How to activate Windows XP without a genuine product key

Mytour will guide you on how to bypass the trial version of Windows XP using an available product key or by using software to detect the product key. Note: only apply the following methods if you have purchased a legitimate copy of Windows XP but are unable to activate it.

Press and hold ⊞ Win and press R. The "Run" program will open, where you can access the computer’s registry (database).

Press ↵ Enter. The Registry Editor tool will launch.

Browse through the options on the left side of the screen. You will need to navigate through a series of folders to reach the target folder.

• Since the registry holds most of the important system information, you may want to click on File and select Export from the top-left corner of the screen to back up the database before proceeding.

Expand the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder. Remember, to expand, you need to click the + symbol on the left of the folder, not just click the folder itself.

Expand the "SOFTWARE" folder. Each folder you need to expand will be located inside the previous folder (for example, the "SOFTWARE" folder is inside the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder, and so on).

Do not expand the "WPA Events" folder, but instead click on it. You will see the folder’s contents appear in the right-hand window of the Registry Editor.

Select the "OOBETimer" entry. This entry will contain several random pairs and sequences of numbers.

Click Delete (Delete). The value displayed here will be removed.

Enter a new number. The exact number you type doesn’t matter, but you need to maintain the consistency of the structure (for example, if you delete four characters, you should type four characters).

Click OK when you're done. The changes will be saved.

Open the Run dialog once more. Remember, you can use the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win + R.

Type "%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a" into the Run window without including quotation marks. This command will launch the Windows XP activation wizard.

• For optimal results, simply copy and paste this text into the Run field.

Tick the box next to the option "Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows".

• If you encounter the message "Windows XP is already activated", it indicates that manually changing the key was unsuccessful. In this case, try using the Windows Key Finder instead.

Enter the Windows XP product key. Note: you may need to try this step a few times with different keys.

• If you're unsure of which version of Windows XP your computer is using, check the computer's manual before entering the product key link.

Click Update (Update) to generate a new Windows XP ID for your computer. You will then need to confirm the Windows XP activation process.

Check the option "Activate Windows over the Internet" to speed up the activation process.

• Note that the "telephone a customer representative" option is no longer available since Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP on April 8, 2014.

Follow the on-screen instructions. Once Windows XP is activated, you can continue using the operating system without any lockout.

Go to the Winkey Finder homepage. Winkey Finder is a free, portable program that can identify and retrieve your Windows XP product key.

Click on the latest version of Winkey Finder. Version 2.0 is the latest as of January 2017.

• Since this version is still in beta, you may download the final version 1.75 instead.

Right-click on the Winkey folder. This is where the file was saved after you clicked Download (e.g., on the Desktop).

Click on Extract All to extract the contents. The locked files will be extracted to your desktop.

Double-click on the Winkey Finder folder. This is one of the files you just extracted.

Double-click on the Win Keyfinder program. This is the only executable (.exe) file in the folder.

View the product key. After running Winkey Finder, the Windows XP product key will appear immediately. You can use this key to activate the Windows XP activation wizard the next time Windows requests an update.

• If you're cautious, it’s a good idea to write down the product key on paper.

Restart your computer. You can do this from the Start menu, or you can simply hold the power button until the computer shuts off, then press it again to turn it back on.

Press F8 as soon as the computer logo appears. You need to do this as soon as the logo appears during the computer’s restart.

• Press F8 repeatedly until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears.

Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Booting into this mode allows you to bypass the Windows activation loop long enough to reset the trial period for your XP system.

Press ↵ Enter. Wait for about a minute or more for Safe Mode to load properly.

Type "explorer.exe" into the Command Prompt (without quotation marks).

Press ↵ Enter. A dialog box will appear.

• You may need to wait for about a minute or more for this window to show up.

Click on Yes (or it may also be OK). This will give you access to the desktop interface.

Hold the ⊞ Win key and press R. The Run tool will open, allowing you to complete this process.

Type "rundll32.exe syssetup,SetupOobeBnk" (without the quotation marks). This command will reset the Windows XP trial countdown to 30 days.

Click on OK.

Restart your computer. Once the boot screen finishes loading, you should be able to log in as usual without being stuck in the activation loop.

• Windows XP has not been officially supported since April 2014, so you can no longer contact a customer service representative for assistance.

• Using linked product keys may not be effective, in which case, you should use Winkey Finder to assist with activating Windows XP.
• Manually resetting the database will only restore Windows XP to a 30-day trial version.