3 Ways to Activate Windows XP without Genuine Product Code

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 08:07

This wikiHow teaches you how to bypass the trial version of Windows XP, either using the built-in product key or a special program that can display your product code. Keep in mind that you should only use the following information if you are unable to activate it, even after you have purchased an official copy of Windows XP.

Note: The three methods presented in this article can be used simultaneously, depending on the situation:

1. Manually Changing Windows XP Product Code – Includes instructions on how to use the default product code to activate Windows XP.
2. Using the Windows Key Finder Program – Provides detailed steps for obtaining the product code from a device using the Windows Key Finder program.

3. Fix Windows Activation Loop – This step is only needed if you have reached the activation time limit and need to reset the timeframe.

   Step

   Method 1 of 3: Manually Changing Windows XP Product Code

   

   Step 1. Hold down Win. key and press the button R.

   The "Run" program will open and you will be able to access the computer's registry through the program.

   

   Step 2. Type "regedit" into the text field in the Run window

   

   Step 3. Press Enter key

   The Registry Editor tool will open.

   

   Step 4. Review the selection tree displayed on the left side of the screen

   You will need to browse through several of the folders shown here until you reach the destination folder.

   Since the registry stores most of your computer's sensitive system information, it's a good idea to back up the registry before proceeding with clicking on the menu " File ” and choose the option “ Export ” in the upper left corner of the screen first.

   

   Step 5. Expand the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder

   Note that you must click the “ + ” on the left side of the folder to expand it. Don't click on the folder itself.

   

   Step 6. Expand the “SOFTWARE” folder

   Each folder that needs to be expanded at this stage is in the previous folder (for example, the " SOFTWARE " folder is in the " HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE " folder, and so on).

   

   Step 7. Expand the "Microsoft" folder

   

   Step 8. Expand the “Windows NT” folder

   

   Step 9. Expand the "CurrentVersion" folder

   

   Step 10. Click the "WPA Events" folder

   Do not expand this folder. You can see the contents of the folder on the right side of the Registry Editor page in the program window.

   

   Step 11. Right-click the "OOBETimer" entry

   

   Step 12. Click Modify

   

   Step 13. Select the contents of " OOBETimer"

   There are several pairs and series of random numbers displayed on the screen.

   

   Step 14. Touch the Delete button

   After that, all displayed numbers or entries will be deleted.

   

   Step 15. Type in the new number

   Regardless of what you type, make sure you stick to a consistent format (e.g. if you delete four characters, you need to replace them with four characters).

   

   Step 16. Click OK button when done

   Changes will be saved afterwards.

   

   Step 17. Exit the Registry Editor tool

   

   Step 18. Reopen the Run program

   Note that you can hold down the Win key and press the R key to open it.

   

   Step 19. Type " %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a " in the Run window

   Remove the quotes from the entry. Enter this command to open the Windows XP activation wizard.

   For best results, simply copy and paste the command into the Run field

   

   Step 20. Click OK

   

   Step 21. Select the phone option

   This option is labeled "Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows" and has a clickable checkbox to the left of it.

   If you see the message " Windows XP is already activated ", manual code changes will not work. Please proceed to the Windows Key Finder method

   

   Step 22. Click Next

   

   Step 23. Click Change Product Key

   It's at the bottom of the "Activate" window.

   

   Step 24. Enter the Windows XP product code

   Keep in mind that you may need to try this step several times with different code.

   If you do not know which version of Windows XP your computer is currently running, consult the computer manual for verification before trying the relevant product code

   

   Step 25. Click Update

   A new Windows XP ID will be created for the computer. Once the process is complete, you need to confirm Windows XP activation.

   

   Step 26. Click the Back button

   

   Step 27. Check the “Activate Windows over the Internet” option

   With this option, you can quickly activate your version of Windows XP.

   Note that you may not be able to contact Microsoft with the " telephone a customer representative " option because Microsoft has discontinued support for Windows XP since April 8, 2014

   

   Step 28. Follow the instructions shown on the screen

   After completing the activation of Windows XP, you can use it without being locked out of the system.

   Method 2 of 3: Using Windows Key Finder

   

   Step 1. Open the Winkey Finder website

   Winkey Finder is a free, no-installation program that can find and retrieve Windows XP product codes.

   

   Step 2. Click the latest version of Winkey Finder

   As of January 2017, the latest version of the program is 2.0.

   Since this version is currently still in beta, you can also download the final version 1.75

   

   Step 3. Click Download Winkey Finder

   It's at the bottom of the Winkey version of the page.

   

   Step 4. Right-click the Winkey folder

   This folder is in the storage directory you selected when you clicked the “ Download ” (eg desktop).

   

   Step 5. Click Extract All

   All locked file contents will be extracted to the desktop.

   

   Step 6. Double-click the Winkey Finder folder

   This folder is the folder you just extracted.

   

   Step 7. Double-click the Win Keyfinder program file

   This file is the only executable (.exe ) file in this folder.

   

   Step 8. Review the Windows product code

   After running the Winkey Finder program, you can immediately see the Windows XP product code so that you can apply the code to the Windows activation tutorial when the operating system prompts you to update.

   To be on the safe side, make sure you take note of the product code when viewing it

   Method 3 of 3: Fixing Windows Activation Loop

   

   Step 1. Restart the computer

   You can restart the device from the “Start” menu, or hold down the computer's power button until the device turns off and press the button again.

   

   Step 2. Press the F8 key when the computer logo is displayed

   You should press the button as soon as the logo appears for the first time after restarting the computer.

   Keep holding down the " F8 ” until you see a menu of additional options.

   

   Step 3. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Command Prompt

   By running your computer in this mode, you can bypass the Windows activation loop long enough to allow you to reset the Windows XP trial timer.

   

   Step 4. Press Enter key

   You need to wait about a minute for safe mode to be activated.

   

   Step 5. Type "explorer.exe" into the Command Prompt program

   Remove the quotation marks surrounding the command.

   

   Step 6. Press Enter key

   You can see the dialogue window afterwards.

   You may need to wait for about a minute for the window to appear

   

   Step 7. Click the Yes button

   This button may be labeled “ OK Once clicked, the desktop interface is now accessible.

   

   Step 8. Hold down Win. key and press the button R.

   The Run program window will open for you to complete the loop repair.

   

   Step 9. Type in "rundll32.exe syssetup, SetupOobeBnk " (without the quotes)

   This command resets the Windows XP trial period clock/timer to 30 days.

   

   Step 10. Click OK

   

   Step 11. Restart the computer

   Once the welcome page finishes loading, you can log back into your computer without being stuck in the activation loop window.

   Tips

   Because official support for Windows XP has been discontinued since April 2014, you cannot speak to a customer service representative

   Warning

   • The linked product code may not work. In this situation, you need to use Winkey Finder to activate Windows XP.
   • Manually resetting the registry can only restore the Windows XP version to a 30-day trial version.