XP Product Key on CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Huet Landry
  • Start date Start date
H

Huet Landry

I have a copy of XP Home that I had installed and
activated over a year ago. However, I uninstalled it due
to hardware problems. Now, I am trying to re-install it,
but cannot find the product key, and the company that I
bought it from is no longer in business.

All of the advice I've found assumes that I have XP
installed in order to find the key. Is it possible to
find the key on the CD?
 
Huet Landry said:
I have a copy of XP Home that I had installed and
activated over a year ago. However, I uninstalled it due
to hardware problems. Now, I am trying to re-install it,
but cannot find the product key, and the company that I
bought it from is no longer in business.

All of the advice I've found assumes that I have XP
installed in order to find the key. Is it possible to
find the key on the CD?
Click to expand...

Huet ,

The Product Activation Key is not on the CD.
It is only on the sticker on the package or you PC (if it was an OEM
supplied copy)

If you have lost your product activation key sticker (if it was an OEM copy)
then contact the OEM for support on this matter.
If it was a retail CD (big green cardboard box with a fold out with the
Product Activation Key on the back) then you can try and contact Microsoft
see
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326246
How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
The Windows XP Product Key is not stored on the CD.
It is a "key" and is used to unlock the CD. If you cannot
find your Product Key, you'll have to purchase a new copy
of Windows XP.

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];326246


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


| I have a copy of XP Home that I had installed and
| activated over a year ago. However, I uninstalled it due
| to hardware problems. Now, I am trying to re-install it,
| but cannot find the product key, and the company that I
| bought it from is no longer in business.
|
| All of the advice I've found assumes that I have XP
| installed in order to find the key. Is it possible to
| find the key on the CD?
 
Carey,

The OEM is no longer in business, and through a mixup
while fixing my PC, they switched the PC cover and failed
to return the product key sticker. By the time I noticed
this and wanted to re-install XP, they were out of
business.

The link you sent requires me to have the product key. I
had activated the product, so MSFT should have a record of
the activation. Would another OEM be able to fix this?

Huet
 
Mike,

The OEM is no longer in business, and through a mixup
while fixing my PC, they switched the PC cover and failed
to return the product key sticker. By the time I noticed
this and wanted to re-install XP, they were out of
business.

The link you sent requires me to have the product key. I
had activated the product, so MSFT should have a record of
the activation. Would another OEM be able to fix this?

Huet
 
OEM versions of Windows XP are not supported by
Microsoft. Only "retail versions" of Windows XP are
supported by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot issue you
a replacement Product Key for an OEM version.... only
if it were a "retail version".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


| Mike,
|
| The OEM is no longer in business, and through a mixup
| while fixing my PC, they switched the PC cover and failed
| to return the product key sticker. By the time I noticed
| this and wanted to re-install XP, they were out of
| business.
|
| The link you sent requires me to have the product key. I
| had activated the product, so MSFT should have a record of
| the activation. Would another OEM be able to fix this?
|
| Huet
| >-----Original Message-----
| >| >> I have a copy of XP Home that I had installed and
| >> activated over a year ago. However, I uninstalled it
| due
| >> to hardware problems. Now, I am trying to re-install
| it,
| >> but cannot find the product key, and the company that I
| >> bought it from is no longer in business.
| >>
| >> All of the advice I've found assumes that I have XP
| >> installed in order to find the key. Is it possible to
| >> find the key on the CD?
| >
| >Huet ,
| >
| >The Product Activation Key is not on the CD.
| >It is only on the sticker on the package or you PC (if it
| was an OEM
| >supplied copy)
| >
| >If you have lost your product activation key sticker (if
| it was an OEM copy)
| >then contact the OEM for support on this matter.
| >If it was a retail CD (big green cardboard box with a
| fold out with the
| >Product Activation Key on the back) then you can try and
| contact Microsoft
| >see
| >http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326246
| >How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft
| Software or Hardware
| >--
| >Regards,
| >
| >Mike
| >--
| >Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]
| >
| >This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
| confers no
| >rights
| >
| >Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions,
| please use these
| >newsgroups
| >
| >| >> I have a copy of XP Home that I had installed and
| >> activated over a year ago. However, I uninstalled it
| due
| >> to hardware problems. Now, I am trying to re-install
| it,
| >> but cannot find the product key, and the company that I
| >> bought it from is no longer in business.
| >>
| >> All of the advice I've found assumes that I have XP
| >> installed in order to find the key. Is it possible to
| >> find the key on the CD?
| >
| >
| >.
| >
 
Huet,

If your OEM is no longer in business then unfortunately you have no one to
turn to for support or a replacement Product Activation Key.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
I appreciate your quick responses, but I still don't
understand why Microsoft cannot reactivate a product that
was previously activated legally. It seems to me that you
would have a record of the activation. The MS site seems
to recognize me by the email address that I used for the
activation ([email protected]), but it won't let me
submit my request for help without a product key.
According to the knowledge base, I'm owed two free
consults after activation.

I'd even be willing to pay the $35 consulting fee or some
similar key replacement fee if I could get some indication
that someone could resolve the problem. However, I'm not
willing to pay someone simply to have them tell me to buy
a new copy of the software.

Since I have the original CD and MS seems to recognize the
previous activation, why can't I get either a new key or a
new CD with a key? Shareware software is supported better
than this!
 
Huet said:
Carey,

The OEM is no longer in business, and through a mixup
while fixing my PC, they switched the PC cover and failed
to return the product key sticker. By the time I noticed
this and wanted to re-install XP, they were out of
business.

The link you sent requires me to have the product key. I
had activated the product, so MSFT should have a record of
the activation. Would another OEM be able to fix this?

Huet
Click to expand...

No, sorry.
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
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