
But if you’re unsure, a quick way to tell is to install Service Pack 1. Hopefully you already know if you’re dealing with a pirated copy of XP.

When situations like these arise, changing XP’s product key is often the most practical-or only-solution.ĭetermining if you have a valid product ID Perhaps an end user purchased an additional retail license for XP but needs to use his original CD to install the software. Maybe you’ve been hired by an organization that installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing key (VLK). 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.įor example, perhaps a user installed a pirated copy of XP but now wants to go legal.

Get IT Done: Change the product key on Windows XPĬhange the Windows XP product key by editing the registry or using a Microsoft WMI scriptįor most Windows XP installs, you’ll never need to worry about the validity of the product key assigned to your copy of the OS.
