Your Windows XP installation disk comes its product key or serial key printed at the back of the disk cover. Entering this key happens to be an essential step in the installation of Windows. The product key acts as an identification of the originality of the version of Windows you are using. Installation fails if you fail to enter this key, or enter an erroneous one.
Now, what if you don’t possess the key to install Windows or have lost it along with the disk cover? It may also happen that you have downloaded a copy of XP and haven’t got the product key with it. Windows XP, living up to its fame in being user-friendly, offers an unforeseen solution to this problem.
How to Find the Product Key Without any Software
Microsoft, in every CD/DVD of Windows XP, stores the product key corresponding to that CD/DVD within the disk itself. This is an act to rely upon in unexpected problematic situations such as losing the product key. Hence, XP users are guaranteed that their key, though physically lost, is preserved in a secured place. From this point of view, the procedure to find out your lost product key looks astonishingly simple; and so it is!
Locating the Product Key:
Take the following steps to recover your lost Windows XP product key.
- In a computer having any operating system, insert the Windows XP installation CD/DVD.
- Exit the autorun window asking to install Windows XP, and open “My Computer”.
- Right click on the drive icon that depicts your CD/DVD drive. Select to “Explore”.
- Amidst the many folders contained in the CD/DVD, open the folder 1386 by simply double clicking it.
- A text file named “UNATTEND.txt” lies within the folder 1386. Open this file using notepad.
- At the bottom of the text, is displayed a serial key. This is the treasure we were hunting for so badly. The product key for installing Microsoft Windows XP is acquired. Make sure to note down this product key so that you can use it during the installation in your computer.
This process testifies the user-friendly approach of Windows XP. The product key to install Windows has been located without incurring any sort of problems and more importantly, without using any software.
How to Retrieve the Product Key Using Win Key Finder
Now, for users having a fascination for ‘tricky’ software or software as a whole, we here plow upon a process to recover your lost product key using a free software called the “Win Key Finder”.
What is Win Key Finder:
This freeware is one which enables you to view, retrieve, or change product keys of all versions of Windows, MS Office and .NET applications. It retrieves and decodes the encoded product keys stored in the registry and displays them to the user. Being compatible with Vista and MS Office 2010, also magnifies the utility of this software. Click to view more details on Win Key Finder.
How to use Win Key Finder:
Using this software as a tool to recover your Windows XP product key, requires you to download Win Key Finder. No installation is needed to work upon it. Just double-click on the downloaded file and get going.
Click on the tab mentioning “Win XP, Vista, 7” to visualize the current product key of the version of Windows running in your computer. You are also enabled to modify or change this product key according to your whims. Accessibility and administrative control over your system is privileged to you.Obviously, you have to try this freeware in another computer with an operating system to obtain the product key for the installation of Windows or MS Office in your one.
Note or copy this displayed product key in a safe location as you are going to need it while installing Windows. You are also enabled to encrypt this product key to prevent other users from accessing it. Win Key Finder clearly provides you with a domain where you are ensured not to face any problems and solve issues in a well-knit manner.
We, here, at TechTipsApp.Com have, hence, put our best foot forward in order to help you acquire your lost Windows XP product key by depicting the above two procedures. These, for sure, are going to help you out of the problem you have been facing. Now, you may proceed to install Windows XP normally with a completely valid product key.
Verdict
Despite of the arrival of Microsoft Windows 7 or the more recent Windows 8, two of the most revolutionary launches of Microsoft – those that redefined “Operating System” as a whole, Microsoft Windows XP is still considered to be the most user-friendly platform to work upon ever by many around the globe. We, here at TechTipsApp.Com, post an example as to why this version of Windows surges past all its heirs in accessibility and being the one.
xp key viewer is free, clean, it’s newer that other tools that i am pretty sure are not good as xp key viewer on 64 bits
Thankyou for these 2 very useful tips for recovering a lost key for MS XP. – I also believe this operating system to be the most user friendly product ever produced by Microsoft. A great pity then that MS is withdrawing support for XP on 14/04/14. If XP really is as good as they say, and I believe it is, this decision seems to be rather short-sighted.
@David Wall: I would agree with you. But, it is also true that every thing should be upgraded with the advanced technological needs. The new Windows 8 is really a great OS by MS and you can easily switch to Windows 8 for better performance than the XP. 🙂
I did not find the file “unattended txt” in folder
I have the cd without the box and found the product key in the file. But when I typed it into the boxes it keeps saying the ID I entered is invalid. Strange. I have checked the numbers numerous times to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Same issue here. I have the ORIGINAL XP pro sp2 disk thats even holographic… its a legit disc and lost the package with key on it. The key inside “UNATTEND.txt” file on that disk still says INVALID.
No, that method of finding the product key doesn’t work!
That “unattend” file is a sample file. It doesn’t contain your actual product key.
BTW the “unattend” file is in a folder named “I386,” not “1386!”
I wish “Fred” would have provided some kind of solution instead of, “No that won’t work!” Your comment about the filename was totally unnecessary if it doesn’t work.
It worked! You beauty!!!
So, does anyone know how you can replace a lost product key for a genuine MS xpPro installation disc? I contacted MS to try & buy a replacement product key, but the key that they sold me that they recommended based on the part# that’s on the disk, was rejected,indicating it was invalid!
Located file name folder “I386” and file name “unatted”. Does not work, tried and retried. Does not work
One of the Best Product Key Finder Tools which I know are
1. ProduKey
2. SterJo Key Finder
3. Belarc Advisor
4. Free PC Audit 2.1
5. Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder