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re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 11:11 am Posted by Dan Sarandrea, MCSE (6749 messages posted) Why not use the recovery-partition based manufacturer's recovery solution? It will take your computer back to factory-fresh condition and without activation or validation problems. Note--recovery-partition based solutions normally destroy all user data, so be sure to offload any irreplaceable data from the computer before you execute the rcovery. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 11:13 am Posted by Mike (257 messages posted) Actually, so long as you really do own a legit copy of XP and only install one copy and run one copy at any given time, you are safe; its in the EULA believe it or not, so in your case, you cacn use a hacked or illegal version so long as you have a legit license. Just call Microsoft and give them the details and they should provide you with a new key. I've done it without a problem in the past ;) md [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 11:24 am Posted by Kevin (2496 messages posted) Assuming you installed the same version of XP as you own (Home vs. Pro), you can use the Microsoft Key Update Tool to make your installation legal with your own key. Here's a link to download the Microsoft Key Update Tool. Just install it and follow the directions -- and have your legitimate Product Key available. http://www.jojo.edcr.us/keyupdatetool/KeyUpdateTool.exe [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 5:04 pm Posted by C K (6157 messages posted) On an expansion of Dan's post, if you are speaking of the KEY that is on the computer, MS has disabled many of them as they were being copied and pirated. Big box OEMs can no longer be activated over the internet. If the key on the computer is what you referring to, it is no good most likely. You are now limited to the manufactures recovery solutions to avoid the activation process. MS will NOT provide a KEY where the manufacturer has included or made available a recovery solution. The manufacturer is responsible for the machine and operating system support, not Microsoft (as per the licensing agreements).. The key on the machine is very likely NOT the original preinstalled KEY from the OEM. Many people are in the same boat. :-( On Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 10:57 am, Camron wrote: >Hello. I have been having problems with Windows XP. I actually own a license, but >my computer came with NO rescue disc. Compaq wants $30 to send me a rescue disc. >I am currently using a pirated copy of XP, only because I formatted my computer and >I had no way of putting Windows on with the key I had. What I want is to find out >the build number of the key that I legitimately own so that I can install Windows >and not have to worry about all that activation stuff. You know, go legal. Any help >would be appreciated. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 9:08 pm Posted by Kevin (2496 messages posted) That's strange, the Product Key from the sticker on my Dell machine activated perfectly on a recent reinstall. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 9:45 pm Posted by C K (6157 messages posted) Depends on what Dell supplied you with. Is it a recovery disc/image or is it an MS OEM install CD? Those in doubt can check their installed key against the one on the machine to see if they are the same or different. On many I have checked, they were different on the BIG OEM machines of a particular time period. My (Dell) portable of three years has the MS OEM reinstall option with software on seperate disks. However, other big OEM sellers who are shipping other types of recovery options are the ones having the keys disabled that were on the computers, and those are the machines that have had internet activation disabled. OTH, MS may not have gotten around to yours yet, so don't be surprised if one day it gives you that dreaded message if you are one of the unlucky users. MS isn't done yet I suspect as they discover more keys that have been compromised... ;-) On Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 9:08 pm, Kevin wrote: >That's strange, the Product Key from the sticker on my Dell machine activated perfectly >on a recent reinstall. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 8:50 am Posted by 666 (2253 messages posted) Dan Sarandrea, MCSE wrote: Why not use the recovery-partition based manufacturer's recovery solution? Looks like you answered your own question: Dan Sarandrea, MCSE wrote: It will take your computer back to factory-fresh condition (...) recovery-partition based solutions normally destroy all user data Reinstalling all your programs, removing all the unwanted extras that the recovery partition brought back in, recustomizing all your personal OS settings, going into the settings panel of each program you reinstalled to tweak everything back the way it was before... using a recovery partition to "fix" a problem by reverting to factory-fresh condition is like knocking down your house to kill a fly. Best way to deal with recovery partitions that will destroy your system and call it "recovery" is to find someone with a retail version of XP Home or Pro (use the same version as on your recovery partition), copy the entire disk to your hard drive, then edit setupp.ini to make it match your own product key: • Activation: Valid license key, someone's else's CD (short version - for the long version check www.thetechguide.com/howto/setuppini.html) 1) Copy entire CD to hard disk. 2) Edit setupp.ini file the i386 folder: 'Pid' should read 51882335 (retail version), 51883270 (volume license, corporate edition), 82503OEM (OEM version). Set to the same version as your license key. 3) Make bootable CD image and burn with a program like nLite (www.nliteos.com). Download the drivers for your hardware from the manufacturers website or extract them from your recovery partition, and use nLite to include them in your home-made, non-destructive XP install disk. ______________ make xp behave [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 9:30 am Posted by rocannon (86 messages posted) my PID=55276000 ? TANSTAAFL! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 9:45 am Posted by 666 (2253 messages posted) my PID=55276000 These numbers may change when M$ updates their software. The idea remains the same, though: if you build your own disk, copy the number from the setupp.ini file that came with your system into the setupp.ini file on your custom disk to make it work with your license key. ______________ make xp behave [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Deriving build number from key Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 9:56 am Posted by 666 (2253 messages posted) rocannon wrote: my PID=55276000 ? That's a PID for Windows XP Pro Upgrade w/ SP1. ______________ make xp behave [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum