If your version of Windows was installed using using a retail Windows CD, then you can use a utility such as Magical Jellybean Keyfinder to find your product key. Note that although such utilities will show a product key for preinstalled OEM versions of Windows, that key will NOT work to activate your re-installation. If you have a preinstalled OEM version, you may not even need a product key if you use the reinstallation means provided by the manufacturer e.
How satisfied are you with this reply? Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. Thanks for your answer. I am a bit confused, I used a utility to find my product key but the key was different from the one one the side of my computer? Which one should I use? Is it safe to format my hard driv? In reply to jsknight's post on December 3, If you have a computer that came with Windows pre-installed, the "original equipment manufacturer" OEM almost certainly used a special generic product key that Microsoft allows the big OEMs to use in order to make and "pre-activate" their thousands of machines.
That key is what will be shown by a keyfinder utility The specific machine you bought has its own individual license, and that's what's on the sticker. If you reinstall Windows using a special "hidden partition" on the hard drive, you don't need to activate the computer at all. That method of restoring gets the computer back to the way it was when it first left the factory, i. On the other hand, if you reinstall Windows using a "generic OEM" CD one not specifically for your brand of computer , you need the product key from the sticker in order to activate.
The CD must be for the same version of Windows e. If you bought a new version of Windows, it will have come with its own product key, and that's what you should use, not the one of the sticker or the one used by the original manufacturer. It helps you determine whether your copy of Windows is genuine or not and whether your system has been used on more PCs that Microsoft Software License Terms allow or not. The following content will show you how to get them back from devices in different situations.
Which Windows product key checker should you choose? The most direct way to check whether the Windows product key you have used is legit or not is opening Settings app directly. Entered several tines to make sure there was no typo's. This is a longshot because you did not mention anything along these lines in your posts, but if you are using a product key produced after Microsoft released XP Pro SP3, it is possible that the product key was generated using the SP3-and-later algorithm and therefore might not be recognized by the XP Pro SP2 disc that you have.
If your product key happens to be one of these keys, and you are using an XP Pro SP2 installation disc, the programming on the installation disc knows nothing about this new algorithm so upon the key being entered during Setup, it rejects the key as invalid.
You can test this theory by making a new working installation disc by slipstreaming XP's SP3 into your SP2 installation files.
I tried several times and even had a second person type in the key. Same result. Yes the disks are fully Microsoft hologrammed. I paid for the email version of Microsoft "technical help" via email. After about a month of trouble shooting and trying different fixes, Microsoft said they were unable to repair. The first disk got lost in the mail and a replacement was sent, then the first showed up- that's how I have two disks.
Both keys return the invalid key error. What does that mean? They should work, since Microsoft sent the disks and asked me to use them for an reinstall. The operating system is chosen accordingly. For heavy jobs, the second option is preferable as the bit version gives better and larger memory. The user can enjoy the options of Windows XP Home and professional product keys.
To use the most appropriate Windows XP product key the following steps are recommended. It is not a tough task to replace the product key after installing it on the system. The process involves the following steps:.
If the product key is not correct then there is nothing to worry about. Follow a few steps and see the things happening. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Techdee is all in one business and technology blog. We provide latest and authentic news related to tech, marketing, gaming, business, and etc.
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