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How to change the Windows XP Product Activation Key Code
Since the release of Windows XP Professional, Microsoft has discovered
that the vast majority of illegitimate copies in use are using a small
handful of leaked "corporate" keys. In an effort to thwart these
illegitimate users, Windows XP Service Pack 1 (and possibly all future
updates) will not install on systems using these keys, and it is unclear
what additional steps Microsoft may take in the future. Microsoft claims
that legitimate licensed users of XP Professional should be unaffected,
however there are a number of different ways one of these leaked keys
can find it's way into an otherwise legal environment and cause serious
deployment issues. (When a legitimate corporate key is not at hand
during an installation process, it's a common practice for some
administrators to simple search the web for a valid key.) Here's how to
check if your systems are using a leaked key, and how to change the
product activation key if they are.
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators
with legitimate corporate licenses for Windows XP Professional. It is
not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to
crack the product ID on a pirated version of the Operating System.
Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with
modifying the Windows XP registry, and please use this information
responsibly. ^cYcLo^ is not responsible for the use or misuse of
this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal
injury. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS'
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the
entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.
How to find your your Product Key
During the installation of Windows XP Professional, you are prompted to
enter a 25 digit Windows XP Product Key, which Windows XP promptly
converts it into the system's product ID. Because of security concerns
about piracy, Microsoft does not provide a tool that allows you to view
the Product Key (or CD Key) that was used to install the operating
system. Luckily, a clever guy named Serge Kandakov has created a simple
little tool called ViewKeyXP that gets around this problem and actually
displays the Product Key used in the installation. The file is a
standalone .exe and is 32kb in size.
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/tools/ViewKeyXP.exe
List of leaked Product Keys
Once you've discovered your Product Key, you need to check it against a
list of known leaked keys. Since Microsoft has not yet released a list
of keys blocked by Service Pack 1, we've compiled a list of keys that
are commonly available on the web and are most likely to cause issues
with SP1
The primary code used in the majority of pirated XP copies is:
FCKGW RHQQ2 YXRKT 8TG6W 2B7Q8
This code has been commonly referred to as "DevilsOwn" code, by the
hacker who distributed it (along with an ISO CD image of Windows XP) on
Usenet warez groups. This is the primary key code that is expected to be
blocked by Service Pack 1
Other codes that have been leaked on the web and may not work with SP1
are:
BX6HT MDJKW H2J4X BX67W TVVFG
CDWVP GBJRG PDJRG YGCMB HCGG3
RK7J8 2PGYQ P47VV V6PMB F6XPQ
RBDC9 VTRC8 D7972 J97JY PRVMG
RJPBQ 76B6V HDFJY 3BRR3 9DBXW
E7G7A XEM0Q SD1FW E15S7 BELMN
TFCKG MY9T6 9DWY2 9WB3B G8Q7D
JJWKH 7M9R8 26VM4 FX8CC GDPD8
KR2X8 M8MGV FQBRR 322YQ QPM2Y
BXCTM R899Y QH8H8 26PXH BMC7B
BQJG2 2MJT7 H7F6K XW98B 4HQRQ
CMGRR XCBMG 4P8TB DR9FW 62PFB
HMTWJ VPPWP 9BXP8 WD73Y GGT6M
KWQ2C 4GPMH FTRMR 7JQGD 688TT
DMGW7 3XBTD 3VV7C 83RQD KHX66
M9W3X RJD63 2WFRH 72X6G HXD36
4QF63-CQ234-JMFXK-3CDDG-Q66JG
8FK2M-383CY-MWD7F-G2K8Y-R6HTK
MJTT4-XFP6F-WGRWQ-XV2CR-34G9J
XXPBP-7WD34-TTJH8-KGDRD-DFJR7
3V3QM-C6GQG-QK2FC-JTBP8-M6KDM
WH23V-T24RF-C8GH8-GHDFJ-BXJYF
6PKKK-BPVHM-722FT-M82TW-GR7XC
8Y6DR-PK3XY-FHVJ2-HKQ8T-MDBM6
PX6QC-4KCKF-BC2QT-HHVJ6-YVCDR
HQMHY-FX63M-KGTGH-HP8PW-DJX34
YPW48-RWTBQ-4JR62-WRPG2-GD6GM
HB8BG-R6KCG-YYJFP-KTJ7D-B9GJY
YMC8V-BFX4W-WGTPJ-8H8VR-YPRTC
2VF2C-W4Y8R-YBTDX-JJVKR-GM2XQ
YQVDH-TD3QY-YVBXC-MW7T6-HTHPT
QRPBC-D8W8P-P2WDC-KD8FG-D2DBQ
3VV32-X2YTF-Y4X3D-FYFY8-QXCD7
74R6B-RDYXV-837FG-W7W3Y-KX3V3
44CWJ-8Q6KC-WMFY7-VRCK4-TH3Q3
G2JW3-QC6VR-8Y3K3-XCPWY-9CDP8
3MTCD-D4FJB-G6423-XT8K8-R7VQP
WGCQ7-G3W3M-YBQHK-GV6WQ-6VG6Q
2TR3W-CJPMF-TP27J-7MT8F-96TD8
DFR86-3TVBF-FR3PM-R7BCP-RKW6G
J72KG-74JCT-PB7G6-3TDPX-6R8WQ
