Two great tools that provide the info in great detail.
UPDATED: You need your Windows XP or Microsoft Office product key, but you have lost them. Well no fear:
Download SIW by Gabriel Topala
[Recommendation updated on Oct 2005, some comments below are deprecated.]
Just download it, run it, and it sees more than you will ever want to know about your system.
Older Recommendations
Some neat utilities to help you find stuff about your system:
- Aida32: http://www.sofotex.com/AIDA32-download_L9326.html
- Belarc Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
- Magic Jelly Bean: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
- Nirsoft: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
Good thing about these tools is they also find a lot of other details about your system.
28 Comments
An excellent utility that finds lost windows and office product keys is at http://www.product-key.com
I just finished scouring through my regedit, and found excatly what you’re talking about.
But FYI to anyone doing this on XP, it wasn’t called product key for me, but it was called ProductId
Bardia, the ProductKey is not the same as the 25 digit windows xp “id”. The products mentioned on this page will give you a different number, check them out. Useful thread btw.
is ther any way to find windows 95 or window s98 product key from a computer that wont load windows at all.i have several computers that i need to reinstall windows 95 and 98 but i dont have any product keys for them
Windows 95 & 98 are quite easy:
If your o/s is completely toasted:
Boot to DOS from a floppy or CD.
Edit C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT (might be hidden / system, so if you can’t see it then type “ATTRIB -RSH C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT”)
Search for:
ProductKey (For Windows 98, this is the alphanumeric one)
ProductID (For Windows 95)
Windows 95 keys are also very easy to make up:
aaaaa-oem-bbbbbbb-ccccc
a = datecode, ie 25297. you can put pretty much anything within reason here.
b = plant number – this needs to be a recognised value, ie 0018093
c = batch number – ie. 12345
Using the regedit to find the product key code does not give the correct number. I used the link to magicaljellybean.com and got the correct information for free. Thanks for the tip.
i have put in my windows 98 cd, and i am half way through the setup. Then, it asked me to enter in a windows product key number, but i have lost my booklet. could someone please give me the product key number so i can install windows 98???
Please please help me!
my friend installed the xp for his computer onto mine and we forgot to activiate windows in time. Now the trial period is over and we have no way of activiating windows because we dont have a product key and key finders cannot be used cos i cant get pass the activiation screen. is there another option apart from formating?
desperate for help
I have windows xp but its locked me out and ive lost my activation codes. anyway to try and get in to do what is suggested above???? thanks
I have to reinstall Microsoft suite 2000 (mainly for microsoft word 2000) and i no longer have the 25 digit key code. Is there any way i can find it or get one????? Thanks.
i have a copy of microsoft plus! for windows. and i do not have the product code. i dunno what happened to it and i have reformated my comp so i cant get it off there. can anyone help me? i cannot even use microsoft customer service without the product key. if you can help me please email me at Shortyg101@hotmail.com. thankyou guys so much
This entry is not about MS plus. It’s about Windows itself and Office XP. In general when you lose a code, the best idea is to contact either Microsoft or your vendor. Good luck.
Have updated the entry on Oct 17, 2005. The SIW utility by Gabriel Topala should show a lot of info about many applications. If MS Plus exposes this info through the registry, you should see that too. Good luck!
email me at my adress
i installed windows xp no problem enter product key and everything
went okay.I went to a friend and installed window xp my version on his compyuter got to the point when it asked me to enter product key but it said invalid whats up
thanks fred
thanks!!! i got my winXP product key with ease !!!
one more thing would it be possible to get from anyone a product key of windows ME. it was purchsed legally however a cousin of mine lost the key and he could not install the product at all. how can we retrieve the key for installation???
I had to buy a new hard drive and I installed windows 98 but I lost my product code. I have the windows xp home upgrade but it will not run until the 98 is in and I need a product code. Is there anything I can do?
i just got the home edition of xp in september /05 my other computer had a games video card on it,it was windows me,then it crashed i had another person look at it and he installed the windows 98 on it so it still crashed, now i have a new mahjongg egames that i got for christmas,and it went ok for 1/2 hour then it crashed it said i needed a video card and some drivers to play this game, i am wondering how to look for the drivers also if this game is not installed properly ,or whether it will not be able to play on my machine because i noticed it goes only up to 2003 in years, out dates for 3 years and i didnt get to be able to play it again,i thought if i delete the game and reinstall it it would work but no way how do i find out what i can do to get it up and running again, or should i go and get my money back before the 30 days are up
HI, I need serious help, My key code activation for my xp home sp2 version won’t work, i had to earlier fomat my hard drive and tried to re-install and now microsoft says i have to buy a new program to get key code to activate windows again. I already have the program and a key code, but told something wrong with it and need to re-enter new key code #. Now my windows won’t let me log in until I enter and register a new key code because the 30 days elasped as of today, so can somebody help me with a new key code. PLZZZ or tell me how to unlock that window to get to my desktop. Thank you very much
I am trying to reinstall microsoft works suite 2000 on my computer and it is asking for a 25 number cd key for the word program. My certificate of authenticity has a product id number on it, but that does not seem to work for the 25 number they are requesting…what should I use?
My genuine product key for Media Center 2005 wont work with software loaded from another disk, and the retailer I got it from wont replace the damaged disk.
How do I get past the Product Key page if it wont accept the code? (MS just keep telling me to go back to the retailer who is non-helpful)
PS I have a crack disc but how will that work without getting the OS happening?
I NEED A PRODUCT ID FOR WINDOWS XP PRO. I HAVE LOST MY BOOK AND WENT TO INSTALL XP AND CANT FIND. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU REBECCA
i have lost the product key for micrisoft word what should i do?
Is there a way to get the product key straight off the CD when the key has been lost? I have a lap top with an older version of XP and the operating system suddenly said ” there wasn’t any”. So I can’t retrieve the key through the program. I was going to put it on my other computer and do it, but it would uninstall it, and this one was downloaded off the net.
Any step by step suggestions? That version of XP has been a royal pain in the butt. Would it be better just to copy the version from this computer over to the laptop, and if so how would I do so effectively?
I have a full microsoft plus! media center but i dont have its activation key, please help me if any one have it. Thanks!!!!!!!!
hi, i have microsoft word on my computer, but i dont have the product key. i am begging you, if anyone has it can you please e-mail it to me PLEASE thank you
I install Microsoft office 2000 professional, but i lost my CD label.Now I want product key for this software.Please HELP ME!