Product Key problem

[Guest]

I upgraded XP with the Genunine Advantage kit, I received a CD in the mail
and the Product Key for the CD was sent to a Hotmail address that has now
expired, thus has been lost.

I want to reinstall Windows but have no key.

I have since been sent a new key from customer services and told to run the
Product Key update tool. This is fine for the software currently on my
machine but I need to reinstall. So will it work for the Genuine Advantage
CD that I have when I try and do a fresh install?

Can anyone help/advise?

Thanks.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I upgraded XP with the Genunine Advantage kit, I received a CD in
the mail and the Product Key for the CD was sent to a Hotmail
address that has now expired, thus has been lost.

I want to reinstall Windows but have no key.

I have since been sent a new key from customer services and told to
run the Product Key update tool. This is fine for the software
currently on my machine but I need to reinstall. So will it work
for the Genuine Advantage CD that I have when I try and do a fresh
install?

Can anyone help/advise?

Hotmail email addresses expire?
When'd that start happening?

Did you previously (already - on the current install) update the product
key?
Do you have a working key now - in other words - your machine is working?

Just use something like Belarc Advisor - http://www.belarc.com - or the
Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder -
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml - to obtain the key of the
installed OS. If it matches the key you have written down - then you should
have no problem... The CD itself (you install with) only matters in as far
as it is the same 'type' as the product key you have. So if it is a retail
CD - any legitimate retail product key will work...

 

[Guest]

Yes, at the moment Windows is working fine and the key is the same as the one
emailed to me by Microsoft. So, if I reinstall, using a legit CD (but
differerent to the one that installed the current version) the same key will
work?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Yes, at the moment Windows is working fine and the key is the same
as the one emailed to me by Microsoft. So, if I reinstall, using a
legit CD (but differerent to the one that installed the current
version) the same key will work?

The product key you have is likely retail - given the way you got it.

If you use ANY retail (unmodified retail) Windows XP (same flavor you have)
CD to install Windows at a later date - the product key you have should
allow it to install and activate. The product key is NOT attached to a
certain CD - but a type of CD.

That key will not work on OEM, upgrade, MSDN and other types of CDs given it
is a retail license product key.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

Hotmail email addresses expire?
When'd that start happening?

Did you previously (already - on the current install) update the product
key?
Do you have a working key now - in other words - your machine is working?

Just use something like Belarc Advisor - http://www.belarc.com - or the
Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder -
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml - to obtain the key of the
installed OS. If it matches the key you have written down - then you
should have no problem... The CD itself (you install with) only matters
in as far as it is the same 'type' as the product key you have. So if it
is a retail CD - any legitimate retail product key will work...

Hotmail addresses expire if you don't access them for some period of time.
It was 30 days, but I'm not sure what it is now.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

Yes, at the moment Windows is working fine and the key is the same as the
one
emailed to me by Microsoft. So, if I reinstall, using a legit CD (but
differerent to the one that installed the current version) the same key
will
work?

If the key was sent to an expired address how do you know the key is the
same as the one on the machine?

Keys are tied to the kind of installation. An OEM key will not work on a
retail CD.