Install XP without a product key
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“Microsoft’s new Windows Product Activation presents support techs with all sorts of new challenges, including the need to have a valid product key to install, or reinstall, Windows XP on workstations. But what do you do if you can’t find the CD with the original key that matches the machine you’re working on? You can discover the key using ViewKeyXP…. If you try to reinstall Windows XP and don’t have your original product key or CD, you can’t simply borrow one from another workstation. Normally, you’d have to obtain a new product key, meaning a new purchase of Windows XP. Naturally, you don’t want to do that because you already have a copy of XP - you’re just missing the valid key that goes with your workstation. That’s where ViewKeyXP comes in handy.”
14 Comments
Dennis Newsome
February 11th, 2007
at 4:05am
I brought a computer that has xp on it and I have nothing but trouble when trying to download any microsoft produts
Marc Erickson
February 12th, 2007
at 2:54pm
Call a competent computer technician.
Texrat
May 13th, 2007
at 8:02pm
Article title is misleading– it doesn’t say “How to recover product key”.
I have a legitimate Win XP CD to install, but the product key itself is missing. I was hoping to find a solution…
Marc Erickson
May 14th, 2007
at 2:19pm
If you’ve formatted the drive you’re out of luck unless there’s a sticker on the computer somewhere (once in a while some oddball puts it on the INSIDE of the computer case) or you can find the packaging the CD came in (depending on whether you have an OEM or retail CD). An OEM CD will have something like ‘Only to be distributed with a new PC’ on the label somewhere.
Spence
May 14th, 2007
at 7:38pm
just use the phone selection, especially if ur reinstalling it due to a hard drive crash or just wanna install it on a different computer. youll get an automated voice but it rarely ever works so get a rep then theyll ask you questions about if youve installed it to a different computer or if its ur first time if you dont mind lying to them you can install it to multiple computers.
Mr Smith
June 10th, 2007
at 6:18pm
I have heard of people who managed to fool microsofts telephone operators into giving them a new key. Explain that you did it all by accident and with any luck they will just give you a new one because they are stupid!
Good Luck
Jimmy Joe Gymbags
September 7th, 2007
at 9:13pm
I have read and seen this tutorial a million times from many different sites and it doesn’t help.
My computer no fails to complete booting up, but just keeps restarting. So using is not an option.
I have a legit CD and product key, that fails to work.
Gawd I am starting to hate Microsoft!
JJG
Nauti Boi
September 25th, 2007
at 12:16am
Well the best way i’ve found to get your product key back is to use a software that can retrieve it for you. Produkey works quite well and can also retrieve MS Office product key as well.
Amod
October 5th, 2007
at 7:36am
If you have a windows installation CD and don’t have its Product key then all you have to do is search for ‘unattend.txt’ file in the ‘I386′ folder.
The product key should be in there.
Good luck.
jl
October 22nd, 2007
at 6:55pm
AMOD you dumb @SS that’s an example of key code not the actual.
jeremy
January 4th, 2008
at 6:15pm
the problem i got is i rebooted my other laptop to factory settngs now when i put the product key in, one of the butons dont work makeing it useless email me please to help
Rapsi
March 27th, 2008
at 8:17pm
i have genuine xp but wen i install now during activation it is asking to enter the new product key or else it is working as a 30 day trial version.
Anil
April 2nd, 2008
at 8:46am
I have product cd code but not working what to do now?
MArk
October 4th, 2008
at 8:13am
You can install Windows from the CD without the code if you restart and follow the prompts. you get 30 days grace but their are other programs that will disable this nasty feature.