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Oct 04, 2018 Generic keys (aka: 'default keys') for Windows 10 from Microsoft will allow you to install a specific Windows 10 edition you want, but will not activate it. Using a generic key can be helpful if you wanted to install a specific Windows 10 edition for evaluation or testing on a PC or virtual machine. For most Windows XP installs, you’ll never need to worry about the validity of the product key assigned to your copy of the OS. However, software does tend to get installed without authorization.
Microsoft’s new Windows Product Activation presents support techs with all sorts of new challenges, including the need to have a valid product key to install, or reinstall, Windows XP on workstations. But what do you do if you can’t find the CD with the original key that matches the machine you’re working on? You can discover the key using ViewKeyXP.
Why you need to know your product key
For years, Microsoft has (quite legitimately) been concerned about piracy issues surrounding its products. In an effort to combat this, it came up with the concept of Windows Product Activation. When you install Windows XP on a workstation, you must enter a 25-digit code from the original Windows XP CD during Setup. Setup takes this information, mixes it with information it derives from the hardware configuration of the workstation, and creates a code that it sends to Microsoft to validate the installation.
This can cause problems for support techs, because each product key can be used only one time. After the key has been activated, it can’t be used on another workstation unless you’re using a Volume-Licensed version of Windows XP. That means each Windows XP workstation in your organization has a different product key.
If you try to reinstall Windows XP and don’t have your original product key or CD, you can’t simply borrow one from another workstation. Normally, you’d have to obtain a new product key, meaning a new purchase of Windows XP. Naturally, you don’t want to do that because you already have a copy of XP—you’re just missing the valid key that goes with your workstation. That’s where ViewKeyXP comes in handy.
When bad software goes good
In reality, ViewKeyXP is a hacker tool used to reveal Windows XP product keys. But just because it can be used maliciously doesn’t mean that you can’t use it for good.
ViewKeyXP performs a reverse hash on the Product ID that you find in the Registered To box when you right-click My Computer and select Properties. Taking this number, ViewKeyXP deciphers and displays your original product key. You can then write this number down and reinstall Windows XP. When prompted, all you have to do is reenter this number and you’re ready to go.
Other Windows software uses product keys, but ViewKeyXP won’t help you find those keys. It works only with Windows XP. However, it will reveal the product key no matter what version of Windows XP you’re running: Home, Professional, or the Corporate Edition.
Obtaining and using ViewKeyXP
You can find ViewKeyXP on the Internet by doing a simple Google Search. Be very careful when you download it. Because it is a hacker tool and not supported by any legitimate organization, don’t be surprised if the version you’ve download has a virus embedded in it. If you choose to download the file, make sure you scan it with an updated virus-scanning program before using it.
In today’s world of setup wizards and multi-megabyte downloads, ViewKeyXP is amazingly simple. The file itself, Viewkeyxp.exe, is small—only 32 KB. There is no installation program. Just run the program, either from the command line or by double-clicking it from the folder you downloaded it to. When you do, your product key will appear as shown in Figure A. (I changed my product key in this image for security reasons.)
Why you need to know your product key
For years, Microsoft has (quite legitimately) been concerned about piracy issues surrounding its products. In an effort to combat this, it came up with the concept of Windows Product Activation. When you install Windows XP on a workstation, you must enter a 25-digit code from the original Windows XP CD during Setup. Setup takes this information, mixes it with information it derives from the hardware configuration of the workstation, and creates a code that it sends to Microsoft to validate the installation.
This can cause problems for support techs, because each product key can be used only one time. After the key has been activated, it can’t be used on another workstation unless you’re using a Volume-Licensed version of Windows XP. That means each Windows XP workstation in your organization has a different product key.
If you try to reinstall Windows XP and don’t have your original product key or CD, you can’t simply borrow one from another workstation. Normally, you’d have to obtain a new product key, meaning a new purchase of Windows XP. Naturally, you don’t want to do that because you already have a copy of XP—you’re just missing the valid key that goes with your workstation. That’s where ViewKeyXP comes in handy.
When bad software goes good
In reality, ViewKeyXP is a hacker tool used to reveal Windows XP product keys. But just because it can be used maliciously doesn’t mean that you can’t use it for good.
ViewKeyXP performs a reverse hash on the Product ID that you find in the Registered To box when you right-click My Computer and select Properties. Taking this number, ViewKeyXP deciphers and displays your original product key. You can then write this number down and reinstall Windows XP. When prompted, all you have to do is reenter this number and you’re ready to go.
Other Windows software uses product keys, but ViewKeyXP won’t help you find those keys. It works only with Windows XP. However, it will reveal the product key no matter what version of Windows XP you’re running: Home, Professional, or the Corporate Edition.
