about not having
the *product*.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Yes, the schools still need to track the licenses they distribute as far as
I know. The CD's are generally a burned copy, they are not tied to any one
specific product key. At a guess, I'd say this student is no longer in a
class or program that qualifies him/her for the student copy (I know the
college I attend distributes VS only to comp tech students, and Office only
to CIS students), so he/she is now on his/her own. I agree that the library
will be their best bet at this point. At any rate, this dilemma has arised
solely due to the lack of foresite on the part of the user.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org