Annoyances.org
Home » Windows XP Discussion Forum » Message 1208265489 Search | Help | Home
  
re: Lost XP Home Product Key
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 6:18 am
Windows XP Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Dan Sarandrea, MCSE (6610 messages posted)


As Andrew posted, if the installation of XP done with that particular CD is still 
installed, there are free downloadable programs that will extract the 25-character 
Product Key.  Google for Magical Jellybean Keyfinder.

If this is a legitimate legal installation of XP that was done by the computer manufacturer, 
either a major brand name or the shop down the street, you should have a Certificate 
of Authenticity (CoA) affixed to the computer's case or if a laptop, usually the 
bottom.  That CoA will tell you what version and edition of Windows is licensed to 
run on that computer, and it will have the Product Key printed on it.  This is called 
an OEM license.

If this is a legitimate legal installation of XP that was done with a copy you purchased 
in a store in a fancy retail box, then you should also have a CoA, but it will be 
on the retail box rather than on the machine, and it will not have the Product Key 
printed on it.  Inside the retail box is the CD-holder folder, and on the back of 
that is a yellow-orange label which has the Product Key printed on it.  This is called 
a retail license.

Microsoft will help you if you purchased a retail software license.  If you purchased 
OEM, they will have you contact the OEM to help you.



Written in response to:
Lost XP Home Product Key (Clarthom: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:39 am)

There are presently no replies to this message.

All messages in this thread [show all]
-Lost XP Home Product Key (Clarthom: Tue, Apr 15, 2008, 2:39 am)
-re: Lost XP Home Product Key (MartinM: Tue, Apr 15, 2008, 3:40 am)
*re: Lost XP Home Product Key (Andrew: Tue, Apr 15, 2008, 6:05 am)
*re: Lost XP Home Product Key (Dan Sarandrea, MCSE: Tue, Apr 15, 2008, 6:18 am)
*re: Lost XP Home Product Key (Clarthom: Tue, Apr 15, 2008, 11:01 pm)
Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum

All content at Annoyances.org is Copyright © 1995-2008 Creative Elementtm All rights reserved.
Please do not plagiarize; redistributing these pages without permission is strictly prohibited.