The Windows XP Home Edition product key is normally included in the Windows XP Home Edition manual, or on a sticker on your computer.
If you no longer have either of these things, then there are two options:
Assuming you don’t want to pay for a new key right away, you can follow the steps below to try to recover it:
1. Find a product key finder program. A variety of key finder programs are located at pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder
2. Follow the step by step product key finder installation instructions, which will run automatically once you have begun to download the key finder program. Once installed, run the product key finder program.
3. If it’s working, the key finder program will display numbers and letters that represent your Windows XP Home Edition product key. The product key should be formatted with five sets of numbers and letters.
4. This combination of numbers and letters is what must be typed in whilst reinstalling Windows XP. Note that even getting one character wrong will make the product key installation fail.
If the product key finder does not work, you will have to request a replacement Windows XP Home Edition product key from support.microsoft.com/
However, even this is not a guaranteed fix, and since the product key is required to install Windows, you might have to end up buying another copy of Windows instead.
If you no longer have either of these things, then there are two options:
- Buy a replacement product key from Microsoft
- Try to recover your lost product key using a product key finder.
Assuming you don’t want to pay for a new key right away, you can follow the steps below to try to recover it:
1. Find a product key finder program. A variety of key finder programs are located at pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder
2. Follow the step by step product key finder installation instructions, which will run automatically once you have begun to download the key finder program. Once installed, run the product key finder program.
3. If it’s working, the key finder program will display numbers and letters that represent your Windows XP Home Edition product key. The product key should be formatted with five sets of numbers and letters.
4. This combination of numbers and letters is what must be typed in whilst reinstalling Windows XP. Note that even getting one character wrong will make the product key installation fail.
If the product key finder does not work, you will have to request a replacement Windows XP Home Edition product key from support.microsoft.com/
However, even this is not a guaranteed fix, and since the product key is required to install Windows, you might have to end up buying another copy of Windows instead.
