Lost my XP serial no

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Len Dolby (lsdolby_at_ignore.ntlwor.com)
Date: 03/05/04 

Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 17:49:02 -0000

Have PC mfr Product Recovery CD-Rom "for distribution with a
New PC only" with MS WindowsXP logo and hologram, with all the XP
installation menus - (appears to be a full XP system disk) - BUT have either
mislaid (or never had) - the XP 25 digit serial no which I will need
to re-install XP, as per MS Knowledgebase article. CD-Rom came in a
plain white sealed envelope, no serial no, no jewel case.

Ran Belarc Adviser. my XP software licence looks like
55288-OEM-0016466-33741 (format correct, numbers not - security!)
Assuming "dashes" count as characters, this is 23 characters long, not 25.

Is it possible to find my 25 digit XP product key from the HDD?
(PC is now > 2 years old, out of warranty - no mfr help any more).

Sincerely, LEN