What do you guy's do when......

[mudmanc4]

You have a legit XP cd, and the sticker was on the machine, but the machine was stolen ? I'm at the beginning of installing, where it say's it wants the key, now, if I could get the thing to go that one little step further, I could find the key from within the OS, there's several ways to do that.

So whadaya do ?

[pixiepistlz]

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/gepkeyfinder.html

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/findxpkey.htm

[mudmanc4]

Thanks pixie for the reply and the links Much appreciated.

The links however are to get the key from within a running windows installation.

There is another way, but for some reason, I dont get the proper key, what am I doing wrong, I have done this before and grabbed the key.

This is a legit way to get your own key, there's nothing illegal about getting your own key from within your own copy of windows. afak to date 

1) Insert Windows XP cd into an already good to go computer.

2) Exit Autorun

3) Open

[Roco]

Hey , correct me if I am wrong but all the windows CD's  are identical ,  the key is a ( not sure of the correct word here ) a logrithem ?,

derived from the CD code,  and any correct key works on any CD , even keygen ones , well untill you try to update on line ,

But I will check my XP disk later , got to dash now ( late again )

[mudmanc4]

Hey , correct me if I am wrong but all the windows CD's  are identical ,  the key is a ( not sure of the correct word here ) a logrithem ?,

derived from the CD code,  and any correct key works on any CD , even keygen ones , well untill you try to update on line ,

But I will check my XP disk later , got to dash now ( late again )

algorithm ?  and if that were true, Id'e b a happy man. But In some ways your correct , I don't know how, but I have heard something like that before.

[Roco]

So I am Late  not worth going now anyway ,

well I got intrigued with this one , thanks Mudmance 

I followed you destructions  ,( BTW I found "unattend.txt" by using search  pointed to my Cd drive )

it had

JJW..  ....,. etc  it looks like the key (5x5)  but not the key  I am running on,

BTW, it's XP pro and ligit,

I am following this with interest , this eve I might get chance to load up and try using the JJW .......... and see what happens on a old box,

[Buntz]

Just checked my XP computer. The ProductKey in the unattend.txt file is completely different then the one on the sticker that I use to activate windowsXP when I do a clean install. This is with a XP SP-2 disk. The computer has been upgraded to SP-3.

[Roco]

I found the same Buntz  and mine is on XP Sp3 ,

It's1AM UK , so no more checking for me today, but I will try the code found . and  use magic jelly bean Ver !  ,it allows lic key changes in XP , and warrns of not valed keys ,

out of curiosity Buntz whats the first 3  that you found in the " unattend.txt file ",

Mudmance is seeing WTH...............

I am seeing  JJW................

mine is from my original XP pro disk ,

BTW 75% of XP computers puters I have worked on are not legit on the licence key ,

most of the stickers had a win M.E licence on the outside  ,

maybe XP was that good , to fake ?, I guess history will tell on that ,

[Buntz]

My first three are RH6. This is on a original XP SP-2 System Builders-OEM disk [ for one computer use only ]  I brought from Newegg.com.

[mudmanc4]

Still workin on this one , i know it's been a while since Iv'e done it, and both of you proved that I'm not barkin up the wrong file, or did you lol, either way, there is a way to get the key w/o those other programs, I'm close.

[starship_troopers]

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

maybe that will help??

[Roco]

I can now confirm the #'s in the unattend.txt folder on the CD are not a working license.key ,

just tried it on my spare computer , AKA "sitting duck",  , it just gets used for tryouts of software and hardware ,

magic jellybean  Key finder was good  in it's original V1-1.5  , it could change the existing license key ,

I notice v2 dosn't have that ability  it can only read the key

ver 1.5 is still out there though , but it takes some finding last time I looked

so what are  the 5x5 numbers on the CD   ,if they are not the key ?

[pepsiguy]

so what are the 5x5 numbers on the CD ,if they are not the key ?

Those numbers are the day the world ends and machines take over the world and bill gates brain is the commander of all devices running windows except vista cause its stupid.   

[mudmanc4]

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

maybe that will help??

Thanks everyone.

My next question is do any of these allow the visibility of the installation key before installation, such as viewing the disk content through a running machine ? This is what I need. What can you come up with, I know I'm not the only one that has had this problem, there's hundreds of us, so I'll post what we find out in the guides section, w/ references to whoever helps with resolving  it.

Those numbers are the day the world ends and machines take over the world and bill gates brain is the commander of all devices running windows except vista cause its stupid.   

