Lost product key for Windows XP OS

Steevo1

Help!!
I've replaced the hard drive in my laptop and planned to install Windows XP Home OS from the original CD, but I've lost the product key. Anyone know any ways around this??

LULUBELLE_2

Did the CD come with the PC? If so it'll be on the back of the case. Sometimes, it's on a sticker on the back of the CPU housing as well. I apologise if you've already tried this.

GlennTheBaker

Get in touch with Microsoft. If you have a genuine Windows XP CD they should provide you with the info you need.

Steevo1

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, its a bit more complicated than my original question made it seem because this OS on CD is one I bought to install on a previous laptop and never used in the end because i bought a new laptop with the OS pre-installed. This is the laptop that ive now replaced the hard drive on, and it does have a sticker with a product key, but as the OS was preinstalled I dont have the CD that goes with it, if that makes sense.
I suspect that i'm going to be looking at buying the OS again. !!!!!!.

LULUBELLE_2

Ring Microsoft, explain the problem to them - if you have the product key they can probably check to see if if it's already registered and as long as it isn't, or is to you, they'll probably send you a CD.

GlennTheBaker

If you have bought a genuine version of XP (which you obviously have), whether you've ever actually installed it or not, you should still be able to get a key from Microsoft. Have the CD in front of you when you call them as I suspect they will ask some questions about the actual disk to ensure that you really do have a genuine copy.

Best of luck.

Steevo1

Thanks Glenn, thats a good idea. As far as I know its genuine - i bought it off ebay but payed "genuine price" and it looks like an original hologrammed MS product. I'll give microsoft a try.

pchelpman

Try this.

Download Belarc from here .....

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Install it and run it on the computer running the software with the product key you need.

The result will be a profile of that computer AND everything that's on it. Software and hardware.

All licence keys should also be listed.

Best of luck.

John_Gray

If you just want the licence keys AND can mount the original hard disk on a PC (not necessarily boot from it), then try ProduKey. Download is 36 KB! But Belarc Advisor will gave the same information for the keys, and a whole lot more, provided you can boot from the disk, as PCHelpMan says...

John

ProduKey is a small utility that displays the ProductID and the CD-Key of MS-Office, Windows, and SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or for another operating system/computer - by using command-line options.

(my italics)

charlieheard

If you have a genuine copy of Windows, you can use the key off that as long as it hasn't been used before. Your problem is that you have two genuine copies and only one key... :rolleyes:

It's always been stuck on the case for me...

Tharweb

I may be reading this wrong, if so, I'm sorry...if you have a copy of XP on CD why can't you just use it with the product key on your laptop?

A similar thing happened to me recently. I bought a PC with preinstalled OS and no back up discs, you were prompted to make them yourself at first boot up.

After a few days use the hard drive failed and as I had opened the case to add more memory I voided the warranty.

I had a spare hard drive so installed this and attempted to reinstall the OS using the backup discs I had created...no joy.

Fortunately, I had a copy of Windows that came with my other PC. I used this CD along with the product key on the repaired PC and reinstalled the OS.