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If I installed a Windows XP CD on my computer and I forget the product key, how do I go about fixing this problem?

Unfortunately, this is one of those types of problems that many people get to experience. It is one of the strategies that Microsoft uses to try and keep people from pirating a copy of the software. Unfortunately, it prevents people from activating Windows if they need to reinstall it. You have a few viable options for trying to retrieve the 25-character Windows Product Key code that you need. I’ll explain them below and you can try whichever method you want.

Obtaining the Windows Product Key from Microsoft

For those individuals who have retained their proof of ownership for the version of Microsoft Windows that they need the code for, contacting Microsoft is the obvious step. This company offers a replacement CD for those who can offer this proof of ownership. To contact the Supplemental Parts team at Microsoft, call 1-800-306-7561 in the United States and 1-800-933- in Canada on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 5:00 am and 7:00 pm Pacific Time. The customer service representative will inform you of the cost to replace the Windows CD including shipping and handling fees.

Obtaining the Windows Product Key Using Software

A few software applications are available for you to locate your Windows activation code. I haven’t tried them, so I can only suggest them and not vouch for them. They include:

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder

Windows Key Finders

Belarc Advisor

Obtaining the Windows Product Key from the Manufacturer of the Computer

If the Windows operating system that you were using had Windows XP installed on it and you received a back up CD with the 25-character windows activation code and you lost it, you can contact the manufacturer of the computer. Of course, you’ll need some type of documentation to prove that you purchased the computer. In some cases, the manufacturer might also have that information if you can provide him with dates and other pertinent details. Microsoft has provided a handy list of contact information for most of the major manufacturers located at Phone Information.

Alternative Methods for Obtaining the Windows Product Key

Although these tips won’t help you with your current problem since you installed Windows XP with a CD, they might be helpful to someone else reading this.

• If the computer came with the OS already installed, you can check on the outside of the tower for a small sticker with the 25-character code on it.
• The product key for Windows 95, 98, and NT 4.0 can be located in the registry using the “regedit” utility.

I want to customize my log on screen. Where do I insert the file and what extension does it need?

Customizing Windows Vista and XP Logon Screens

It looks like you can indeed change your logon screen in both Vista and XP (and apparently Windows 7, too) though you will need to download a free program called Logon Studio by StarDock.com. This program comes with built-in images that you can use or you can create your own. The Logon Studio program requires Windows XP or Vista (32-bit versions only), a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768, 10 MB of free hard disk space, and 512 MB of RAM.

Built-in images range from dainty flowers to aggressive flames. If you don’t like the built-in images, head to WinCustomize.com and check out the images uploaded by the user community. You’re likely to find many images from which to choose. In fact, currently there are over 400 pages of images listed with each page featuring eight images. That’s over 3000 images! Plus, if you want to use one of your own images, the software allows for that too.

A related product, Bootskins Vista by StarDock.com, is also available. This program requires Windows Vista, 10 MB of free hard disk space, 256 MB RAM, and the download of the Impulse download tool. Bootskin loads a beautiful image when Windows loads rather than the boring default that your computer currently displays.

While it may be possible to manually tweak the Windows logon, it looks to be a tricky and risky proposition. Since these tools are free, consider downloading and using them. You can download either program from a trust site such as CNET Downloads.

Customizing the Windows Wallpaper

On the other hand, if you simply want to customize your Windows wallpaper, that is something that you can easily do without downloading anything. Simply right-click the Desktop and choose Properties > Desktop (Windows XP) or Personalize > Desktop Background (Windows Vista). From there, browse your hard drive for your favorite picture or choose one of the built-in options. Be careful to choose one with a reasonable file size; otherwise you may experience performance issues.

Up to what date can I erase Windows Internet Explorer 7 Software Updates and Hotfixes for Internet Explorer 7 and Windows XP?

Removing Updates and Hotfixes from IE 7 and XP

Without knowing what each of the updates are, it is a little tricky to know for sure what the result of deleting them will be. One way to test the significance of the updates is to move them to the Recycle Bin but don’t empty the contents, then check how the program is working. If there are negative consequences, you can restore the fixes. Generally speaking, the updates for IE 7 and XP can be dealt with the following ways.

