So, my computer was acting up, and I didn't want to deal with it, so I reformated my PC, and started to reinstall WinXPPro. I then realized that my key was missing. It was on the back of the CD sleeve the first time I installed it, but it has magicly dissapeared. I think i put the CD into the wrong sleeve when putting it away, and have searched almost every paper CD sleeve in the house looking for a key on the back... to no Advil®.

So... I was wondering if there is a way to look up a product key... at all. I have the original holigraphic CD, and backed up the My Documents folder...

I also want a legal key, because SP2 is really nice, and doing things legally is even nicer. More nice. Yes.

hlpp lz thnx1!!!!

Windows and Microsoft products in general often come with a booklet. You can often find the key on the frontpage of the booklet.

There's programs around to let you get the CD key from Windows, but they only work after it's been entered. Which isn't much use.

You could try phoning up Microsoft and speaking nicely to them, but apart from that there's not much you can do. Microsoft have cracked down on most of the CD keys floating around the Internet.

Try calling microsoft and explaining what happened, maybe they'll give you a new one something. or ask you for proof of purchase or ask some info or something and get you your key (doubt the latter).

Yeah, calling Microsoft is probably the best option for a legal key. My father had to call them once when we lost the key for Microsoft Office, and they gave us a new one (I don't know all the specifics of that call though).

Meh... installed win98 instead. Now I'm having trouble with windows update.

Originally Posted by microsoft

Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page.

I'm not going to put XP on this machine, I'll probably get a new machine instead. But I'd still like to use winUpdate on this machine, hlp plz thnkx!

lol, today, most programs don't work on FAT32 partitions and Windows OS's that are before NT. And XP Professional SP2 is really cool (I use the same OS).
I'm an outlaw! My XP CD is a copy from a friend's CD and so is the ID (as all of my games lol). (Warez). What's the difference? If you don't use the computer at a company nobody cares about your ID or that somebody else uses it. You can alwais update it later by inserting the same CD and selecting Windows update. It will reinstall the whole OS and you won't lose any setting or program installed and it will ask for your ID again.

[Warez edit - FQuist]

lol, today, most programs don't work on FAT32 partitions and Windows OS's that are before NT.

*cough* Not true *cough*

Pretty much all programs available today still work on FAT32 (and even FAT16 or even worse worse: FAT12). And also most programs still work on older Windows versions, although you see 2000/XP and up requirments more and more these days.

I've got win98 and no problem running all major programs needed to have a fun internet expierence, and many tools and utilities.

To get the cd-key for your windows cd:

Go to the \i386\ floder in the cd, then find the file called 'UNATTEND.TXT'

open it and the cd-key will be at the bottom of the text file.

Good luck!

There is a CD-key there in the i386 folder on my laptop (came pre-installed), but it's not the right one. You could try it, but no guarantee of it working.

Oh, and Mircea? There are very few programs that actually care what filesystem they're running on. I have maybe 2 programs that actually care about filesystem, and that's because they're partition managers. The rest of the stuff here will quite happily run on FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HPFS, ext2, ext3, BeFS, ReiserFS or anything else as long as I can find a file system driver for it.

Also, most programs today will have minimum requirements of either Windows 98 (usually 98SE), or Windows 2000. I'd be very suprised if any modern games are designed to work under Windows NT. And looking at the software I've got, most of it will run happily on Win98/SE/ME/2k/XP/2k3.

Originally Posted by Mircea

lol, today, most programs don't work on FAT32 partitions and Windows OS's that are before NT. And XP Professional SP2 is really cool (I use the same OS).
I'm an outlaw! My XP CD is a copy from a friend's CD and so is the ID (as all of my games lol). (Warez). What's the difference? If you don't use the computer at a company nobody cares about your ID or that somebody else uses it. You can alwais update it later by inserting the same CD and selecting Windows update. It will reinstall the whole OS and you won't lose any setting or program installed and it will ask for your ID again.

[Warez edit - FQuist]

What in the name of God and his entire Heaven did I say that had to do with Warez??? Did I mention any software name except XP (maybe I did and I forgot but I don't think so). (Warez) I didn't post it here or give a link to some site or say something about any software.

Soon, the whole Jazz 2 forum is going to be FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez and nothing else.

[It may not be termed Warez, but any references to how to get illegal software or how to get software working illegally are edited out on this forum. - FQuist]

Originally Posted by Mircea

What in the name of God and his entire Heaven did I say that had to do with Warez??? Did I mention any software name except XP (maybe I did and I forgot but I don't think so). (Warez) I didn't post it here or give a link to some site or say something about any software.

You said that he could (warez), which would then result in both you and him pirating XP. Which is warez.

Soon, the whole Jazz 2 forum is going to be FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez FQuist edit - Warez and nothing else.

Sorry FQuist, but it's too late for you. Derby's currently in the lead for the public edits category: "Derby edit: warez" "Derby edit: censor bypass" "Derby edit: previous quotation clearance" "Derby edit: Derby" "Derby edit: personal attack" "Derby edit: inapproiate content" "Derby edit: spam".
Besides, I'd rather people got edited (me included) than j2o/jcf got shut down by the hosts.

[Although not meant to be, still a reference to how to get the CD key in this topic, and edited for that reason. Still not as much edits as Derby, though.. - FQuist]

Derby: Previous quotation clearance.

Well ... I can see 2 things from this:
1) Tom and Jerry - FQuist and Warez
2) Game: Player 1: FQuist - Player 2: Derby - Mission: Destroy as many little men with a "Warez" label on them as you can. First player to destroy 30 little men wins.

Hey guys, this is a tech forum. Keep the crap out, Fquist and Derby do alot for the community and devote so much time, the least you can do is keep silent.

About the CD key in the i386 folder, it should work. I had also lost mine, which I found by doing this procedure. It worked, and I wouldn't be talking to you if it didn't. Some of the really new windows installations may not work though, like if your cd has SP2 incorporated into it. Try it if you want to.

One more thing...
If you bought windows and cant get your key to work, I don't think it would be ilegal to use someone eleses key. You paid for it, so what difference does it make on whose key you use? Just a thought...

Originally Posted by Hybrid

One more thing...
If you bought windows and cant get your key to work, I don't think it would be ilegal to use someone eleses key. You paid for it, so what difference does it make on whose key you use? Just a thought...

Erm, you are then using someone else's license.

Well, if (warez) the key (warez) in the I386 folder (warez) doesn't work, you can (warez) use (warez) someone else's ID (warez). Nobody (warez) (warez) cares about (warez) your (warez) (warez) licence.

Hey, thanks for your help. Everything is working. Yeah.

`N0