I have quite a problem. I have 2 computers and ones just screwed up big. Then I tried to reinstall windows xp thinking this will help... unfortunately it's asking me for my CD which I can’t find. Now that I'm reinstalling Windows XP, I can’t get out of the installation, every time I reboot I cant even press F8 to choose how to boot up. In my computers incapacitated state, is there any way I can retrieve my CD key from the computer and than use that again in the installation? Secondly, could I copy the windows product activation files, use my other computers CD-Key and then rewrite the WPA files? Thanks. Sponsored Link Ads by Google Response Number 1 Name: Sabertooth Date: January 8, 2005 at 15:30:38 Pacific Reply: If the installation needs a CD to continue, having just the CD-Key is not going to help you one bit.You need a CD to finish the installation!!!. ○ Before you criticize a bigger man, you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do, you're a mile away, and you have his shoes ○ 0 Response Number 2 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 16:02:36 Pacific Reply: ive got the CD, i used it as a boot disk to start the installation,... im just stuck at the CD-Key and probably have to use one of the two methods i mentioned earlier... 0 Response Number 3 Name: terii Date: January 8, 2005 at 16:33:04 Pacific Reply: This may sound simple, but is there not a sticker affixed prominently to the outside of your case? This sticker will have your CD key on it. You did put the sticker on when you loaded XP originally did you not? 0 Response Number 4 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 16:39:40 Pacific Reply: Hi stikes If you have FAT32 and not NTFS, you might be in luck... http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v15/vic15.htm At the bottom of the page is some info on how to retrieve the number in DOS, provided of course that you did not format your drive during re-installation. Good luck Krystyna 0 Response Number 5 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:00:15 Pacific Reply: yea... the case is there... not the CD key and its NTFS so i cant do that either.. thx anyway 0 Related Posts ntfs bootdisk no backslash key Install DAG's GPG key change cd key server 2003 install IIS without cd 2003 office 2000 cd key find cd key in registry windows 2000 cd key windows server 2000 cd key w2k key cd key word 2000 install without administrator rights sysprep cd key windows millenium edition cd key microsoft word 2000 CD key windows me cd key regedit cd key autocad 2000 cd key product id to product key 0210 stuck key See More Response Number 6 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:15:54 Pacific Reply: I've not tried this program, but might be worth a go... http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/System_Maintenance_and_Repair_Utilities/Registry_Viewer_for_Win9x_ME_NT_2K_XP.html 0 Response Number 7 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:20:23 Pacific Reply: Krystyna, how can i do that if i cant boot into windows or choose my boot menu...ill still have a look, thx 0 Response Number 8 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:22:34 Pacific Reply: Another idea... You can download a NTFS boot disk from here http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm It says it will allow you to VIEW files on your drives ( but only COPY to a FAT partition or a network drive ) The XP product key is contained in a file called C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\$WINNT$.INF Maybe you will be able to view the contents of the file if the NTFS bootdisk enables you to get to your hard drive ? Krystyna 0 Response Number 9 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:26:30 Pacific Reply: that really help helpful Krystyna, trying it now, im in the middle of creating a tweak guide and want to get opinions about it.. can i send a cpoy to you... do u think ull understand it? 0 Response Number 10 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:29:47 Pacific Reply: Okay...send me a copy. I'don't think I'll have any trouble understanding it !!! Krystyna 0 Response Number 11 Name: Mark Hiett Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:43:13 Pacific Reply: You also stated that you have 2 pc's why not connect the drive to the other pc as a slave and try to navigate to the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\$WINNT$.INF file and extracting the key . Good Luck 0 Response Number 12 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 17:49:37 Pacific Reply: yea the floppy drive wont work so ill guess i have 2, Mark Hiett, ur a genius...... *stikes walks away slowly u want a copy 2 cos i need some feedbacK? 0 Response Number 13 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 18:02:48 Pacific Reply: Good one, Mark ! I'd never have thought of that ! LOL ! Krystyna 0 Response Number 14 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 19:25:22 Pacific Reply: yea ive got the hard drive hooked up and all now and have found the $WINNT$.INF, but theres no CD key inside? Is it hidden? Is it somewehere else? 0 Response Number 15 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 19:46:47 Pacific Reply: That's where the product key is supposed to be ! Maybe Magic Jelly Bean will work ? Download and put it on the slave drive, and run it from there. Download here... http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml 0 Response Number 16 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 19:54:02 Pacific Reply: that doesnt work, it reports the same cd key as the master... somehow ive gotta get the registry from the slave and copy the cd key portion to the master, switch cd keys so that both drives have the same cd key, use magic jelly bean to get the overwritten cd on master, install XP on the slave with that CD key and then change my master's cd key back to its original....... any ideas? 