How do I find the product key on the hd?

[Novice2000]

If the sticker on the side of the computer, with the product key, has been peeled off and lost, how do I find the product key of the currently installed os, on the hd itself?

 

[Celegorm]

What os are you using? That outside sticker was the one and only physical copy of the key. However depending on your OS, there are tools to retrieve the key from within the OS.

 

[scroter6]

/troll in

Well, it is technically not legal to have the Windows OS installed on any computer without a physical license.

However, you may be in luck - meaning if you have a branded machine from the last 6 years or so (dell, HP, compaq ect...) then you may be able to use the manufacturer's keycode. This keycode is the default one the OEM's use when building images for their machines. You can find it here :

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

or the wiki page :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Locked_Preinstallation

The next trick you could do, though I don't know if it works with any other manufacturers, but Dell I know it does. If you have the dell windows xp re-installation cd you can just pop that in, run through the prompts and it will not ask for a key code (it's embeded in the CD and checks the hardware for oem compliance).

--Scroter--

 

[Novice2000]

What os are you using? That outside sticker was the one and only physical copy of the key. However depending on your OS, there are tools to retrieve the key from within the OS.

I'm using Windows XP. Although I also have a computer with Windows XP Professional, that doesn't have a sticker either.

And thanks scroter, I'll check that out.

 

[ringtemek]

magical jellybean keyfinder

u can also do it through the registry but thats for advanced users

 

[Celegorm]

magical jellybean keyfinder

u can also do it through the registry but thats for advanced users

Beat me to it.

jellybean works great on XP. I've had limited success with it on vista but that's another story.