Remove IE 7 Updates and Hotfixes

As far as the Internet Explorer updates go, you can delete all the updates and hotfixes, uninstall IE 7, then download and install either a fresh version of IE 7 or a new version of IE 8. This seems to me the most effective way to clean up the system and streamline your programs. You should complete this step before updating your operating system Service Packs.

1. Start > Run > Open box type appwiz.cpl then OK > Choose IE7 > Remove
2. Remove all updates and hotfixes and reboot computer
3. Reinstall Internet Explorer 7 or 8

Remove XP Hotfixes and Install Service Packs

For the Windows XP hotfixes - you can have your operating system remove them automatically by installing the latest Service Packs as they are rolled in there. Before you do, you should do a little system cleanup to prepare for the updates.

1. Run Virus and Malware scans - make sure your system is clean
2. Defrag your drives

• My Computer > Choose Volume > Properties > Tools > Defragment Now > Defragment

1. Remove Temporary Internet Files

• Start > Control Panel > Internet Options > General > Delete Files > Delete All Offline Content

Now you can visit Windows Updates and install the latest Service Packs - for XP there are currently three. This should automatically delete the old hotfixes and replace them with the Service Pack updates. The updates are important for your system’s performance and compatibility, but running them as Service Packs should reduce the clutter and make them easier to handle.

We have a problem where, upon every boot, the computer asks us to select an operating system. We want to delete one so our laptop will boot normally once more. Help?

Windows XP Boot Sequence

In order to understand the message that your computer is presenting it might be useful to understand the boot up sequence generally. When you turn your XP system on, the computer follows a pre-determined start up process as follows:

• POST - power on self test
• Initial start up
• Boot loader
• Hardware detection and configuration
• Kernel loading
• User logon

Boot Order Configuration

The boot order configuration, the issue that you are experiencing, occurs during the second phase, the initial start up, when the computer is looking for and initializing settings from the CMOS memory - the computer’s internal power and memory source. When your computer reaches this stage, it finds information that there are two operating systems available to start up, and so asks you which you would like to use.

Edit the BOOT.INI File

In order to remove this prompt and allow Windows to boot with only one XP installation you can edit the BOOT.INI file without too much trouble.

1.  
   1. Click Start, then Control Panel
   2. Choose System, then Advanced
   3. Under Startup and Recovery, choose Settings, then Edit
   4. The boot.ini text file will open - do not be alarmed, it looks a bit intimidating but isn’t actually
   5. You should see two similar entries for XP - delete the bottom line that looks similar to this: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
   6. Save the boot.ini file
   7. Close and exit Settings
   8. Now you should visit Windows Updates to make sure that the operating system has the latest releases. Also, update your virus definitions and software, in case there are changes that were inadvertently saved to the other system installation. The odds aren’t high, especially if this situation only recently presented, but you should err on the side of caution.

Removing Operating System Installations from Other Windows Version

I hope this was helpful. The steps for removing operating system installations are similar in other Windows versions that use the boot.ini file system. However, when removing entries from the boot order in Windows Vista things change. Here is a link to a related post about the process for Vista. Good luck!

Related articles:

• Missing system32hal file
• Dual boot computer has too many choices

The computer gave a message that it couldn’t find its operating system so we tried reinstalling Vista. It started up, then asked which install we wanted, but only offered custom, which then took us to a screen stating that no drives were found - load driver to provide a mass storage driver - but we can’t find any driver CDs that seem to fit this description. Any tips?

Missing Hard Drive Controller Mass Storage Drivers

This is a fairly common reinstallation error for Vista and has to do with the 32 or 64-bit version you are trying to install. The most likely explanation is that you are installing the 64-bit version and have removed the drivers that you used to have during the process. There are ways to check your version through your software, but I’m not sure that you have that kind of access to your system right now - in any case, you can look on the operating system packaging to check if you are loading a 32 or 64-bit version.

32 versus 64-Bit Vista Operating Systems

Whichever version you had installed previously is the way you need to go this time as well, since there are differences that can be incompatible. However, there are a lot of devices that run better on Vista 64-bit only if you provide the hardware drivers that they need. In the mass storage situation, it is referring to missing controller drivers for your hard drive. And this takes us to your question: how to get those drivers.

