Need help finding my product ket within WinXP...

[Fierysonic]

I bought 2 copies of XP. I installed one and activated it. Now, I need to reinstall, but I'm not sure which copy I installed!! Obviously, I'll run into problems if I reinstall with the wrong product key. Where can I find the product key within Windows, if possible, so that I can know for sure which copy I installed??

 

[bacillus]

sorry for asking but shouldn't the unused copy still be in the sealed envelope?

 

[jfunk]

Obviously a loaded question, but it is possible that both were opened but only one used......possible......



j

 

[Fierysonic]

Well, if they came in sealed envelopes, but they didn't. They came in the retail folders. It is not obviously a loaded question. If I install XP with the wrong product ID on my machine and activate it, I will be screwed. Both copies will activated on the same computer!! I prefer not to waste my money that way. I'm am not pirating XP nor should I have to defend this question. Maybe I should believe Well's foretelling of Big Brother's invasion ... <GRIN>



BTW....I spent $200 on 2 copies of the dang thing.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Shouldnt it be in the registry? It was with most of the previous versions of Windows. Also, in Win9x, properties of "My Computer" I think shows the product key thingy. Sorry, thats the only copy of Windows I have in the building to look at.

And no, this does not appear to be a loaded question, or suspect at all. Well, not after I read the post.

 

[Mitzi]

Sounds like a very reasonable question to me. I do not know the answer to your question but perhaps you could give MS a call, expain the situation and see what they suggest.

 

[Saltin]

It's not stored in plaintext anywhere. It's not in the registery or any window. I'm pretty sure it gets hashed/encrypted and stored away somewhere you cannot read it. If you knew where to get a key in the reg, you could collect quite a few keys.