The following is an excerpt from a highly informative web page from www.labmice.net. Kudos to the folks at labmice for putting together this useful information. However, it appears that this information is no longer available from them at the request of Microsoft. Again, I don't see how their web page violated any laws; references to products do not cause consumer confusion (not a trademark violation) and it has no copyrighted material (since you clearly can't copyright numbers or words or serial numbers). Also, while this is a large excerpt of one page from labmice, it is a very small portion of the information they provide on their web server (so should be within the limits of fair use and credit is given to the source). Anyway, hope you find this useful.

How to change the Windows XP Product Activation Key Code Since the release of Windows XP Professional, Microsoft has discovered that the vast majority of illegitimate copies in use are using a small handful of leaked "corporate" keys. In an effort to thwart these illegitimate users, Windows XP Service Pack 1 (and possibly all future updates) will not install on systems using these keys, and it is unclear what additional steps Microsoft may take in the future. Microsoft claims that legitimate licensed users of XP Professional should be unaffected, however there are a number of different ways one of these leaked keys can find it's way into an otherwise legal environment and cause serious deployment issues. (When a legitimate corporate key is not at hand during an installation process, it's a common practice for some administrators to simple search the web for a valid key.) Here's how to check if your systems are using a leaked key, and how to change the product activation key if they are.  Home > Windows XP         DISCLAIMER This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with legitimate corporate licenses for Windows XP Professional. It is not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack the product ID on a pirated version of the Operating System. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with modifying the Windows XP registry,  and please use this information responsibly. LabMice.net is not responsible for the use or misuse of this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.  How to find your your Product Key During the installation of Windows XP Professional, you are prompted to enter a 25 digit Windows XP Product Key, which Windows XP promptly converts it into the system's product ID. Because of security concerns about piracy, Microsoft does not provide a tool that allows you to view the Product Key (or CD Key) that was used to install the operating system. Luckily, a clever guy named Serge Kandakov has created a simple little tool called ViewKeyXP that gets around this problem and actually displays the Product Key used in the installation. The file is a standalone .exe and is 32kb in size. Click here to download it List of leaked Product Keys Once you've discovered your Product Key, you need to check it against a list of known leaked keys. Since Microsoft has not yet released a list of keys blocked by Service Pack 1, we've compiled a list of keys that are commonly available on the web and are most likely to cause issues with SP1 The primary code used in the majority of pirated XP copies is: FCKGW RHQQ2 YXRKT 8TG6W 2B7Q8  This code has been commonly referred to as "DevilsOwn" code, by the hacker who distributed it (along with an ISO CD image of Windows XP) on Usenet warez groups. This is the primary key code that is expected to be blocked by Service Pack 1 Other codes that have been leaked on the web and may not work with SP1 are: BX6HT MDJKW H2J4X BX67W TVVFG CDWVP GBJRG PDJRG YGCMB HCGG3  RK7J8 2PGYQ P47VV V6PMB F6XPQ  RBDC9 VTRC8 D7972 J97JY PRVMG  RJPBQ 76B6V HDFJY 3BRR3 9DBXW  E7G7A XEM0Q SD1FW E15S7 BELMN  TFCKG MY9T6 9DWY2 9WB3B G8Q7D  JJWKH 7M9R8 26VM4 FX8CC GDPD8  KR2X8 M8MGV FQBRR 322YQ QPM2Y  BXCTM R899Y QH8H8 26PXH BMC7B  BQJG2 2MJT7 H7F6K XW98B 4HQRQ  CMGRR XCBMG 4P8TB DR9FW 62PFB  HMTWJ VPPWP 9BXP8 WD73Y GGT6M  KWQ2C 4GPMH FTRMR 7JQGD 688TT  DMGW7 3XBTD 3VV7C 83RQD KHX66  M9W3X RJD63 2WFRH 72X6G HXD36 4QF63-CQ234-JMFXK-3CDDG-Q66JG  8FK2M-383CY-MWD7F-G2K8Y-R6HTK  MJTT4-XFP6F-WGRWQ-XV2CR-34G9J  XXPBP-7WD34-TTJH8-KGDRD-DFJR7  3V3QM-C6GQG-QK2FC-JTBP8-M6KDM  WH23V-T24RF-C8GH8-GHDFJ-BXJYF  6PKKK-BPVHM-722FT-M82TW-GR7XC  8Y6DR-PK3XY-FHVJ2-HKQ8T-MDBM6  PX6QC-4KCKF-BC2QT-HHVJ6-YVCDR  HQMHY-FX63M-KGTGH-HP8PW-DJX34  YPW48-RWTBQ-4JR62-WRPG2-GD6GM  HB8BG-R6KCG-YYJFP-KTJ7D-B9GJY  YMC8V-BFX4W-WGTPJ-8H8VR-YPRTC  2VF2C-W4Y8R-YBTDX-JJVKR-GM2XQ  YQVDH-TD3QY-YVBXC-MW7T6-HTHPT  QRPBC-D8W8P-P2WDC-KD8FG-D2DBQ  3VV32-X2YTF-Y4X3D-FYFY8-QXCD7  