Reinstalling Windows XP Pro without product key

[Enrico]

Good day to all,
I've been called by a factory to repair a computer in with...there are too
many problems to resolve without formatting and reinstall the whole...

But there is a very big problem...

They have two old pc, with win xp home and with win xp pro.

The one with xp home has been destroyed by a thunderstorm...

The one with xp pro has many problems with lan/explorer and other various
errors...so I decided to reinstall win..

They have a cd, the original one, in with is written to be OEM, but the pc
has no label with the product key, and they have no code...

Well...

How can I retrive the product key??

The manufacturer of the pc is not known because the store no more exixts,
and pc was assembled by the store..

Many thanks. for support...

 

[smlunatick]

Good day to all,
I've been called by a factory to repair a computer in with...there are too
many problems to resolve without formatting and reinstall the whole...

But there is a very big problem...

They have two old pc, with win xp home and with win xp pro.

The one with xp home has been destroyed by a thunderstorm...

The one with xp pro has many problems with lan/explorer and other various
errors...so I decided to reinstall win..

They have a cd, the original one, in with is written to be OEM, but the pc
has no label with the product key, and they have no code...

Well...

How can I retrive the product key??

The manufacturer of the pc is not known because the store no more exixts,
and pc was assembled by the store..

Many thanks. for support...

Without the CD label or a working XP install, so that software like
Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder can find the "installed" key, you will
have to purchase a new install CD with the correct key. OEM keys are
handled directly by the company who assembles the PC originally.

 

[Leonard Grey]

The computer builder may have pre-installed the product key when they
built the install CD. Worth a try.

Otherwise, if you can boot into safe mode you can run one of the many
product key retrievers. One commonly mentioned here is Magic Jelly Bean:
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

 

[JS]

Here are four utilities, all of which will display your product keys:
Belarc Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
(It does a good job of providing a wealth of information.)
Also: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
and: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
and RockXP: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4138.html which has additional
features

As to if the key will work with an XP Retail or OEM CD is another problem.

 

[VanguardLH]

I've been called by a factory to repair a computer in with...there are too
many problems to resolve without formatting and reinstall the whole...

But there is a very big problem...

They have two old pc, with win xp home and with win xp pro.

The one with xp home has been destroyed by a thunderstorm...

The one with xp pro has many problems with lan/explorer and other various
errors...so I decided to reinstall win..

They have a cd, the original one, in with is written to be OEM, but the pc
has no label with the product key, and they have no code...

Well...

How can I retrive the product key??

The manufacturer of the pc is not known because the store no more exixts,
and pc was assembled by the store..

Many thanks. for support...

If you repair PCs as you claim then you already know that you are not
allowed to transfer an OEM version of Windows. Whether the computer is
destroyed by an electrical surge (of a thunderstorm), a fire, a sledge
hammer, a shotgun, stolen, thrown into the sun, or whatever, the OEM
license still sticks to the original computer on which it was installed.
If the host is destroyed, so is the license.

 

[art]

Hi , i ran into this problem... The product key is a Software problem, not
with the computer, so microsoft.com help should be able to help with a
override code.....
but help is not free anymore..... might be cheaper to buy a new disc......

 

[smlunatick]

Hi , i ran into this problem... The product key is a Software problem, not
with the computer, so microsoft.com  help should be able to help with a
override code.....
but help is not free anymore..... might be cheaper to buy a new disc.......

Microsoft is / will not ever be directly responsible for OEM version
of their software. It will be better, faster and easier to buy a new
XP install CD with the correct product key.