Where can I find my serial number (in XP Home or on the CD install) ???

[kuluk]

Hi buddies,

Let me tell you a funny story.
I bought a COMPAQ laptop with winXP Home edition. All they give me with that in a CD "Recovery process" but you have to lauch it from windows with "quickrestore". The problem is I have formatted my hard disk to clean it, hoping to install a version of win2K. But that is not possible !!! Compaq has locked my laptop, they call it "designed for windowsXP".

I am on a boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico...with internet access.
The solution I found is to borrow a CD install of XP Home of one of my collegue, but he left his product key at home ! With MY key, it doesn't work ! So...

Where can I find (on his laptop or on his CD install) his windows XP Home product key ?

Thanks to help a sailor in a big trouble, so I can run my CD recovery process !!!

[Big Booger]

With his CD key you will not be allowed to activate it, thus what is the point of installing it, that is if he has already activated his copy, AFAIK. BUt to answer your question:
Run regedit and go to: HKey_Local_MachineSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents, on the right double click on "oobetimer" and it might be located there... I not 100% sure about it though.

It might also be located on the CD itself in the winnt.sif file located in the I386 folder... but I am not 100% sure about that either.

If anyone knows for sure I would be interested in this, if it is not illegal.
BB

[Tinker]

After the Lap top sees the XP disk remove it and pop in the Win 2K disk, see if you can trick the Lap top...... I hope this would not be illegal.........

[phishhead]

DO NOT USE THE XP KEY GEN...it is only for xp pro and will not work with home...plus if you use your buddies then what happens when you try to register will it kick you out saying that it is used or will it screw him up when trying to update...not sure.

[phishhead]

I stand corrected I thought it was for the corp xp and office xp corp.

[Reverend]

Guys please read the Forum Rules #2

Thanks.

[SupaStar]

Originally posted by Reverend
Guys please read the Forum Rules #2

Thanks.

Yah...good point.


BTW - I havn't yet seen a keygen that actually generates keys. Usually they just cycle through a list of keys that work.

In the end the non-corporate products can't be activated with these keys anyway! So there's no point!

Unless of course this so called keygen actually generates keys. And these generated keys are unique.

Disclaimer - Of course I don't condone any of the above as this would be illegal.

[phishhead]

kuluk

if you still need help pm one of the senior members this thread is being closed.

[zErO]

Originally posted by Big Booger
With his CD key you will not be allowed to activate it, thus what is the point of installing it, that is if he has already activated his copy, AFAIK. BUt to answer your question:
Run regedit and go to: HKey_Local_MachineSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents, on the right double click on "oobetimer" and it might be located there... I not 100% sure about it though.

It might also be located on the CD itself in the winnt.sif file located in the I386 folder... but I am not 100% sure about that either.

If anyone knows for sure I would be interested in this, if it is not illegal.
BB

B.B found an answer for you about find xp product key, and if it can be found in your sys files or cd contents

Windows XP converts the product key to the system's product ID. Exposing this product ID opens security concerns around the product ID generation process and the security of the product key. Therefore, that is why you should make sure you keep track of all product keys you use.