Windows XP Serial Number Question

Let me cite a situation where software to replace a Windows XP serial number would come in handy.

Customer has a Windows XP Home OEM PC. He brings it over because things have gone crazy. I determine his hard disk is dying and transfer as many files off the PC as humanly possible. (Many bad sectors reveal this.)

Customer drops in with new Hard Disk drive. I install it. Then I ask if he has his French copy of Windows Home OEM. No. But he picked up his brother's setup CD and then we'll use his serial number based on the sticker on the side of his machine.

Cool.

Windows XP set up begins. At no point does it ask us anything. It just goes from start to finish: formatting the disk, installing all files... right to the desktop. :confused Hmm. Any attempt to "activate" XP at this point fails.

How do we replace the Windows XP Serial Number with a valid one (all legal and above board) and then activate XP?

Note: he did find his set up CD in a drawer at home. Fun. But what tool was I to use when the set up was finished?

 

it sounds to me you are trying to register his brothers copy of xp on a different machine if his brothers copy is only a single licence and not a multiple install license you can only install and register the copy once on one machine you will have to contact microsoft and purchase another validation key to install that copy on another machine

 

you just have to call it in and they will ask you if any hardware has been changed from there they will give you a bunch of #s and you have to put that in where they indicate it.. hope this helps..

 

Here is a freeware tool you can use to change the Serial #
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Magical_Jelly_Bean_Keyfinder_d2612.html

 

I don't think that magical jelly bean key finder will change the key just find it. Thats what you should have done in the begining was to search the original hard drive for its serial number with the magical jelly bean. Then you would have had it for the clean install. There is a way to change the serial without any app at all, let me find it for you:

Code:

Heres how to do it :- 

1. HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current 

VersionWPAEvents, on the right Panel you will find a key named “oobetimer” double click on It . 

And change at least one digit of this value to deactivate windows. 

2. Choose run from start menu and type in this command: 

%systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a to get the 

activation screen and go to the second option which is 

activate by phone. 

3. In the new screen choose the option to change product 

key, and type in the new product key.

4. Close that window, reboot your system and try activating again.

This was taken from a Corporate version key change, so I don't really know if everything will transfer to a home version but its worth a try. Its also possible since your system is not activated yet you can just try the RUN command first without doing the registry part.

 

Please don't misunderstand. There's nothing illegal happening here.

Up to this point I'd never seen a Windows XP Home OEM setup CD that came complete with serial number.

how we straightened things out
In the end I started the activation process. It obviously failed. But the activation software soon displayed boxes for a new serial number. It suggested, as you did, we call MSFT for a new number. This was not necessary as there was a valid number on an adhesive sticker there on the PC's casing.

I keyed in the Windows XP key, clicked OK and Windows XP was properly activated. No new number required.

My point, and obviously I am having great difficulty expressing it, was that I would have preferred a software applet that would allow me to manually change the number (something similar to RockXP, without the dubious code that comes included with it). This way I could manually make the change and then activate that system.

At the time I wanted such a software package I didn't realize the activation software offered the user the opportunity to key in a different number.

And while it may appear pointless to want such software, I am a tweaker. I like to have software that gets past XP's limited abilities into deeper areas where most users dare not tread. I like small utilities that do such things. I'm glad the activation software allowed for a different number. But I'm the type of user that would have liked a small applet that would allow me to key in the correct number and then proceed with the activation later.

 

Thank-you. This is more along the lines of what I was looking for: either a manual way to modify [i.e., hack] Windows, or do it by some small applet such as (but not necessarily) Magical Jellybean's activation key revealer.

I seem to recall Magical Jellybean's ability to change numbers in the past, but now it is not configured to do so. RockXP will do it, but AVG reports all sorts of "no-no" files that are left behind after RockXP runs.

 

sorry posted a link for an old version that does not change the # you can dl the newest version from their site
http://magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

with this you can change the Serial #

 

Excellent. The one I downloaded recently did not allow for serial number changes. This will be a handy tool for future installs.

I do not encourage or support illegal installations of Windows XP. However, if a copy on a PC is found to be from some pirated source, the system will tell you. A new serial number can be purchased making that copy valid. That is an aspect to MSFT's Genuine software deal that makes it cool.

I'm now an Ubuntu GNU/Linux user, but I still work on Windows XP PCs for those individuals that suffer hardware or software failure. If they do not have a valid copy of XP, me no likey.

But there's no serial number or activation involved in the installation of Ubuntu. :cool