Lost Product Key from existing installation

[Guest]

I am the original owner of a 3 yr old dell inspiron 2650 notebook that needs
to be recovered to "factory" settings because it is very slow and I have
never been able to successfully apply SP2. Unfortunately the Windows XP Home
product key on the bottom of the notebook has been partly torn away. Before I
attempt to run the recovery console from the Dell cd labeled "MS Windows XP
reinstallation ....", I want to make sure I will not get stuck if and when it
asks for the product key.
Is there a way to determine the product key from the current installation?

Note: I've been to Dell tech support and the guy in india says I won't need
the product key to but he also gave me a link to a document that shows how to
restore a saved registry instead of info on doing a recovery. Since he is in
India, and too far a way to slap if I get stuck in the middle of an install,
I figured I'd check with MS before being forced to install Linux rather than
purchase a new license for a product I already own.

Thanks in advance as I can already tell by the other posts that this will be
better than my 30 minute chat to a guy Dell India.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Try this program to find the PK:

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

--


Will Denny
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Kerry Brown]

I am the original owner of a 3 yr old dell inspiron 2650 notebook
that needs to be recovered to "factory" settings because it is very
slow and I have never been able to successfully apply SP2.
Unfortunately the Windows XP Home product key on the bottom of the
notebook has been partly torn away. Before I attempt to run the
recovery console from the Dell cd labeled "MS Windows XP
reinstallation ....", I want to make sure I will not get stuck if and
when it asks for the product key.
Is there a way to determine the product key from the current
installation?

Note: I've been to Dell tech support and the guy in india says I
won't need the product key to but he also gave me a link to a
document that shows how to restore a saved registry instead of info
on doing a recovery. Since he is in India, and too far a way to slap
if I get stuck in the middle of an install, I figured I'd check with
MS before being forced to install Linux rather than purchase a new
license for a product I already own.

Thanks in advance as I can already tell by the other posts that this
will be better than my 30 minute chat to a guy Dell India.

If you use the Dell recovery process you won't need the key and won't need
activation. If you use a program to get the key it will find a key that Dell
uses for all factory installs and not the key that is for your computer. If
you use this key manually it will probably cause an activation event and
fail. If you install Windows manually from a Dell XP CD you must use the key
that came with your computer. The best route with Dell's if you don't have
the key is to backup whatever you can then perform a full restore to as new
condition via the Dell recovery CD's or hidden partition.

Kerry

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A Dell Reinstallation CD does not required a
Product Key.

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

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|I am the original owner of a 3 yr old dell inspiron 2650 notebook that needs
| to be recovered to "factory" settings because it is very slow and I have
| never been able to successfully apply SP2. Unfortunately the Windows XP Home
| product key on the bottom of the notebook has been partly torn away. Before I
| attempt to run the recovery console from the Dell cd labeled "MS Windows XP
| reinstallation ....", I want to make sure I will not get stuck if and when it
| asks for the product key.
| Is there a way to determine the product key from the current installation?
|
| Note: I've been to Dell tech support and the guy in india says I won't need
| the product key to but he also gave me a link to a document that shows how to
| restore a saved registry instead of info on doing a recovery. Since he is in
| India, and too far a way to slap if I get stuck in the middle of an install,
| I figured I'd check with MS before being forced to install Linux rather than
| purchase a new license for a product I already own.
|
| Thanks in advance as I can already tell by the other posts that this will be
| better than my 30 minute chat to a guy Dell India.