How to Discover & Recover a Windows XP Key & Save the Found Keys in a Log File
Windows and other programs use product keys to ensure legal use and are normally stored in the Windows Registry. Even on the same system, reinstalling a program requires a product key. Keys are stored in two forms: plain text and encrypted. Plain text keys can be retrieved using a registry editor. Unfortunately with thousands of registry keys, finding program keys is time-consuming. The Windows XP key can't be recovered using a registry editor because it's encrypted. To recover the Windows XP key and other product keys, use a key recovery utility.
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Instructions
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Using Key Finder
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Download the Key Finder setup program.
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Run the Key Finder installation program. Follow the prompts to install the program.
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Open the "Start" menu, then click "All Programs" and run "Key Finder." The program will automatically scan the registry and display all the keys it finds.
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Open the "File" menu and click "Save As" to save the keys to a log file.
Using License Crawler
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Download the License Crawler program.
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Run the License Crawler program. Installation is not required.
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Click the "High Speed Scan" check box, then click "Start Search."
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Open the "File" menu and click "Save" to save the keys to a text file.
Using ProduKey
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Download the ProduKey program.
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Run the ProduKey program. Installation is not required. The program will automatically scan for product keys.
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Open the "File" menu and click "Save" to save the product keys to a log file.
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Tips & Warnings
If Windows XP was preinstalled by a manufacturer, the key you find won't work when reinstalling Windows. Check the bottom of your laptop, or the back of your desktop system, for the correct Windows XP key.
Try more than one key recovery utility if you haven't recovered the key for a specific program. Different utilities will sometimes find different program keys.
These key recovery utilities will work with Windows XP, but not all utilities are compatible with Windows Vista or 7. Check the download page for updated information.
