how to find key on legal xp discs.1 hope,1 xp pro,1 legal (unlicensed) xp pro. dont really know what that is for. ( 1 hand.- hard to type) have 2 desktops running xp pro.gateway, leveno, both 2g ram. have 2 more hard drives. need to find what goes with what want to build something with granddaughter. gatewayt is "built" with xp pro. lenovo came with it
There is a product key on the disk, but unless the disk is for an OEM system (Dell, Gateway, HP, etc), the key is generic & will not activate. Browse the CD for a file named UNATTEND.txt in the i386 folder. http://www.clickonf5.org/4589/how-t...
message edited by riider
The key is not in/on the disk. The disk contains a formula to determine if the key you enter is valid. That way they can make all the disks the same. Sometimes the keys on OEM stickers aren't used as the actual installs are done en masse or from licensed distributers where the same key is used. The sticker just makes the installation legal even if its key isn't used. So you might try using keys from junked cases.
Or, if you're wanting to extract the key from a working system, there are utilities for that which I think Johnw linked to.
message edited by DAVEINCAPS
"Or, if you're wanting to extract the key from a working system"
Yep, I went by the op's specs.
Specs: Windows XP, intel p2/ 2gigs-both
hanks for replying. i,m not sure i,m asking the question right. what i need to do is put the cd in, and get the key code out. all are legal, but im afraid windows will make me authorize, and both devices are already authorized xp pro. thanks for the pc audit. it gives more than balarc
so. A; what will happen if i put either the pro disk in, or the home one in? lastley- my son gave me an unlicensed disc from micrsoft that has a product key on it. what can i do with that if i have keycodes?
As I mentioned above, there's no key on the disk so you can't extract it. When doing an install you enter the key as part of the process. Setup should tell you if the key you enter is valid but it of course doesn't know if that key has been used before. After the install MS gives you a certain amount of time to contact them to verify the key you enter hasn't been used before.
Also on the page you enter the key during setup I think you can bypass that and not even enter the key. But again MS only gives you a certain amount of time to enter a key and contact them.
They've dropped XP support but I assume that's still the way they do it.
There is a product key on the disk, but unless the disk is for an OEM system (Dell, Gateway, HP, etc), the key is generic & will not activate. Browse the CD for a file named UNATTEND.txt in the i386 folder. http://www.clickonf5.org/4589/how-t...
message edited by riider
WEIRD! 0n 2 discs the key activated. 1 did not. 2 machines i386 reads UNAT.txt-the other UNATTEN.txt. Just sayin. Thanks again.
I got a notice that here were windows XP updates that I had not installed. I downloaded them and installed them, now I have a continuous popup informing me that windows in no longer valid. That's odd as I have used this windows version for many many years and have never had this issue.
According to a Microsoft web page provided through the popup, the only solution is to purchase a new computer from or through Microsoft. The word "blackmail" comes to my mind when I get guidance like that.
Is there a way to simply remove the popup and continue using my Win XP as I have been doing , up until I loaded the last of the 'official' windows updates?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
"Is there a way to simply remove the popup and continue using my Win XP as I have been doing , up until I loaded the last of the 'official' windows updates?"
Just keep going, eventually the popup stops.