xp cd key issue

elexes · 27 Jun 2007 at 14:01

right im in the middle of reinstalling a os and ive just notised i no longer have my little book with all my valid cd keys !!

arg

its on a hdd that came from another motherboard

is there any way i can see what cd key was used on that drive without booting off of it ?

DevilsAdvocate · 27 Jun 2007 at 14:08

Highly unlikely.

elexes · 27 Jun 2007 at 14:19

thats what im thinking . looks like its back to xp home or win2k for me

Meatball · 27 Jun 2007 at 15:44

You should have a COA on stuck on your PC case with your serial key on it, if your copy is legit that is

.

elexes · 27 Jun 2007 at 19:19

true if i bought a pc that came with pro installed but if i bought pro seperatly it wouldnt

Meatball · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:12

elexes said:
true if i bought a pc that came with pro installed but if i bought pro seperatly it wouldnt

No? When you purchase a Microsoft O/S you always receive a COA to put on your case. I've purchased my copy of XP Home and Vista HP x64 and got COA's (certificate of authenticity) with both, as you should.

snowdog · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:36

Meatball said:
No? When you purchase a Microsoft O/S you always receive a COA to put on your case. I've purchased my copy of XP Home and Vista HP x64 and got COA's (certificate of authenticity) with both, as you should.

I didnt, oem legal xp pro, no fancy stuff like COA.
Even if someone would get it though, why would you put it on your case? Would only make it ugly, I too would only place it in a booky or something.

Meatball · 27 Jun 2007 at 22:12

snowdog said:
I didnt, oem legal xp pro, no fancy stuff like COA.
Even if someone would get it though, why would you put it on your case? Would only make it ugly, I too would only place it in a booky or something.

All copies of Windows come with a COA, it's the only place your serial key is listed. It you got a copy of XP without a COA you wouldn't have a serial key :confused:

. I always stick the COA to my case on the side of my case at the bottom, keeps it safe and sound should I need to re-enter my key.

killer_uk · 27 Jun 2007 at 22:16

I've only ever had those stickers when I've bought an OEM copy. Retail versions, in my experience, don't have them. The key for the retail version of XP came on the back of a booklet thing.

Meatball · 27 Jun 2007 at 22:35

killer_uk said:
I've only ever had those stickers when I've bought an OEM copy. Retail versions, in my experience, don't have them. The key for the retail version of XP came on the back of a booklet thing.

I stand corrected then, I didn't realise retail came with the serial on the booklet

. back OT, the only way to retrieve your serial key is by finding the documentation that came with ** copy of Windows or your serial book I'm afraid

.

snowdog · 27 Jun 2007 at 22:46

Meatball said:
All copies of Windows come with a COA, it's the only place your serial key is listed. It you got a copy of XP without a COA you wouldn't have a serial key . I always stick the COA to my case on the side of my case at the bottom, keeps it safe and sound should I need to re-enter my key.

Ehhh?
The cd key is a on an orange sticker with the key and a barcode, the sticker is inside the kind of sleeve/booklet the whole thing came in.
But not any certificate sticker or whatever, like you see on those branded pc's.

Burnsy2023 · 28 Jun 2007 at 00:50

All OEM copies of Windows should have the COA attached to the case, its a license requirement

Burnsy

chaparral · 28 Jun 2007 at 01:34

burnsy2023 said:
All OEM copies of Windows should have the COA attached to the case, its a license requirement

Burnsy

What about if you don't use a PC case ??? What the license requirement then

richardbirks · 29 Jun 2007 at 22:13

The license key is stored encrypted in the registry - always an idea to take a copy if you've lost the magic sticker, COA, booklet with yellow sticker etc and you're about to rebuild.

Plenty of third party utilities out there to extract license keys from the registry in readable form... keyfinder (find it on softpedia) is one if I remember correctly.

--
Richard
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