In a message dated 6/5/2005 9:30:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lance.b.4u@gmail.com writes: > > To get the product key you can download this program and it will give you > all keys and other information regarding the machine. > > http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html > > > Lance wrote on 6/5/2005, 6:13 AM: > Lance my computer came with XP on it , but I do not have a cd, and no sticker on my case.... Are you saying the key code that BeLarc Advisor gave me may not be a legit code number ...???? or just a generated one. ?? thanks gerri'

Sticker might be on the back of your tower, Gerri, I've never looked for mine, I am too old to start crawling around to find it, since it isn't always immediately noticeable. My HP had XP pre-installed, it has passed all Microsoft security checks for updates and for downloading additional Microsoft programming. I am using the HP OEM version of XP-Home and trust the information obtained via BelArc. There also is a small utility that will provide you with your key: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml Elaine > Lance my computer came with XP on it , but I > do not have a cd, and no sticker > on my case.... Are you saying the key code > that BeLarc Advisor gave me may > not be a legit code number ...???? or just a generated one. ?? > thanks > gerri'

Gerri, it will depend on where you purchased your computer and how the supplier set it up. Did they give you any type of "setup CD"? That type of CD is one that allows you to restore your computer back to how it was when you originally purchased it. The Product Activation is included in that CD, along with their version of XP and may not be obvious in any visual way. If you did not receive ANY type of setup CD you may have a problem. Lance P. S. Check out Legacy Family Tree today! This full featured genealogy program can be downloaded FREE at http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Index.asp?mid=52583ii -----Original Message----- From: Gerri1936@aol.com [mailto:Gerri1936@aol.com] Sent: Monday, 6 June 2005 11:54 AM To: SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] Windows XP In a message dated 6/5/2005 9:30:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lance.b.4u@gmail.com writes: > > To get the product key you can download this program and it will give > you all keys and other information regarding the machine. > > http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html > > > Lance wrote on 6/5/2005, 6:13 AM: > Lance my computer came with XP on it , but I do not have a cd, and no sticker on my case.... Are you saying the key code that BeLarc Advisor gave me may not be a legit code number ...???? or just a generated one. ?? thanks gerri'

Hello Gerri, Monday, June 6, 2005, 2:54:05 AM, you wrote: Gac> Lance my computer came with XP on it , but I do not have a cd, Gac> and no sticker on my case.... Are you saying the key code that Gac> BeLarc Advisor gave me may not be a legit code number ...???? or Gac> just a generated one. ?? If you don't have a sticker with a Licence Key, and you've not been supplied CD's or a means to do a re-install then your only recourse is the person that supplied you with the system, and if they refuse to play ball or cannot be contacted you are faced with having to buy your own copy of WinXP all over again :-( I've seen a few systems where WinXP has been supplied without any sticker / CD / recovery and they've all been done with an OEM CD that's been 'borrowed' and used outside of the OEM agreement - that *does* make them illegal but for now it's only a real problem to the user if they need to re-install WinXP. What I would suggest to anyone in that boat is not to do the on-line check with MicroSoft for validity and consider getting their own legal copy to re-install with. Moves within MicroSoft are well under way to make this validation of WinXP mandatory to get updates. I can see a few WinXP's being locked out when this happens !! The licence key issue with WinXP goes a lot deeper ...... Both Belarc and 'Magic Jelly Bean' ( what a wonderful name <lol> ) will reveal the key that is in the registry. What I have found is that for OEM installations of WinXP it won't work with anything other than the original OEM CD. Trying to re-install with another WinXP CD, even if it's the same version ( see below ), will throw up an 'invalid key' message. Now, if you have a sticker on your PC with a WinXP licence - that will be different to the one that an OEM installed system ( e.g. HP or Dell etc. ) will have in the registry. This sticker is *your* key that can be used to re-install from a WinXP CD - providing that it's the same version that you had installed originally. This does pose a few problems as there have been quite a few distinct 'versions' of WinXP: WinXP Home WinXP Home + SP1 WinXP Home + SP2 WinXP Professional WinXP Professional + SP1 WinXP Professional + SP2 The key you have on that sticker will *only* work on the exact match from the list above, so if you got your WinXP before the service packs came out, even if you've upgrades on-line to SP2, you'll need an original CD to do the re-install and then do the upgrade all over again. You can't use that key to install from a WinXP + SP2 CD. Even folks who have purchased a legitimate WinXP without any service packs can't use their key with a WinXP + SP1 or WinXP + SP2 CD !! MicroSoft have really woven themselves a tangled web with WinXP and I hope they've learned their lesson when Longhorn finally emerges !! So - if you have a system from an OEM manufacturer such as HP / Dell, then their recovery procedure ( whether via supplied CD's or on a separate partition on your Hard Drive ) is the best way to do it. -- Best regards, Barry mailto:barry@yobunny.co.uk MicroSoft Free Zone running Xandros 2.0 Deluxe