74R6B-RDYXV-837FG-W7W3Y-KX3V3  44CWJ-8Q6KC-WMFY7-VRCK4-TH3Q3  G2JW3-QC6VR-8Y3K3-XCPWY-9CDP8  3MTCD-D4FJB-G6423-XT8K8-R7VQP  WGCQ7-G3W3M-YBQHK-GV6WQ-6VG6Q  2TR3W-CJPMF-TP27J-7MT8F-96TD8  DFR86-3TVBF-FR3PM-R7BCP-RKW6G  J72KG-74JCT-PB7G6-3TDPX-6R8WQ  DGC6R-4WDVJ-Y7YFH-VJBCK-WCK2R  73TB7-BRJT4-6WDPT-YBJM6-YKVK8  8X6FD-Q8GK2-2KC4T-TXFB7-P6TCC 4TCTC-WGWHT-TC83R-FTMGC-G6MM3  2KTGW-K763X-3PVMB-FJ7KG-9KCYK  4JKJF-TGX7V-WVMDP-Y8YD7-QT4M2  T2DCJ-TPGMR-Y8FC6-QQWWB-2FF6D  V4GWJ-WF6MY-B6F34-HBVXY-8VQT3  6R4HF-DBP3H-7TK2D-8F84J-XK4FG  VFGDT-XGYJY-BC326-TW7QB-Y2QVC  CGQ7Y-33BMG-GMRF8-PMCMC-2TW8D  MGF64-PG8XG-XBFTF-W84DT-YDYW7  844J8-VHGH4-T243T-DHWBQ-XP84J  BYBTF-64WBR-HKCVJ-KVWRX-T4P4V  X6PBC-MM6KV-T7336-V36PC-JX8VF  TV487-CTJ7B-KY7BH-CGXPR-X7BG3  JVYJP-6JKFM-R8JTW-X3XCH-FC6KH  MFJVF-CTVTJ-JTJ77-7BC83-86VW8  RCVV7-2WKDJ-VFXTX-2HM2J-7R2X8  3FRBP-3QFQD-3VTF6-PM8PY-CDRKX  P2H7V-4VK6Y-7B3QW-27FJY-4BCDM  P4VYK-JMQ4J-PB2Q8-CJ3YB-MCGCW  FH3MW-BP7TR-JRDQF-TCMH2-4YD9F  82VJ3-PB4JR-QPDXV-77VRC-8WRFX  DCJM2-4FJQ8-FH46R-WMPDF-4MJ64  YXPGY-FQHT2-7MHPD-FJ3R3-8PPKB  GXYXB-M46X6-BCVJ3-3RR7K-F6TTM  M8W23-CM7TD-DJWV4-KTTB2-99B7K  8GKGV-B6FKM-2JVM3-KJ842-TP7QY  DPQFT-GYD77-X72G7-KFCP6-K9P4T  HY2DM-YFFDH-M7P8R-XGG4J-63W3Y  WHBV2-GQC8P-3CC4G-GYWPK-G7PRT  G6QBR-P3DDJ-7MDJ7-7X8FT-F2CH6  MWB32-G7RB6-4QWH3-GP2V2-BJB83  VJKTC-33Q7W-VMXPR-2JDTK-867CQ  84RQJ-VPYTV-3C3W2-8G23P-F6H2M  JJXM8-GCD2F-VGYPB-RTMGB-DMTQ2  BGDJ6-KWFBB-QVD8W-FBBBQ-Y8HYR  VKK8Q-Q2BX7-VCJKM-MTDMJ-B3BM7  VKK8Q-Q2BX7-VCJKM-MTDMJ-B3BM7  4M66H-8F4F3-BGMG4-8YVTG-VM6T3  XK2FP-JG3CG-34B6M-J36CM-BK9F4  RJ8JJ-48HCP-2F6VW-RJXQ2-2GD9B  PTBMT-KRJGP-6YKCQ-7FX64-GQMVR DCJ3Q-7RFYW-6H2P4-3W8CR-H43P9  TTP6P-QWBFJ-V3PG3-KXH4V-9WC7D  In addition, a hacker group named "Blue List" has created a Windows XP Key Generator that is used to create corporate keys, that may have been used on your network. There is no word yet if SP1's product key check will affect systems using a key generated from this tool. How to change your Product ID in Windows XP If the product key used in your workstation installations matches the leaked keys above, you may need to change the key in order to install Windows XP service pack 1, and to make sure your environment is legal. You could completely re-install Windows XP Professional or you can try the method below. (Please backup your system before attempting this.) This workaround is only for the corporate editions of Windows XP Professional using a compromised or illegitimate key. Windows XP Home Edition and retail versions of XP Professional should not be affected by Service Pack 1. Although this procedure may work with other versions of XP, we have only tested it on the corporate edition (volume license version) of Windows XP Professional.          >>>>>>  WARNING  <<<<<< This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs.   To change the product ID Backup your system state by clicking Start > Run > and typing ntbackup > Click the Advanced Mode button in the Backup Utility Wizard. >Click the Backup tab, then in Click to select the check box for any drive, folder, or file that you want to back up, select the System State Click Start > Run > and type in Regedit  Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\wpaevents Double-click OOBETimer Remove the 'ca' part from the value. (Changing or deleting any of the binary values will accomplish the same effect) Click OK and close regedit Click Start > Run and type in: "%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a" Choose the 2nd option (phone activation) Click Change Product Key (at the bottom) Enter your valid Corporate Product Key Press Update and close the window Restart your computer Verify the change After  the workstation restarts, click Start > Run  Type in: "%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a" Make sure the dialog box says 'your copy of windows is already activated' If you performed the above steps incorrectly, or used an invalid key, your system may not be able to boot. Use the F8 key to boot to the last known good configuration and retry with a valid key       Additional Thoughts... We are hoping that Microsoft provides a tool for checking machine product ID's on an Enterprise level (either via SMS or another reporting tool) prior to the release of Windows XP SP1. Perhaps they'll see their way to making a tool that can verify and change the Product Keys remotely as well. For now, Microsoft has contacted the corporate customers whose keys have leaked onto the web, but has debunked stories that it is changing volume license keys, or the algorithm used to create them. Then they have the usual copyright notifications which you can get by visiting the labmice site if you are interested. This page was last updated on March 7, 2005.