where is product key stored?

[dwc]

I have an XP Home machine that is not booting (it's my
father inlaw's and he has lost the CD). Is there a way
to get the product key from the recovery console command
prompt? Is it stored somewhere?

I have a friend that will loan me his XP Home CD, but I
don't want to use his key. How can I get the product key
I used when I built this system? Thanks.

 

[Gary Tsang]

Hi,

To find out what your Windows XP key is on your computer you can download
this utility:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/ViewKeyXP.htm
or an alternative that does the same job from Magical Jelly bean.
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

If you're unable to boot in to your Windows, see if you can boot into safe
mode.
To get into safe mode, tap the F8 key after the BIOS's POST screen.
A menu will then come up asking if you would like to boot into Windows Safe
Mode.

 

[dwc]

Can't get into the GUI at all. I've done Safe Mode boots
and it hits Mup.sys, then reboots...over and over. I
went to the Recovery console and disabled that service,
but then it rebooted on the one that was before mup.sys
which is ndis.sys.

 

[cimex]

You will not need your product key to perform a repair install, or whatever
you have planned. Just make sure that your friend's disk is of the same type
as your father's. If you bought full-retail XP for the system, then that's
the disk you should borrow, not an upgrade, rescue or OEM disk. It will then
be the identical disk as the missing one. MS just associates a hardware
configuration with the product key in activating XP. If you are not changing
the hardware, all you need is to get your dad's machine running again.

Then, be sure to copy (not rip) your friend's CD (this is not a violation of
the EULA) as a backup. And, get the computer to tell you its Product Key:

You can find the Product key with any of these:

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/ViewKeyXP.exe

http://www.aida32.hu/aida-download.php?bit=32

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

 

[dwc]

Thakns. I thought I read somewhere that I would have to
have the key. My father-inlaws PC has XP I THINK it's
pre-SP1. The CD I borrowed is XP SP1. Neither were OEM
or anything like that. Thanks for tips and the links.

 

[cimex]

Actually, if you end up having to clean-install XP (hope not!), you will
have to reactivate, but you will have 30 days, and will be able to "ask the
machine" for the key.