:haha: Thanks for the laugh

[pepsiguy]

YOUR WELCOME ironically i am using a comp with VISTA.  :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

[mudmanc4]

YOUR WELCOME ironically i am using a comp with VISTA.  :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

I have one of those as well, Im wondering if "7" will be an upgrade, or if I have to re install? I know that the clean install will always outweigh an upgrade.

Whats your experience ?

[Roco]

Those numbers are the day the world ends and machines take over the world and bill gates brain is the commander of all devices running windows except vista cause its stupid.   

:2funny:, , and there I was thinking the number was 42

I  think the found tools  cannot lift the Key from the disk , The numbers on  the  CD , may have some connection but are not the key

in the sense of using to activate  the installation ,but might be part of the computer polling check , , and have a math conection,

But I have found one XP cd , will except all keys inputed legal or not ( Keygen)  , but a random 5x5 inputed fails every time , 

It's kinda like running a Upgrade XP CD on a clean hard drive  , it asks for a previous Win O/s disk to be placed in th cd drive ,

I can only guess it is checking the licence key from that CD ,as the XP upgrade CD is the compete win XP , 

It's all a mystery to me  , but I can remeber years back being told the key is not on the CD  but gets generated during the installation,

and must match a certain group of 5x5  key numbers supplied by MS

although I have come accross a Xp key generator that wll without fail provide1000's of working keys , but they  all fail MS validation ,

if trying updates from MS , it will trigger a warning spash screen  each reboot 

just my thoughts and probably wrong ,they often are 

[coknuck]

So I take it nothing has worked so far?

[mudmanc4]

So I take it nothing has worked so far?

The thread may have inadvertently swayed from it's original intent. (no surprise here ) 

I'm looking for a way to locate the installation key from the OS installation disk. I know it's scrambled by encryption and in binary blah blah blah, but there has to be a way to find it, it's in there, if I can find where it is , then I can start to decrypt it, once again, there's nothing illegal about locating your own key, n your own disk, afaik, assuming the truth that I own the disk ( although MS specifically states somewhere that we don't even own the damn thing ) anyway.

[Roco]

http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2006/07/18/how_to_find_windows_product_key_on_windows_xp_cd/

The fact is that for any given version of a Windows CD, the CDs are all the same. The key to unlock the CD is not stored anywhere on the CD. If it were, each CD would have to be slight different, - it's not quite a manufacturing nightmare, but it's at least a bad dream.

http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_find_the_windows_cd_key_from_the_cd.html

I guess you pays yer money and takes your choise  on this 

[zalternate]

So my product key sticker on the box and product key in the mobo are different.

It's an OEM version of XP.

Used BelArc Advisor and magic jelly bean.

[Roco]

So my product key sticker on the box and product key in the mobo are different.

It's an OEM version of XP.

Used BelArc Advisor and magic jelly bean.

majic jellybean should show the correct Key , indeed I have used that key to reinstall XP on other folks legit crippled computers ,

I just read the key on the CD is a development key used by Microsoft developers working on the original  XP ,

and being in TXT is not used in the XP install

Beyond that "I know Nothing " apart from keeping ligit keys on paper in a non computer enviroment ,

LOL along with the title to my house ,  I sure aint going to pay Bill G twice ,

[mudmanc4]

http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2006/07/18/how_to_find_windows_product_key_on_windows_xp_cd/

The fact is that for any given version of a Windows CD, the CDs are all the same. The key to unlock the CD is not stored anywhere on the CD. If it were, each CD would have to be slight different, - it's not quite a manufacturing nightmare, but it's at least a bad dream.

http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_find_the_windows_cd_key_from_the_cd.html

I guess you pays yer money and takes your choise  on this 

If that were true , then you could enter anything in the key code area when installing, which we all know is untrue, but this does raise a question or two now doesn't it.

[Roco]

Bro , I think we are entering Hacker zone here , and I have nothing to add ,

good luck on your quest for the key , maybe you should try phoning Microsoft ,?

the may not have heard the tale of the lost key ,

done and out from Roco

[mudmanc4]

Bro , I think we are entering Hacker zone here , and I have nothing to add ,

good luck on your quest for the key , maybe you should try phoning Microsoft ,?

the may not have heard the tale of the lost key ,

done and out from Roco

No, nothing of the sort of hacker and I'm curious where you got that idea, if you don't know the answer, thats fine, but please don't make those accusations. It's simple, when you buy the CD, you get the KEY< THIS MEANS THAT YOU CAN INSTALL THE SOFTWARE, THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT LOOKING FOR YOUR KEY.Geeze

There's all these software versions that make it possible to get the key when the OS s installed, I'm looking for a way to get the key BEFORE it's installed, remember , I PAID FOR IT. And what then would be the difference between looking for the key from all the other ways. Nothing.

I already have it anyhow.