Lost OEM product key

My HP Desktop came with an OEM Windows 98 installed. It crashed so I used the
CD to restore the system to its original configuration.

Now it is asking for the Windows 98 product key code before it will activate
it; but I have none. The computer now gives two choices. Enter the product
key code or shut down.

HP said that since the product is out of warrantee they couldn’t help but
will charge me $65.00 to talk about it.

If Microsoft will no help how can I get an OEM product key?

If I give up and buy XP will it install in spite of the problem with the win
98 product key?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Frankie

"Frankie" wrote in message
...
My HP Desktop came with an OEM Windows 98 installed. It crashed so I used
the
CD to restore the system to its original configuration.

Now it is asking for the Windows 98 product key code before it will
activate
it; but I have none. The computer now gives two choices. Enter the product
key code or shut down.

HP said that since the product is out of warrantee they couldn’t help
but
will charge me $65.00 to talk about it.

If Microsoft will no help how can I get an OEM product key?

If I give up and buy XP will it install in spite of the problem with the
win
98 product key?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Frankie

"Frankie" wrote in message
...

My HP Desktop came with an OEM Windows 98 installed. It crashed so I used
the
CD to restore the system to its original configuration.

Now it is asking for the Windows 98 product key code before it will
activate
it; but I have none. The computer now gives two choices. Enter the product
key code or shut down. . . .

1. We need to prepare for reinstalling, e.g. by
reviewing http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
HP computers present special problems, since they
supply a RESTORE custom disk instead of a
standard SETUP disk for the operating system.

2. The product key is stored in the Registry, and can
be recovered via

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/inst..._in_regist.htm
If your PC now will start Windows at all (e.g. in Safe
Mode, keying F8 or Ctrl during reboot) you can find
and write down the Product Key

Independent users might think that HP would have
the gumption to program its RESTORE function so
that users with a valid CD did not to type in the
product key. But it is rarely a good idea to impute
common sense to profit-seeking PV vendors . . . .

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

The restore CD probably formatted the drive and, if so, the product key
would be difficult to recover from the system. MS no longer supports W98 so
use google.com to find a key.

--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Frankie" wrote in message
...
My HP Desktop came with an OEM Windows 98 installed. It crashed so I used
the
CD to restore the system to its original configuration.

Now it is asking for the Windows 98 product key code before it will
activate
it; but I have none. The computer now gives two choices. Enter the product
key code or shut down.

HP said that since the product is out of warrantee they couldn't help but
will charge me $65.00 to talk about it.

If Microsoft will no help how can I get an OEM product key?

If I give up and buy XP will it install in spite of the problem with the
win
98 product key?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Frankie