XP Product Key

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brucefl
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Brucefl

A friend of mine bought a new hard drive. He is not sure if he can find the
book or the disc.
Isn't there a way to search his registry to get the Key like you could on
other versions of windows?
Is it possible to copy the setup files from his old hd to the new one.
Reason for the new one is the old is about 15-18 gigs, not very big.
thanks
 
Brucefl said:
A friend of mine bought a new hard drive. He is not sure if he can
find the book or the disc.
Isn't there a way to search his registry to get the Key like you
could on other versions of windows?
Is it possible to copy the setup files from his old hd to the new one.
Reason for the new one is the old is about 15-18 gigs, not very big.
thanks
Click to expand...

Click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into the address box
if using the web based newsgroup.
Find Product Key [CD Key]
http://michaelstevenstech.com/ViewKeyXP.htm
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 
Brucefl said:
A friend of mine bought a new hard drive. He is not sure
if he can find the book or the disc.
Isn't there a way to search his registry to get the Key
like you could on other versions of windows?
Click to expand...

It sounds like your friend wants to install WinXP
on his new hard drive.
Is it possible to copy the setup files from his old hd to
the new one.
Click to expand...

Yes. Most hard drives come with a copy utility
that will do this. Otherwise, there are many
copy utilities available for a wide range of prices
from free to $60 and more.
Reason for the new one is the old is about 15-18 gigs,
not very big.
Click to expand...

Many people who "image" a hard drive, perhaps
to make periodic bootable backups (as I do)
use Symantec's Ghost or PowerQuest's Drive
Image (recently purchased by Symantec and
included in their latest Ghost 9.0). Using either
of these programs, one can copy the partition in
which the entire WinXP system resides to a
*primary* partition in the destination drive.
Assuming that the source and destination
partitions occupy the same (sequential) position
on both drives, you can tell the program to copy
the Master Boot Record as well, and the boot.ini
file at C:\boot.ini needn't be changed either.

The easiest way to boot up the new hard drive
containing the transferred OS for the first time
is to merely substitute the new hard drive for the
old one on the IDE ribbon cable at the same cable
position on the cable as the old hard drive and
press the Start button. The important thing is to
have the old WinXP invisible to the new WinXP
during that 1st boot-up or the new WinXP will set
some of its pointers to point back to files on the
old WinXP.

After the 1st boot-up of the new WinXP, the old WinXP
can be put in another position on the IDE cable or on
another IDE channel, and on subsequent boots of
the new WinXP, the old WinXP will be seen by the new
WinXP as just a "Local Disk" having a drive letter other
than "C:", and all the old WinXP's file structure will be
available for dragging 'n dropping or deleting or what-
ever you want.

If you learn the very simple syntax of the boot.ini file
and know how to adjust the boot sequence in the BIOS,
you can keep the old WinXP around as a disaster
recovery medium by mainaining on it a recent bootable
image of the new WinXP. But that's a topic for another
thread.

*TimDaniels*
 
Brucefl said:
A friend of mine bought a new hard drive. He is not sure if he can
find the book or the disc.
Isn't there a way to search his registry to get the Key like you
could on other versions of windows?
Is it possible to copy the setup files from his old hd to the new
one.
Reason for the new one is the old is about 15-18 gigs, not very big.
thanks
Click to expand...


The Windows 25-character Product Key (required to perform the
installation) is stored on the CD packaging on a bright orange sticker
that says "Do not lose this number." It is not on the installation CD
in any way, shape, or form. If it was an OEM (factory installed)
license, it's stored on a label that the PC manufacturer affixed to
the exterior of the PC case, or on the bottom of a laptop.

To recover a lost Product Key:

If your system still runs, you should be able to use Belarc
Advisor from http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html to find the
Product Key. (If you have a factory-installed OEM license, and
haven't since reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is probably
of the drive image used at the factory and not your specific Product
Key; therefore, it probably cannot be -- and definitely should not
be -- used for a re-installation.)

If it was a retail license and you have proof of purchase:

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;326246

If it was an OEM license, you should contact the computer's
manufacturer; although very few manufacturers/vendors keep records of
the Product Keys they've sold, it's worth a try before you have to buy
a new license.

--

Bruce Chambers

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