Microsoft Windows Product Key

[dreamworks]

I just formatted one of the client's PC and installed Win98SE again as the license is indeed for this OS. Set the drivers, updated all patches and installed all other softwares.

While closing the casing, here's the horror part!!! Thats not the case for the PC I've just fixed!! : (

So in other words, I have used a wrong product key when the original casing was lying not too far away. Is there anyway to change the product key now as I don't want to go through the whole process of re-installing again please?

 

[sboulema]

hmmm only now how its done in xp....

 

[GoNz0]

trust me, it doesnt matter with 98. so long as the pc has a licence sticker on it, its legal. the only fast way out is to run a repair from the cd whilst the pc is booted up. (not a cd start) then it will ask for a new key, and probably show you the old 1.

 

[dreamworks]

run a repair from the cd? haven't done that before .. any clues please? : )

 

[GoNz0]

boot the pc up, explore the 98se cd, click setup, let it do the checks and lay down new system files, it will ask you before it lays new files for your product key. if you do a cd boot, it basically deletes the windows folder and you need to reload everything.

 

[rushm001]

I think there is a way you can change it in the registry, but as GoNz0 it doesn't matter what product ID you use as long as you have a licence.

 

[SPeedY_B]

It doesn't matter with 98.

the key is stored in the registry, try searching for it
(open regedit > CTRL+F > First few numbers of key > enter)

but I'm not sure if you can change it from there though.

 

[Teddy]

From GoogleGroups:

As my knowledge goes windows doesn't keep the product license key in any
file instead it is stored in registry. You can locate it at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MIcrosoft\Windows\CurrentVersion - when you
reach CurrentVersion in the right pane you'll see string values ProductKey
and ProductID.

 

[Petros]

X-Setup

There is a free program--X Setup--that has this feature (among others). You can find it -->here<--