0 Response Number 17 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:01:38 Pacific Reply: This is a tip for installing W2K without a product key...maybe, just maybe it will work on XP. You can configure W2K to install without having to manually enter the CD key during the setup process. First, you want to copy your Windows 2000 setup files from your CD to your hard drive. You have to copy at least the I386 directory. Now go into the I386 directory you just copied onto your hard drive and look for a file called setupp.ini Right click it, select Properties, and remove the Read-only checkmark. Now open the file to edit it. Your setupp.ini file should read something like this: [Pid] ExtraData=6166656C736263737373B2574A0581 Pid=51873XXX Replace the 3 X's (generally it'll be three zeros) at the end with "270". It should now read something like this: [Pid] ExtraData=6166656C736263737373B2574A0581 Pid=51873270 0 Response Number 18 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:12:17 Pacific Reply: nah, i get an error about cant read from source file or disk, if u can understand my previous post that seems the way to go... copying the old registry into the new one... and then writing that CD key down for use on the old one, installing the old one with it and then changing the new one back to its original so that each windows xp has a different CD... shouldn't i be able to do that somehow? 0 Response Number 19 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:12:25 Pacific Reply: Maybe some help here ? http://asia.cnet.com/enterprise/apps/0,39035809,39133844,00.htm 0 Response Number 20 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:25:27 Pacific Reply: nah, whatabout my previous suggestions.. is it possible? 0 Response Number 21 Name: Sabertooth Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:29:12 Pacific Reply: Stikes, Scroll to the last few posts on this page and there is an 8 step solution to your situation.....;~) ○ Before you criticize a bigger man, you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do, you're a mile away, and you have his shoes ○ 0 Response Number 22 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 20:50:10 Pacific Reply: I just did a search on my W2K for any files that contained my product key. It found the key in C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\PIDGEN.DLL You can read the PIDGEN.DLL file with Notepad. 0 Response Number 23 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 21:09:11 Pacific Reply: im about to try what sabertooth suggested, but that pidgen.dll file is hard to copmhrehend butt i founda cd which im about 2 try 0 Response Number 24 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 21:15:35 Pacific Reply: PIDGEN.DLL is not a file that is readable, but amongst the jibberish at the top, the CD key is listed. Maybe this is the file where keyfinder programs retrieve the key from ? 0 Response Number 25 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 21:19:21 Pacific Reply: the keyfinder programs get the info from somwhere in the registry.. i got information about where the reg file is from sabertooths post - ill check that out and try it offline 4 a while - cya later 0 Response Number 26 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 22:28:35 Pacific Reply: IT FINALLY WORKS!!!!! Thanks heaps sabertooth and Krystyna. The 1-8 steps worked! Thanks guys 0 Response Number 27 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 22:40:44 Pacific Reply: Good work, stikes ! And nice find from Sabertooth for that link. Back to the PIDGEN.DLL file...was the key that was in that file the same as your original ? Krystyna 0 Response Number 28 Name: stikes Date: January 8, 2005 at 23:13:47 Pacific Reply: nah, that was just a model no. of something i think 0 Response Number 29 Name: Krystyna Date: January 8, 2005 at 23:34:38 Pacific Reply: Ah bugger...there goes my theory ! 0 Response Number 30 Name: Joe Christian Date: January 9, 2005 at 06:53:02 Pacific Reply: Note, I usually dont post other websites, but I hate to retype everything lol, this issue is covered in full with retrieving all keys from 95, 98, Me, XP, XP PRO, XP NTFS and so on lol.. :) Enjoy the material.. I hate to bug everyones posts lol, which all are great. Do not take offense but your solutions to your problem is here. http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v15/vic15.htm and you wont have any trouble you will want to download that bootdisk up above for ntfs if you havent already, that is if your using ntfs with xp. Good luck, and please email me if this helps out.. Sincerely, Joe Christian 0 Response Number 31 Name: PC Bob Date: January 9, 2005 at 09:44:44 Pacific Reply: Hi Joe Christian and everyone else. This sounded like a great utility to have around. You never know when you might need it. So, I went to the link for the personal computerr tutor, above and saved it to my Fav's. Then, I downloaded the link and the utility to find my XP key. It found it right away! Great! However, looking at my XP CD, it ain't the same! Did I miss something, or what! I always make sure to take good care of my CD, but this sort of scares me. Any input? Thanks. Bob 0 Response Number 32 Name: stikes Date: January 10, 2005 at 00:02:32 Pacific Reply: Joe Christian, the thing was i couldnt cancel the installation of windows and therofore couldnt use ANY boot disks which i tried.. i just got errors 0 Sponsored Link Ads by Google hijack this question can't get mic working Post Locked This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead. Go to Windows XP Forum Home Sponsored links Ads by Google Results for: CD Key - Installation Installing XP generates own CD Key? Summary: In demoing a group of new PCs for my workplace I automatically popped in the Windows XP SP1 CD that came with our Dell Optiplex GX270. I deleted the main partition and Dell's 30 meg recovery partitio... www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/installing-xp-generates-own-cd-key/67502.html CD key off CD not install Summary: I have some XP OEM CD's and I mixed them up on an install as I wrongly assumed the CD's had the keys on the back. I returned and took the cd keys off the computers and wrote them down. The computers w... www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/cd-key-off-cd-not-install/141543.html How to get the xp cd key? Summary: Hi, I'm Jameel, i have installed the original xp in my home system long back, i forgot the cd key, can i able to get the cd key from the installed machine. Pls do me the needful.. Jameel. 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