I found again an old Windows 95 OSR2 original installation CD ROM (Greek edition), which I had lost for years (I remember I had paid some 10,000 Greek drachmas for it, at the time). I tried to install it on an old Toshiba Satellite, but alias! I forgot! I no more have the installation code, which was printed on the small original booklet accompanying the CD-ROM, at the time... Of course, I don't know where the booklet and the code is. Does anybody out there know if there is a way to find out what the installation code is? Or is my CD-ROM completely useless? Once again, I have to state that the disk is Microsoft genuine, well-paid at the time of purchase - I am not trying to cheat, and I support legal software...

Check your email.

Regardless of your intentions, 'cheating' is the only way (unless you can miraculously discover your original key). The disk doesn't contain the number as such, those licenses conform to an algorithm

I imagine you could have found one via Google in less time than it took to post this message

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!'... till you can find a rock

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... or just depend on the kindness of strangers

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!'... till you can find a rock

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Hi, Check your buddies. Any 98SE number will work.

Luck, Jim

'PIMed' again - it's Win95 (thanks for playing though)

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Do you still have any working hard drives that have that Win 95 version on them? If you do, you can connect the drive and boot Windows, and extract the Product Key from the installation, several ways. One way is to download the freeware utility Keyfinder off the web (by Jellybean software or similar) and run it.

I sent an OEM and retail key but haven't heard back. For 95 the product key and product ID are the same and show in System Properties so on a working system you don't need any special techniques to find it.

"For 95 the product key and product ID are the same and show in System Properties so on a working system you don't need any special techniques to find it."

I didn't use Win 95 much - I have a CD that was my brother's that he gave me when he got Win 95 OSR 2.x - I more or less went from Win 3.1 and Dos 6.2 to Win 98SE.
The one he gave me has both a Product ID he printed on it
xxxxx-xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxx
and a CD Key on a label that was originally on it
xxx-xxxxxxx.
They are not the same, but the xxx-xxxxxxx is the same for both.

I've seen the 3 + 7 (aaa-aaaaaaa) keys associated with some original 95a upgrade disks. I don't know if all 95 retail disks came that way but I doubt it. I know the OEM's don't. The only retail I have is still shrink wrapped and I'll probably sell it that way so I can't check. I think the 3 + 7 key is part of the xxxxx-aaa-aaaaaaa-xxxx product ID, where the 'a' series is the key.

I use a small dos program, Diag.exe, to extract the keys. It works for 95, 98 and ME. For 95 I noticed the key and ID are always the same, whether it's a retail or OEM system.

Many thanks DAVEINCAPS, jboy, JimPIM, Tubesandwires, for helping! I'll try the combinations that were sent to my e-mail. I' ll post again when I make the old CD work...

The CD I have is the original Retail Upgrade as far as I can determine.