Missing Product key

I purchased Win 98 SE Update several years ago and
subsequently lost the origianl case with the product key.
About a year or so ago I needed to reinstall Win 98 and
called Microsoft. I was given a key and wrote it down to
retain it. I just tried to reinstall the CD again using
the key I wrote down, but got a message this time saying
it was Invalid. What is the solution?

Make sure you are entering the information correctly (zero versus capital O
for example). If you are installing over the top of the existing system,
the product key in the system must match what you are inputting. If the
system is working in either safe or normal mode:

Open regedit.exe to this key and look in the right pane for the entry
ProductKey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion

If the system is not working, start the computer with a floppy startup disk.

At the A: prompt, type: C:\Windows\Command\Find /N "ProductKey"
C:\Windows\System.dat
(Note: ProductKey must be typed in upper and lower case letters as shown
and there is a space after: "Find" after: "/N" and after:
"ProductKey"

If the hard drive has been formatted or replaced, US customers can contact
Microsoft at: 1 800 642-7676. They will issue retail and OEM product keys
after verifying data located on the W98 CD.


--
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

"H H" wrote in message
...
I purchased Win 98 SE Update several years ago and
subsequently lost the origianl case with the product key.
About a year or so ago I needed to reinstall Win 98 and
called Microsoft. I was given a key and wrote it down to
retain it. I just tried to reinstall the CD again using
the key I wrote down, but got a message this time saying
it was Invalid. What is the solution?