Re: Lost Registration Key

Black Wolf Standing <BlackWolfStanding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Hi,
First let me preface, I'm trying to help a relative and in no way am I
trying to circumvent MS's activation, EULA, or other copyright policies for
Windows XP.

Here's the problem:
My future sister in-law corrupted her OS on her computer. Before asking
anyone for help she tried to re-install Windows XP. During the installation
process, she found out that she had lost the Registration Key that came with
her HP Pavillion Laptop computer. So she called a friend who gave her a
registration key so that she could finish installing and activating the OS.
But it turns out that the registration key she got was a "bad" key and now
she can't update her system at MS Update.

This is where she called me. I told her, "Yup, that's a 'bad' key and she
needed to find her original key for her system."

My question: "Is there a legal way to retrieve the old key and get her
computer legal again?" The Old OS is gone, so there's no retrieving it from
there. Or is there a hidden back-up of the old OS that I might be able to
retrieve the number from if it's not corrupted too?

note: Don't reply with hacks. I could have found all the hacks I wanted to
get her system working. I just want to know of a legal way shy of buying
Windows XP again.

She needs to find the Product Key that came with her computer. On
most HP Laptops this is on a sitcker that is fastened to the bottom of
the laptop.

And she also needs to use the "System Recovery" disk that came with
her laptop, or the hidden "System Recovery" partition on the hard
drive. A different Windows XP disk will not work with her product
key.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Lost Registration Key
    ... she found out that she had lost the Registration Key that came with her HP Pavillion Laptop computer. ... Or is there a hidden back-up of the old OS that I might be able to retrieve the number from if it's not corrupted too? ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Lost Registration Key
    ... anyone for help she tried to re-install Windows XP. ... her HP Pavillion Laptop computer. ... "Is there a legal way to retrieve the old key and get her ... She needs to find the Product Key that came with her computer. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Please help!
    ... In a situation like this, the first rule would be to STOP IMMEDIATELY at the first sign of problems, remove the hard drive from the laptop and do the recovery on another system. ... Even booting Windows writes to the drive, but the reinstall using a manufacturers "recovery CD" normally wipes out even the partition and then repartitions and reformats, in the process causing catastrophic loss of everything that was present. ... Your friend's current plan ("His next suggestion is to remove the hard drive and using a USB drive, retrieve the files and save them ...
    (comp.sys.laptops)
  • Re: Windows XP registration
    ... There is no such thing as registration key. ... > my registration key does not match my Windows so I am unable to activate ... >>> enable my laptop connect to our network. ... >>> original disk so they used their own windowsxp as a temporary ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Legal Key
    ... I had Windows XP Media center on a laptop with the registration key and ... Now I have destroyed the Laptop. ... Windows XP media center on another computer and use my key and be legal ...
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