Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Note: The three methods presented here may need to be used together depending on the situation: Changing the Windows XP Product Key Manually - includes instructions for how to use a stock product key to activate Windows XP.
Using the Windows Key Finder - provides the detailed steps to get the product key from your device using Windows Key Finder. Fixing the Windows Activation Loop - is only required if you have already reached the time limit for activation and need to reset the loop. Method 1. This will open the "Run" program from which you can access your PC's registry. Doing so will launch the Registry Editor tool. Review the options tree on the left side of your screen.
You'll need to navigate through several of the folders listed here in order to reach your destination. Since the registry holds most of your computer's sensitive system information, consider clicking File and then Export in the top left corner of your screen to back up your registry before proceeding. Click the "WPA Events" folder. Don't expand this one. You should see its contents listed in a window on the right side of the Registry Editor page.
Click Modify. These should be several pairs and sequences of random numbers. Tap Delete. This should remove the values listed here. Type in new numbers. It doesn't matter what you put here, but you'll need to keep the format consistent for example, if you deleted four characters, you'll need to replace that section with four characters. Click OK once you're done. This will save your changes. Open the Run tool again. Exclude the quotation marks. Entering this command opens the Windows XP activation wizard.
For best results, simply copy and paste this text into the Run field. Click OK. Select the telephone option. This option should say "Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows" and there should be a clickable check box to the left of it. If you see a note that says "Windows XP is already activated", changing your key manually isn't working.
Please proceed to the Windows Key Finder method. Click Next. Click Change Product Key. This is at the bottom of the "Activate" window. Enter a Windows XP product key. Note that you may have to attempt this step a few times with different keys. If you don't know the version of Windows XP your computer is currently running, consult your computer's manual to verify before you proceed with trying the linked product keys.
Click Update. After this process completes, you'll need to confirm your activation of Windows XP. Click Back. Check the "Activate Windows over the Internet" option. This will allow you to activate your version of XP quickly. Note that calling Microsoft using the "telephone a customer representative" option likely won't work since Microsoft discontinued support for Windows XP on April 8th, Follow the on-screen instructions.
After you've completed your Windows XP activation, you should be able to use it without getting locked out of the system. Method 2. Open the Winkey Finder website. Winkey Finder is a free, no-install program that can locate and retrieve your Windows XP product key.
Click on the latest version of Winkey Finder. As of January , this is version 2. Since this version is currently in beta, you can also download the final version of 1.
Click Download Winkey Finder. You should see this button at the bottom of the Winkey version page. Right-click the Winkey folder. It should be wherever you chose to save it when you clicked Download e. Click Extract All. Doing so will extract the locked file's contents onto your desktop.
Double-click the Winkey Finder folder. This is the one you just extracted. You can test this theory by making a new working installation disc by slipstreaming XP's SP3 into your SP2 installation files. I tried several times and even had a second person type in the key. Same result. Yes the disks are fully Microsoft hologrammed. I paid for the email version of Microsoft "technical help" via email.
After about a month of trouble shooting and trying different fixes, Microsoft said they were unable to repair. The first disk got lost in the mail and a replacement was sent, then the first showed up- that's how I have two disks. Both keys return the invalid key error. What does that mean? They should work, since Microsoft sent the disks and asked me to use them for an reinstall. If I read your reply correctly, there is no Microsoft or any other website that can say if the key is valid.
What a shame, and what a pain to have to call the licensing center and try to explain. I will give it a try -- but is there someone at Microsoft I can just email the key and have them check? After all the install procedure must be doing a check to return an "invalid key". There is a program named MGADaig with will tell you about product key is valid or not or blocked.
I am using the disk and product sent by Microsoft. The product key was printed actually printed on a sticker, described in my post, and attached on the inside of the cardboard mailer. I don't see this mentioned in the several posts, so I am going to make the assumption that you have never been able to get these discs to install XP successfully. To validate your Windows Vista software, visit the following Web site, and then click Validate Windows :. Need more help? Expand your skills.
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