Obtaining and using ViewKeyXP
You can find ViewKeyXP on the Internet by doing a simple Google Search. Be very careful when you download it. Because it is a hacker tool and not supported by any legitimate organization, don’t be surprised if the version you’ve download has a virus embedded in it. If you choose to download the file, make sure you scan it with an updated virus-scanning program before using it.
In today’s world of setup wizards and multi-megabyte downloads, ViewKeyXP is amazingly simple. The file itself, Viewkeyxp.exe, is small—only 32 KB. There is no installation program. Just run the program, either from the command line or by double-clicking it from the folder you downloaded it to. When you do, your product key will appear as shown in Figure A. (I changed my product key in this image for security reasons.)
Figure A |
ViewKeyXP makes it easy to find your original XP Product Key. |
It doesn’t get much easier
That’s all there is to it. Write down the number and then you can reinstall Windows XP, or place the key in a database where you won’t lose it. ViewKeyXP is a handy hacker tool to keep in your software utility toolbox.
For most Windows XP installs, you’ll never need to worry about the validity of the product key assigned to your copy of the OS. However, software does tend to get installed without authorization, even in the most carefully managed shops, and so from time to time you may need to reset the XP product key.
For example, perhaps a user installed a pirated copy of XP but now wants to go legal. Maybe you've been hired by an organization that installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing key (VLK). Perhaps an end user purchased an additional retail license for XP but needs to use his original CD to install the software. When situations like these arise, changing XP's product key is often the most practical—or only—solution.
Determining if you have a valid product ID
Hopefully you already know if you're dealing with a pirated copy of XP. But if you're unsure, a quick way to tell is to install Service Pack 1. Shortly after releasing Windows XP, Microsoft realized that most pirated XP installations were using two specific VLKs, the most popular of which begins with 'FCKGW.” These VLKs produce product IDs that match either XXXXX-640-0000356-23XXX or XXXXX-640-2001765-23XXX, where X is any number.
If you try to install SP1 and get the following error message:
The Product Key used to install Windows is invalid. Please contact your system administrator or retailer immediately to obtain a valid Product Key…'
You are dealing with a pirated copy of Windows. For more information about obtaining a valid product key, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 326904.
You can also directly check the OS’sproduct ID by right-clicking on My Computer, clicking Properties, and selecting the General tab. The machine's product ID will be located under the Registered To section. If the ID matches either of the two models commonly associated with VLK fraud, you’ll need to obtain a valid XP product key before proceeding. None of the procedures described below will work without a legitimate product key.
Two methods of changing Windows XP's product key
You can change a Windows XP installation's product key either by editing the registry or by using one of two Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scripts. The registry editing method is outlined in Knowledge Base articles 321636 and 328874 and works on Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, and Windows XP Corporate Edition. The script method is outlined in article 328874 and is designed to work on Corporate Edition installations that use a VLK and do not require activation. It may work on a Home or Professional installation, but I have not tested this scenario.
The script method is the practical solution for changing the product keys on a large number of machines. Regardless of the method you choose, make sure to backup important data before changing a product ID, since an unexpected problem could render the machine unbootable and necessitate a complete reinstallation of Windows.
For example, perhaps a user installed a pirated copy of XP but now wants to go legal. Maybe you've been hired by an organization that installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing key (VLK). Perhaps an end user purchased an additional retail license for XP but needs to use his original CD to install the software. When situations like these arise, changing XP's product key is often the most practical—or only—solution.
Determining if you have a valid product ID
Hopefully you already know if you're dealing with a pirated copy of XP. But if you're unsure, a quick way to tell is to install Service Pack 1. Shortly after releasing Windows XP, Microsoft realized that most pirated XP installations were using two specific VLKs, the most popular of which begins with 'FCKGW.” These VLKs produce product IDs that match either XXXXX-640-0000356-23XXX or XXXXX-640-2001765-23XXX, where X is any number.
If you try to install SP1 and get the following error message:
The Product Key used to install Windows is invalid. Please contact your system administrator or retailer immediately to obtain a valid Product Key…'
You are dealing with a pirated copy of Windows. For more information about obtaining a valid product key, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 326904.
You can also directly check the OS’sproduct ID by right-clicking on My Computer, clicking Properties, and selecting the General tab. The machine's product ID will be located under the Registered To section. If the ID matches either of the two models commonly associated with VLK fraud, you’ll need to obtain a valid XP product key before proceeding. None of the procedures described below will work without a legitimate product key.
Two methods of changing Windows XP's product key
You can change a Windows XP installation's product key either by editing the registry or by using one of two Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scripts. The registry editing method is outlined in Knowledge Base articles 321636 and 328874 and works on Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, and Windows XP Corporate Edition. The script method is outlined in article 328874 and is designed to work on Corporate Edition installations that use a VLK and do not require activation. It may work on a Home or Professional installation, but I have not tested this scenario.
