Restoring computer not a good idea

September 14, 2008

Okay, so I have this old Compaq Presario that is (well WAS) still

running Windows 98. I decided recently to try and sell it and since

there was still files and what not on it I figured I would restore it

using the QuickRestore cds. I have quite a few computers and I keep

everything on them. Disks, manuals, paperwork...whatever. So it restores

fine but then it wants the Product Key to Windows 98. I'm thinking no

problem...go to get it AND it's MISSING! I have all my other product

keys for the other computers but this one has somehow gone MIA! So now

I'm stuck with a computer that won't get pass this 'product key' screen

and I'm trying to see if there is any way, any way at all that I can

somehow either roll back to the previous state or find that key

(hopefully in a registry file somehow) I've read that in a normal state

you go to your 'regedit.exe' and you can get it from there but I've

tried to put in safe mode and of course there's no key to be found

there. Is there any hope at all for this??

--

lilime

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September 15, 2008

Re: Restoring computer not a good idea

lilime wrote:

| Okay, so I have this old Compaq Presario that is (well WAS) still

| running Windows 98. I decided recently to try and sell it and since

| there was still files and what not on it I figured I would restore it

| using the QuickRestore cds. I have quite a few computers and I keep

| everything on them. Disks, manuals, paperwork...whatever. So it

| restores fine but then it wants the Product Key to Windows 98. I'm

| thinking no problem...go to get it AND it's MISSING! I have all my

| other product keys for the other computers but this one has somehow

| gone MIA! So now I'm stuck with a computer that won't get pass this

| 'product key' screen and I'm trying to see if there is any way, any

| way at all that I can somehow either roll back to the previous state

| or find that key (hopefully in a registry file somehow) I've read

| that in a normal state you go to your 'regedit.exe' and you can get

| it from there but I've tried to put in safe mode and of course

| there's no key to be found there. Is there any hope at all for this??

It's odd, when I did my own QuickRestore after a hard drive crash in

'01, no product key was requested. Something else was requested, & a

Compaq phone person said to "hold down CTRL and press 'R' three times"--

which worked. But that was on this Compaq 7470.

If you have honestly come by that computer & honestly have mis-placed

Compaq's "Getting Started: Microsoft Windows98 Second Edition" manual

that has your Certificate of Authenticity with a product key on the

front cover-- try one/more of the other product key's you've honestly

come by. After that -- if they come looking for you -- I'm sure 98 Guy

will add a cot for you in his Afghan cave!

| --

| lilime

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Thanks or Good Luck,

There may be humor in this post, and,

Naturally, you will not sue,

Should things get worse after this,

PCR

pcrrcp@netzero.net

September 15, 2008

Re: Restoring computer not a good idea

Wow...thank you for implying that I stole the computer. But HONESTLY it

is mine. And I HONESTLY do have the product codes for each computer I

own. I was hoping for advice from this forum, not to be accused of

wrongdoing.

--

lilime

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September 15, 2008

Re: Restoring computer not a good idea

lilime wrote:

> Wow...thank you for implying that I stole the computer. But HONESTLY

> it is mine. And I HONESTLY do have the product codes for each

> computer I own. I was hoping for advice from this forum, not to be

> accused of wrongdoing.

Get a grip. He didn't accuse you of anything and gave you a reasonable

answer.

--

dadiOH

____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...

....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from

LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.

Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

September 15, 2008

Re: Restoring computer not a good idea

You let me know when you like to be accused of stealing things. I'm a

reasonable person and he could've left out all the implications in his

answer then if he was trying to be so reasonable himself. And I've tried

the different codes from my other computers and they don't work.

Probably because my other computers are all for Win XP. This is the only

one that still has Win 98 on it. I guess I picked the wrong forum to try

and get help from.

--

lilime

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September 15, 2008

Re: Restoring computer not a good idea

"lilime" <lilime.3fr37c@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message

news:lilime.3fr37c@DoNotSpam.com...

>

> Okay, so I have this old Compaq Presario that is (well WAS) still

> running Windows 98. I decided recently to try and sell it and since

> there was still files and what not on it I figured I would restore it

> using the QuickRestore cds. I have quite a few computers and I keep

> everything on them. Disks, manuals, paperwork...whatever. So it restores

> fine but then it wants the Product Key to Windows 98. I'm thinking no

> problem...go to get it AND it's MISSING! I have all my other product

> keys for the other computers but this one has somehow gone MIA! So now

> I'm stuck with a computer that won't get pass this 'product key' screen

> and I'm trying to see if there is any way, any way at all that I can

> somehow either roll back to the previous state or find that key

> (hopefully in a registry file somehow) I've read that in a normal state

> you go to your 'regedit.exe' and you can get it from there but I've

> tried to put in safe mode and of course there's no key to be found

> there. Is there any hope at all for this??

Contact Compaq Support - unless you are sure this is not an OEM

version. Try other keys (use Google "Win98 product key").

Maybe even this one:

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=155727&messageID=1632057

All my Win9x CDs are repurposed (as well as the AOL ones

I get by mail) - they bother the crows.

Why not sell it with Linux on it?

September 15, 2008