How to find Product Key

[Allan Feifer]

How do I find out what the product keys are on several OEM
boxes in our office.

Allan in Marietta, GA

 

[Joseph Conway [MSFT]]

They should be listed on the top or back of the machine.

 

[Dave]

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

[Guest]

go>start\run and type in regidit and hit OK or enter on
your keyboard. Now navigate this route by clicking the +
sign beside the entries in the following order.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\WPA. There it is. Keep smiling.

 

[Jim Lee]

Something strange. I get 2 different keys by using this method or the
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml program.

Jim Lee

 

[CS]

Something strange. I get 2 different keys by using this method or the
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml program.

Jim Lee

Do you have MS Office installed or any Office component (Word, Excel,
Publisher, etc.) ? The program will display the Office key along
with the XP product key.

 

[Michael Stevens]

go>start\run and type in regidit and hit OK or enter on
your keyboard. Now navigate this route by clicking the +
sign beside the entries in the following order.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\WPA. There it is. Keep smiling.

That is not the CD key needed to complete setup. The CD key is not displayed
in regedit.
Click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into the address box
if using the web based newsgroup.
Find CD Key
http://michaelstevenstech.com/ViewKeyXP.htm
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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.
The Product Key is _not_ stored on, nor is it in any way extractable
from, the installation CD.

To recover a lost Product Key:

If your system still runs, you should be able to use AIDA32
Enterprise from http://www.aida32.hu/aida32.php 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 whomever sold you the
OS; 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

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Alex Nichol]

How do I find out what the product keys are on several OEM
boxes in our office.

If this is a set of OEM versions that *you* installed,
get the free Aida 32, enterprise edition from
http://www.aida32.hu/aida-download.php?bit=32
which is an excellent general System Info tool, and its Software -
Licenses page will tell you the one used for Windows and ones for
several other items.

Note however that if the machine came with XP installed, this will
probably give a key used in producing an original image, then cloned to
all machines they make. So it is not the one for a reinstall. But then
the key will be on a label on the case of the machine

 

[Alex Nichol]

go>start\run and type in regidit and hit OK or enter on
your keyboard. Now navigate this route by clicking the +
sign beside the entries in the following order.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\WPA. There it is.

Those do not give you the key for installing and activating Windows