The script method is the practical solution for changing the product keys on a large number of machines. Regardless of the method you choose, make sure to backup important data before changing a product ID, since an unexpected problem could render the machine unbootable and necessitate a complete reinstallation of Windows.
Warning
The following instructions involve editing your system registry. Using the Windows Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that require the reinstallation of your operating system and possible loss of data. TechRepublic does not support problems that arise from editing your registry. Use the Registry Editor and the following directions at your own risk.
Editing the registry
Begin by opening the Registry Editor and navigating to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents
In the right pane, right-click the ODBETimer binary value and select Modify. Change at least one character of this value to either a number from 0 to 9 or to a letter from A to F, then click OK and close the Registry Editor. This renders the current product key invalid and deactivates Windows.
Now, it’s time to reactivate Windows using your new product key. Click Start | Run and enter the command:
%systemroot%system32oobemsoobe /a
where %systemroot% is your Windows directory. In many cases, this command will look like:
C:windowssystem32oobemsoobe.exe /a
At this point, Windows will launch the Product Activation Wizard.
Begin by opening the Registry Editor and navigating to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrent VersionWPAEvents
In the right pane, right-click the ODBETimer binary value and select Modify. Change at least one character of this value to either a number from 0 to 9 or to a letter from A to F, then click OK and close the Registry Editor. This renders the current product key invalid and deactivates Windows.
Now, it’s time to reactivate Windows using your new product key. Click Start | Run and enter the command:
%systemroot%system32oobemsoobe /a
where %systemroot% is your Windows directory. In many cases, this command will look like:
C:windowssystem32oobemsoobe.exe /a
At this point, Windows will launch the Product Activation Wizard.
Select the option to telephone a Microsoft customer service representative to activate Windows, as shown in Figure A, and click Next. Now, select the Change Product Key option and enter your new product key as shown in Figure B. Finally, click Update and close the window. If Windows returns you to the previous screen, just select the Remind Me Later option. When the wizard is finished, reboot the system.
Figure B |
When Windows reboots, your next step will depend on which Windows XP version you are using. If you have XP Home or Professional, you’ll be prompted to reactivate your copy of Windows through the normal activation process. If you have XP Corporate, no activation is required and your machine should have a valid product ID. You can verify this by running the %systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a command again. When the wizard loads this time, you should see a message indicating that your copy of Windows has already been activated.
Using a WMI script
Although the registry editing process is effective, it can be tedious and impractical if you need to change the product key on more than a few machines. So Microsoft provides two WMI scripts, one for XP machines with SP1 and one for XP machines without SP1.
View the code for the WMI script, ChangeVLKey2600.vbs, designed for use on XP machines without SP1.
View the code for the WMI script, ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs, for XP machines with SP1 already installed.
Copy the appropriate script's code into a text file and save it as either ChangeVLKey2600.vbs or ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs. The scripts can act in conjunction with a valid product key as part of a login script to change the product ID on multiple machines. You can also execute the script from the command line to change the key on a single computer.
For example, if you wanted to change the product key on an XP machine without SP1 and had already saved the script to root directory on the C: drive, you would click Start | Run and enter the following command:
C:changevlkey2600.vbs xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Of course, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx in this scenario is a valid product key.
The script should take only a few seconds to run and won't prompt you for further action unless there's a problem, such as an invalid product key. As with the registry editing method, you can verify that Windows is now using a valid product key by running the command:
%systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a
The Product Activation Wizard will load and should tell you that your copy of Windows has already been activated.
Using a WMI script
Although the registry editing process is effective, it can be tedious and impractical if you need to change the product key on more than a few machines. So Microsoft provides two WMI scripts, one for XP machines with SP1 and one for XP machines without SP1.
View the code for the WMI script, ChangeVLKey2600.vbs, designed for use on XP machines without SP1.
View the code for the WMI script, ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs, for XP machines with SP1 already installed.
Copy the appropriate script's code into a text file and save it as either ChangeVLKey2600.vbs or ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs. The scripts can act in conjunction with a valid product key as part of a login script to change the product ID on multiple machines. You can also execute the script from the command line to change the key on a single computer.
For example, if you wanted to change the product key on an XP machine without SP1 and had already saved the script to root directory on the C: drive, you would click Start | Run and enter the following command:
C:changevlkey2600.vbs xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Of course, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx in this scenario is a valid product key.
The script should take only a few seconds to run and won't prompt you for further action unless there's a problem, such as an invalid product key. As with the registry editing method, you can verify that Windows is now using a valid product key by running the command:
%systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a
The Product Activation Wizard will load and should tell you that your copy of Windows has already been activated.