For most Windows XP installs, yous'll never need to worry nigh the validity of the production central assigned to your copy of the Bone. Withal, software does tend to get installed without authorization, even in the most carefully managed shops, and so from fourth dimension to time you may demand to reset the XP product key.

For example, perhaps a user installed a pirated copy of XP but at present wants to go legal. Maybe yous've been hired past an arrangement that installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing fundamental (VLK). Mayhap an end user purchased an additional retail license for XP but needs to utilize his original CD to install the software. When situations like these arise, changing XP'due south product primal is often the nearly practical—or simply—solution.

Determining if you lot have a valid product ID
Hopefully you already know if you're dealing with a pirated re-create of XP. But if you're unsure, a quick style to tell is to install Service Pack 1. Presently after releasing Windows XP, Microsoft realized that most pirated XP installations were using ii specific VLKs, the most popular of which begins with "FCKGW." These VLKs produce production IDs that lucifer either XXXXX-640-0000356-23XXX or XXXXX-640-2001765-23XXX, where X is whatever number.

If yous endeavor to install SP1 and go the following error bulletin:

The Product Key used to install Windows is invalid. Delight contact your organisation administrator or retailer immediately to obtain a valid Product Key…"

You are dealing with a pirated copy of Windows. For more than information nearly obtaining a valid product key, see Microsoft Knowledge Base commodity 326904.

You tin can besides direct check the OS'sproduct ID by correct-clicking on My Reckoner, clicking Backdrop, and selecting the General tab. The machine's production ID will exist 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 production key before proceeding. None of the procedures described below volition work without a legitimate production key.

Two methods of changing Windows XP'south production central
You can change a Windows XP installation's product central either by editing the registry or by using ane of ii Windows Direction Instrumentation (WMI) scripts. The registry editing method is outlined in Noesis Base of operations 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 piece of work on Corporate Edition installations that use a VLK and practise not crave activation. It may work on a Abode or Professional person installation, but I accept 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 lot choose, make sure to backup of import data before changing a product ID, since an unexpected problem could render the auto unbootable and necessitate a complete reinstallation of Windows.

Alarm


The following instructions involve editing your system registry. Using the Windows Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that crave the reinstallation of your operating system and possible loss of information. TechRepublic does not support problems that arise from editing your registry. Use the Registry Editor and the post-obit directions at your own run a risk.

Editing the registry
Brainstorm by opening the Registry Editor and navigating to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents

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 ix or to a alphabetic character from A to F, so click OK and close the Registry Editor. This renders the current product fundamental invalid and deactivates Windows.

Now, it's time to reactivate Windows using your new product cardinal. Click Kickoff | Run and enter the control:
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe /a

where %systemroot% is your Windows directory. In many cases, this control volition look like:
C:\windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

At this point, Windows will launch the Product Activation Wizard.

Effigy A

Select the option to telephone a Microsoft customer service representative to activate Windows, every bit shown in Figure A, and click Next. Now, select the Change Product Key pick 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, merely select the Remind Me Later option. When the wizard is finished, reboot the system.

Effigy 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 accept XP Corporate, no activation is required and your machine should accept a valid product ID. You can verify this by running the %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a control again. When the wizard loads this time, you should meet a message indicating that your copy of Windows has already been activated.

Using a WMI script
Although the registry editing procedure is effective, it can be tedious and impractical if you demand to change the product key on more than than a few machines. And so Microsoft provides ii WMI scripts, 1 for XP machines with SP1 and 1 for XP machines without SP1.

View the code for the WMI script, ChangeVLKey2600.vbs, designed for utilise 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'due south code into a text file and save it as either ChangeVLKey2600.vbs or ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs. The scripts tin can act in conjunction with a valid product key every bit part of a login script to change the product ID on multiple machines. You tin also execute the script from the command line to alter the primal on a single computer.

For instance, if you wanted to change the production key on an XP automobile without SP1 and had already saved the script to root directory on the C: drive, you would click Start | Run and enter the following control:\
C:\changevlkey2600.vbs xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Of course, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx in this scenario is a valid product primal.

The script should have only a few seconds to run and won't prompt you for further action unless in that location's a problem, such every bit an invalid product fundamental. As with the registry editing method, yous tin can verify that Windows is at present using a valid product cardinal by running the command:
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

The Product Activation Wizard will load and should tell you that your copy of Windows has already been activated.