DGC6R-4WDVJ-Y7YFH-VJBCK-WCK2R
73TB7-BRJT4-6WDPT-YBJM6-YKVK8
8X6FD-Q8GK2-2KC4T-TXFB7-P6TCC
4TCTC-WGWHT-TC83R-FTMGC-G6MM3
2KTGW-K763X-3PVMB-FJ7KG-9KCYK
4JKJF-TGX7V-WVMDP-Y8YD7-QT4M2
T2DCJ-TPGMR-Y8FC6-QQWWB-2FF6D
V4GWJ-WF6MY-B6F34-HBVXY-8VQT3
6R4HF-DBP3H-7TK2D-8F84J-XK4FG
VFGDT-XGYJY-BC326-TW7QB-Y2QVC
CGQ7Y-33BMG-GMRF8-PMCMC-2TW8D
MGF64-PG8XG-XBFTF-W84DT-YDYW7
844J8-VHGH4-T243T-DHWBQ-XP84J
BYBTF-64WBR-HKCVJ-KVWRX-T4P4V
X6PBC-MM6KV-T7336-V36PC-JX8VF
TV487-CTJ7B-KY7BH-CGXPR-X7BG3
JVYJP-6JKFM-R8JTW-X3XCH-FC6KH
MFJVF-CTVTJ-JTJ77-7BC83-86VW8
RCVV7-2WKDJ-VFXTX-2HM2J-7R2X8
3FRBP-3QFQD-3VTF6-PM8PY-CDRKX
P2H7V-4VK6Y-7B3QW-27FJY-4BCDM
P4VYK-JMQ4J-PB2Q8-CJ3YB-MCGCW
FH3MW-BP7TR-JRDQF-TCMH2-4YD9F
82VJ3-PB4JR-QPDXV-77VRC-8WRFX
DCJM2-4FJQ8-FH46R-WMPDF-4MJ64
YXPGY-FQHT2-7MHPD-FJ3R3-8PPKB
GXYXB-M46X6-BCVJ3-3RR7K-F6TTM
M8W23-CM7TD-DJWV4-KTTB2-99B7K
8GKGV-B6FKM-2JVM3-KJ842-TP7QY
DPQFT-GYD77-X72G7-KFCP6-K9P4T
HY2DM-YFFDH-M7P8R-XGG4J-63W3Y
WHBV2-GQC8P-3CC4G-GYWPK-G7PRT
G6QBR-P3DDJ-7MDJ7-7X8FT-F2CH6
MWB32-G7RB6-4QWH3-GP2V2-BJB83
VJKTC-33Q7W-VMXPR-2JDTK-867CQ
84RQJ-VPYTV-3C3W2-8G23P-F6H2M
JJXM8-GCD2F-VGYPB-RTMGB-DMTQ2
BGDJ6-KWFBB-QVD8W-FBBBQ-Y8HYR
VKK8Q-Q2BX7-VCJKM-MTDMJ-B3BM7
VKK8Q-Q2BX7-VCJKM-MTDMJ-B3BM7
4M66H-8F4F3-BGMG4-8YVTG-VM6T3
XK2FP-JG3CG-34B6M-J36CM-BK9F4
RJ8JJ-48HCP-2F6VW-RJXQ2-2GD9B
PTBMT-KRJGP-6YKCQ-7FX64-GQMVR
DCJ3Q-7RFYW-6H2P4-3W8CR-H43P9
TTP6P-QWBFJ-V3PG3-KXH4V-9WC7D
In addition, a hacker group named "Blue List" has created a Windows XP
Key Generator that is used to create corporate keys, that may have been
used on your network. There is no word yet if SP1's product key check
will affect systems using a key generated from this tool.
How to change your Product ID in Windows XP
If the product key used in your workstation installations matches the
leaked keys above, you may need to change the key in order to install
Windows XP service pack 1, and to make sure your environment is legal.
You could completely re-install Windows XP Professional or you can try
the method below. (Please backup your system before attempting this.)
This workaround is only for the corporate editions of Windows XP
Professional using a compromised or illegitimate key. Windows XP Home
Edition and retail versions of XP Professional should not be affected by
Service Pack 1. Although this procedure may work with other versions of
XP, we have only tested it on the corporate edition (volume license
version) of Windows XP Professional.
>>>>>> WARNING <<<<<<
This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before
you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you
understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs.
To change the product ID
Backup your system state by clicking Start > Run > and typing ntbackup >
Click the Advanced Mode button in the Backup Utility Wizard. >Click the
Backup tab, then in Click to select the check box for any drive, folder,
or file that you want to back up, select the System State
Click Start > Run > and type in Regedit
Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\wpaevents
Double-click OOBETimer
Remove the 'ca' part from the value. (Changing or deleting any of the
binary values will accomplish the same effect)
Click OK and close regedit
Click Start > Run and type in: %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
Choose the 2nd option (phone activation)
Click Change Product Key (at the bottom)
Enter your valid Corporate Product Key
Press Update and close the window
Restart your computer
Verify the change
After the workstation restarts, click Start > Run
Type in: %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
Make sure the dialog box says 'your copy of windows is already
activated'
If you performed the above steps incorrectly, or used an invalid key,
your system may not be able to boot. Use the F8 key to boot to the last
known good configuration and retry with a valid key
Additional Thoughts...
We are hoping that Microsoft provides a tool for checking machine
product ID's on an Enterprise level (either via SMS or another reporting
tool) prior to the release of Windows XP SP1. Perhaps they'll see their
way to making a tool that can verify and change the Product Keys
remotely as well. For now, Microsoft has contacted the corporate
customers whose keys have leaked onto the web, but has debunked stories
that it is changing volume license keys, or the algorithm used to create
them.