Configure the Windows 64-bit Driver Installation

You might need to repeat the process you started to get back to the installation page that you need for this procedure.

1. If necessary, format the hard drive to remove the previous installation attempt
2. With the operating system disk in the drive, reboot the computer to re-install
3. Start the process from the 32-bit based mode - follow the prompts to Set Up
4. Now, when offered, choose a 64-bit target system
5. When you see the Setup page called Where Do You Want To Install Windows, choose Load Drivers
6. Find and choose the folder that has your 32-bit drivers for your hard drive/mass storage controller - you might need to consult your OS manual for specific steps
7. Choose the 32-bit driver, then Next
8. Now you will see a 64-bit drivers message
9. Choose Load Drivers again, and choose the 64-bit drivers, then Next
10. Choose the partition you want to install on, then follow the prompts to complete

Download the Missing Drivers from the Manufacturer

If this in unsuccessful, you can also find out the manufacturer of the computer’s hard drive and visit their website to manually download the drivers. Check your computer’s manual - or, if you have to - open the computer and look at the hard drive to identify its manufacturer, then go to the downloads and drivers page and save the available drivers to a disk. Then, when prompted by Windows, insert the disk to install the drivers. I hope this takes care of it, good luck!

I have an older Gateway computer. When I turn it on, it goes to the Microsoft screen and you can see it loading, then it goes to the user screen. But lately it gets stuck on the Microsoft screen. You can see the line going across, and across, but it never changes. Eventually, if it finally loads, I end up leaving my computer on because I am afraid it’s not going to start next time. What kinds of things can cause this?

Windows Slow Startup

I don’t blame you for leaving your computer running. After all, who has the free time to wait for Windows to load? However, something is going wrong somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the more common causes behind slow startup times.

Causes for Slow Startup Times

Many culprits can be to blame including a fragmented hard drive, a nearly full hard drive, excessive startup programs, a bloated Windows registry, spyware and viruses, and failing hardware. Your computer could have a combination of these errors.

Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter

Since your computer is currently running, let’s first do some basic maintenance by cleaning up the hard drive and defragging it. Your computer needs a certain amount of free disk space in order to function, so this is a good place to start. First, double-click on My Computer and look at the C:\ drive. Is it nearly full? If so, then that’s not helping matters. Right-click the C:\ drive and choose Properties. Click Disk Cleanup and clear up as much space as possible.

Once the drive has been cleaned up, use the Disk Defragmenter utility to defrag it. This article describes this tool:

System Tools: Defragmenter

Excessive Startup Programs

Another common contributor to startup issues is having too many programs loading up at boot up. It’s hard enough for Windows to load itself let alone all those extra computer programs. This article describes how to manage startup programs in detail:

Managing Startup Items

Bloated Windows Registry

The Windows registry is a huge index containing nearly all of the instructions that Windows needs in order to work with the computer’s installed components. It is constantly growing as new programs are installed, old ones removed, new hardware added, user settings changed, and so on. Unfortunately, when it gets too large, computer performance suffers. Plus, many of the instructions end up becoming obsolete or even damaged.

For example, what if you’ve since uninstalled a program, but the uninstallation didn’t complete successfully? Partial instructions could be left behind. When Windows starts up and receives those instructions, it tries its best to carry them out but since the program has been partially installed, it can’t find what it needs in order to carry out the mission. Windows may get stuck, generate an error, or work slowly as it goes through a series of unnecessary steps.

Because your computer is having major startup problems, I highly recommend a good registry cleaning. The article, Why Use a Registry Cleaning Tool, explains registry issues in greater detail.

Spyware and Viruses

Spyware and computer viruses are notorious for damaging system files and interfering with performance. If you have a reputable antivirus product on your computer, update it and run a full system scan. If you’re unsure about the reliability of your product, any of the following free tools would be a good place to start.

• Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
• BitDefender Scan Online
• Trend Micro House Call
• McAfee Free Scan

Failing Hardware

Finally, failing hardware can lead to slow start times. A qualified computer technician can diagnose your hardware to see if any of the computer’s components is failing. If your computer continues having startup issues after freeing disk space, removing startup items, cleaning the registry, and removing malware, then it’s time to let a professional take a look.