recover xp cd key

[emenelton]

I bought xp home. I have it installed on my computer and registered with microsoft. Of course I missplaced the cd key number and I would like to find the number in my computer.
This seems to be a more difficult problem than it should be. Every other version of windows, you can find it in a few different places, but not XP. The product activation code is readily avaible, but not the CD intall key. Help Anyone?
Thank-you

 

[vdalian]

my suggestion is that you download kazaa
and then download windows xp for free
u could even find a program that has the code u need


peace

 

[Martin]

Problem is, many warezed CD-keys will block out certain features of XP, such as upgrading service packs, which have a serial number restriction in place.

 

[emenelton]

I really want to recover the cd key I already paid for and registered with microsoft, really. I read about a proggie on one site, but thats no longer availible due to pressure from micosoft, that would recover the cd key from an xp install. You would think that with the need to activate through microsoft, that they wouldn't have to also bury the install key in such a manner. Thank-you for your reply, how-ever.

 

[emenelton]

I used vdalians link and got kazaa. I found the xp key recover program. I think it recovered the cd key on my xp home install, but I'm not sure. It might have actually only generated a usable key, it seems to be a grey area. It's called xp key recoverer and discoverer.

 

[ikellen]

The discussion of warez is a whole 'nother topic, but if you bought XP, the CD key should be on the CD case, i think. If you really want to find it, go start->run and type "regedit" then browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsft\Windows\CurrentVersion and there should be an entry called "ProductKey" and I believe that is your XP CD-Key. Please note that I tested this on a 98SE machine, but I believe it should work the same way in XP.

 

[anton]

Strange thing - only 2 of these worked for me...

 

[ikellen]

Posting XP CD-Keys isn't the greatest idea, but if it helps someone out, so be it