I would think that if you purchased your computer new and out of the box at a place like Best Buy, or Comp USA that you don't have to worry about a bootleg Operating System. My 'puter came from such a place and was purchased new. If you purchased a HP computer after 2001 you may not have recovery CD. It is partitioned on the hard drive. The product key you get from Belarc would be legit. The problem, I think, would be if you had someone build you a computer and you do not know where the OS came from, or if a computer was purchased second hand from someone who may not be trustworthy. If you had your computer built for you and you purchased the OS then you have nothing to worry about. If you buy a used computer from a stranger -- buyer beware. Barry wrote on 6/6/2005, 12:57 PM: > Hello Gerri, > > Monday, June 6, 2005, 2:54:05 AM, you wrote: > > Gac> Lance my computer came with XP on it , but I do not have a cd, > Gac> and no sticker on my case.... Are you saying the key code that > Gac> BeLarc Advisor gave me may not be a legit code number ...???? or > Gac> just a generated one. ?? > > If you don't have a sticker with a Licence Key, and you've not been > supplied CD's or a means to do a re-install then your only recourse is > the person that supplied you with the system, and if they refuse to > play ball or cannot be contacted you are faced with having to buy your > own copy of WinXP all over again :-( I've seen a few systems where > WinXP has been supplied without any sticker / CD / recovery and > they've all been done with an OEM CD that's been 'borrowed' and used > outside of the OEM agreement - that *does* make them illegal but for > now it's only a real problem to the user if they need to re-install > WinXP. What I would suggest to anyone in that boat is not to do the > on-line check with MicroSoft for validity and consider getting their > own legal copy to re-install with. Moves within MicroSoft are well > under way to make this validation of WinXP mandatory to get updates. > I can see a few WinXP's being locked out when this happens !! > > The licence key issue with WinXP goes a lot deeper ...... > > Both Belarc and 'Magic Jelly Bean' ( what a wonderful name <lol> ) > will reveal the key that is in the registry. What I have found is that > for OEM installations of WinXP it won't work with anything other than > the original OEM CD. Trying to re-install with another WinXP CD, even > if it's the same version ( see below ), will throw up an 'invalid key' > message. > > Now, if you have a sticker on your PC with a WinXP licence - that will > be different to the one that an OEM installed system ( e.g. HP or Dell > etc. ) will have in the registry. This sticker is *your* key that can > be used to re-install from a WinXP CD - providing that it's the same > version that you had installed originally. This does pose a few > problems as there have been quite a few distinct 'versions' of WinXP: > > WinXP Home > WinXP Home + SP1 > WinXP Home + SP2 > WinXP Professional > WinXP Professional + SP1 > WinXP Professional + SP2 > > The key you have on that sticker will *only* work on the exact match > from the list above, so if you got your WinXP before the service packs > came out, even if you've upgrades on-line to SP2, you'll need an > original CD to do the re-install and then do the upgrade all over > again. You can't use that key to install from a WinXP + SP2 CD. Even > folks who have purchased a legitimate WinXP without any service packs > can't use their key with a WinXP + SP1 or WinXP + SP2 CD !! > > MicroSoft have really woven themselves a tangled web with WinXP and I > hope they've learned their lesson when Longhorn finally emerges !! > > So - if you have a system from an OEM manufacturer such as HP / Dell, > then their recovery procedure ( whether via supplied CD's or on a > separate partition on your Hard Drive ) is the best way to do it. > > -- > Best regards, > Barry mailto:barry@yobunny.co.uk > MicroSoft Free Zone running Xandros 2.0 Deluxe > > > ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== > The focus of this list is on helping Seniors to learn to use computers > and the Internet. Tolerance and patience are the watchwords. For help > in genealogical research methods and procedures, join > ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS. Click and send: > mailto:ROCKINGCHAIR-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx >