Lost my disc

[Guest]

My XP disc is missing and I am trying to re-install. Can I get my original
activation number from Microsoft? I have the outside skin to the box, with
the certificate of authenticity, but there is no suitable number on it
(upgrade edition, bought in Canada, back when XP came out). I bought another
new PC with XP, because I had an awful crash. Now I am trying to revive the
old machine - it should still be useful. I got a disc with the new machine,
so I would not need media.

P.S. There are a few changes in XP since the good old days. My old machine
was set for classic in all ways, and looked much like 98SE, but working much
much better. I find the new machine has a lot of that blue and green look at
startup and shutdown that I never had before. Also, the login in the new
machine does not look like the old one.

 

[T. Waters]

1. Old Machine
Does it work? What was the "awful crash"? Did you replace the hard
drive? If the old hard drive works and the data is intact, the activation
Key can be found on it.
2. New Disk
The disk you got with the new machine is not an Upgrade disk. Even if
you were to find your activation Key, you still need the Upgrade disk in
order to have a successful activation.
3. Classic Style
You can bring back the "good old days" again by opting for Classic
Style. That is still an available option.

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

My XP disc is missing and I am trying to re-install. Can I get my
original activation number from Microsoft? I have the outside skin
to the box, with the certificate of authenticity, but there is no
suitable number on it (upgrade edition, bought in Canada, back when
XP came out). I bought another new PC with XP, because I had an
awful crash. Now I am trying to revive the old machine - it should
still be useful. I got a disc with the new machine, so I would not
need media.

Sorry to disillusion you but you most certainly would. You have an OEM disc
which is only useable on the system with which it was supplied. In addition
installation keys are type-specific; a retail key *cannot* be used with an
OEM disc and vice versa.

P.S. There are a few changes in XP since the good old days. My old
machine was set for classic in all ways, and looked much like 98SE,
but working much much better. I find the new machine has a lot of
that blue and green look at startup and shutdown that I never had
before. Also, the login in the new machine does not look like the
old one.

If the old system really /did/ have Windows XP, then you would have had to
set it to classic settings - what you're seeing now is how Windows XP looks
by default.

 

[Guest]

ive a question about all this, where does one find the activation key,
windows keeps asking me for a key to verify cept i dont remember what i did
with it, been a long time, thanks

 

[T. Waters]

The activation key (Product Key) is either on a label on the outside of your
computer case or on an orange label on the folder in which XP came. It has
25 characters. The key is stored on the hard drive once you have input the
key for the first time. You can find out the key on your hard drive by
running::
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

[Bruce Chambers]

ive a question about all this, where does one find the activation key,
windows keeps asking me for a key to verify cept i dont remember what i did
with it, been a long time, thanks

installation) is stored on the CD packaging on a bright orange sticker
that says "Do not lose this number." It is not on the installation CD
in any way, shape, or form. 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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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

I lost the contents of the drive. Windows went totally screwy - it could not
identify any file types, including EXE files. I made a back up of the drive
on my new machine by pulling the drive and moving it to the new one and back.
I then tried for DAYS to get the old one running before I formatted the
drive. I could still restore the old OS, but it is so screwed up. I was in
chat mode with an extremely helpful tech wizard for a couple of hours. He
said I'd probably have to re-install. So now I cannot find the disk. But
thanks to T. Waters, I now remember that green folder with the yellow
sticker. It's not around here, but I'll keep looking.

About the Classic mode - I have the desktop set for classic on the new
machine. I still get a blue-on-blue login and shutdown screen. On the old
machine, the login looked like Windows 2000, with the workgroup for the home
network. Now I get a flash of blue with blue stripes that says "Welcome to
Windows" or something like, and then the desktop. I have one user name (my
son and I both use it, no password).

 

[Guest]

PROBLEM SOLVED! But not in the way you'd think...

You mentioned the folder, which I'd forgotten about. THe folder was between
some computer books, right here. I was lookibg for a disc or a box!

Now I've got to get the network up again. We have a Powerbook G4 (which can
always find the network) and TWO pc's which can't find the woekgroup they
belong to! I think I can fix this one...

 

[Andrew Murray]

My XP disc is missing and I am trying to re-install. Can I get my
original
activation number from Microsoft? I have the outside skin to the box,
with
the certificate of authenticity, but there is no suitable number on it
(upgrade edition, bought in Canada, back when XP came out). I bought
another
new PC with XP, because I had an awful crash. Now I am trying to revive
the
old machine - it should still be useful. I got a disc with the new
machine,
so I would not need media.

P.S. There are a few changes in XP since the good old days. My old
machine
was set for classic in all ways, and looked much like 98SE, but working
much
much better. I find the new machine has a lot of that blue and green look
at
startup and shutdown that I never had before. Also, the login in the new
machine does not look like the old one.

You can change the GUI to look more like Windows 2000/Windows 9x
Right click Start > Customise and go from there.

To change the look completely, it's done through Rightclick Desktop >
Properties, Appearance, then choose "Classic" from the Themes list.

To make the dialogue logon come up, that's done through User
Accounts/settings in Control Panel. Go to the option "change the way users
log on", and set it for the "classic" look.

That way you'll get the familiar Win2000-like logon box rather than the XP
welcome screen.

 

[Andrew Murray]

activation key vs CD-key are two different things - the CD key is what you
need to install Windows; the activation key is given over the phone
after/during activation.