Finding product key during install?

[Gin210]

Hi. I posted this morning (in the wrong forum I might add oops) about a problem I was having with windows getting stuck in a loop at the login screen. Anyway, after 5 hours of messing with this computer, I finally decided that my only option was to do a repair install of WindowsXP Home. I ran into a couple of hiccups with the install but finally got it going smoothly.

Now I have come to a bigger problem. It is asking me for my Product key. The only place that my husband had this product key stored was on the desktop of the computer. (I know, I know, should have written it somewhere else.)

Does anyone know of a way that I can find it, or access that file without having to start this whole repair process over again? I'm stuck at the Product key screen and it seems to be a catch 22. I need the key to access the desktop, the desktop is where my key is. Please help.

Jen

[submix8c]

I won't swear to this, but I believe that the process will continue where you left off if interrupted.

The only alternatives (as I see it) are -

1 - Put the HDD in another PC as a Secondary. The Bootable Primary will have to be a Win2k OS or above (eg another XP). Then browse to "Documents and Settings", then the Profile Folder (his user-id name?), then Desktop. Whatever he placed it in, open it up (however) and get the key. Put the HDD back in the PC.

2 - Download a Linux Bootable LiveCD that can access NTFS onto another PC, burn it, boot to it, and do same as above (except moving the HDD part). If the document is in a format that can't be opened by a Linux program (may/may not?) then copy it to a floppy and take it to a PC that can open it.

(edit - a PE e.g. BartPE may work just as well - PE=Preinstall Environment)

After you get the key, just start the PC up and it should resume where it left off.

HTH

Edited April 8, 2009 by submix8c