I'm currently running windows ME (yikes!) And would like to get windows xp on my computer
So I got this one disk of windows xp for free from a friend, who got it from this other guy in the U.S, The disk itself, is just a disk.. And when i turn on the computer and get onto windows me, I put in the disk and it shows me the whole "what do you want to do" thing. So i click 'install windows xp' Then it starts trying to install but then while it's installing this "please input 25 character product key" thing pops up. Not knowing what to do, I mail my friend and he doesn't really know what to do either, so of course i google "product key windows xp" Then it tells me I can find the product using "keyfinder" or whatnot, But what it does find is the product key of my windows me (aww man!) so then I open the disk and find 2 files, prodkey.ht &Prodkey.gi
so these are my questions:
1)Is there any program that would allow me to read the .ht or .gi file to be able to figure out the product key?
2)Is there any program that would find the product key from a cd?
3)Is there any other way to bypass the product key thing so i can just install it?
4)Is any of this illegal and should if it is, should i show my friend to the police and have them throw him in jail for piracy
btw, I'm getting a new computer in a week, with a real "in a box" type windows xp from a very reputable store and this computer is going to be sent to philippines to my uncle but i still want to install windows xp on it so i can test it out and figure out how to partition computers.
thx and p.s.
It's a windows xp pro (i think) with service pack 2 and my computer is 7 years old but has been able to run windows xp pro before.
So I got this one disk of windows xp for free from a friend, who got it from this other guy in the U.S, The disk itself, is just a disk.. And when i turn on the computer and get onto windows me, I put in the disk and it shows me the whole "what do you want to do" thing. So i click 'install windows xp' Then it starts trying to install but then while it's installing this "please input 25 character product key" thing pops up. Not knowing what to do, I mail my friend and he doesn't really know what to do either, so of course i google "product key windows xp" Then it tells me I can find the product using "keyfinder" or whatnot, But what it does find is the product key of my windows me (aww man!) so then I open the disk and find 2 files, prodkey.ht &Prodkey.gi
so these are my questions:
1)Is there any program that would allow me to read the .ht or .gi file to be able to figure out the product key?
2)Is there any program that would find the product key from a cd?
3)Is there any other way to bypass the product key thing so i can just install it?
4)Is any of this illegal and should if it is, should i show my friend to the police and have them throw him in jail for piracy
btw, I'm getting a new computer in a week, with a real "in a box" type windows xp from a very reputable store and this computer is going to be sent to philippines to my uncle but i still want to install windows xp on it so i can test it out and figure out how to partition computers.
thx and p.s.
It's a windows xp pro (i think) with service pack 2 and my computer is 7 years old but has been able to run windows xp pro before.