Please help me, either you'll know or you wont.

Greetings,

I've been a mac guy for quite some time, and I have the need to install Windows at this time for a specific application. Long ago, when I left the Windows world, I had created a slipstreamed sp2 disk using some program that I can't recall the name of to do that.

I had a Windows XP Pro license and Copy of SP1 from an old Dell I owned and used that disk to make an ISO and slipstream SP2 into it. I went on a scavenger hunt for that slipstreamed disk through all my old PC stuff I haven't touched in years, and I did find it, unfortunately, and somewhat uncharacteristically, I didn't write the license key on the front of the disk.

So here I sit trying to use Parallels on Mac to install Windows, but my unattended install off this old slipstreamed SP2 disk is prompting me for that CD key, so I'm wondering how to find it within the disk, or if it's even possible. I am 100% certain that I created the disk that way because I used it to reinstall Windows so many times on my PC when I had it and never entered a key.

In the research I did, the only thing I found was telling me to find the unattended.txt file on the disk. That, however, does not exist. This bums me out because it's a 100% legit license key that I paid for when I bought that Dell so many years ago.

Any help anyone can give would be great and much appreciated.

Thanks
Agentphish

 

Usually the license keys are on the physical computers, on a windows sticker. Still have the old Dell? If it's not in unatennded.txt, and you didn't put the key in the disc image itself, then it's not on the image.

I'm not advocating piracy, but you could always just google for some keys. It would probably be faster than calling Microsoft and explaining the situation to them.

 

No i don't have the dell any more, that was more than several years ago.
I have to believe its in the image someplace because I specifically have used this disk on my old system many times to format and reinstall windows without having to enter a cd key

 

That Dell had an OEM license, and those are not transferable to new computers according to the installation agreement. Microsoft won't help you, and it's against the EULA, so we can't really help you either. Best bet is to buy a new copy of Windows. Sorry, thread is closed.