want to find 95/98 OEM number

[wakubi]

Does anyone know where (if its possible)to find, in DOS, the windows 95/98 OEM number.
I ask because people give me there dead PC's to fix. Sometime I need to reinstall and I need to start using legal numbers.

Thanks,

Julian

 

[Comtech]

Edit the system.dat file in c:\windows
It's a hidden file, so you need to change it's attributes first.
Make sure you have himem loaded as well, as the file is too big (usually) to fit in base 64k.
The search is for "productkey" in 98, not sure about 95. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[butchrecon]

Under Win98 run regedit and go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion and look for the Productkey value. This will give you the key for Win98. Win 95 do the same except look for OEMnumber.

Or you can do as comtech states. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[wakubi]

Thanks Jim,

Does anyone know how to do the same for Win95 or in fact for any other OS's or applications.

Butchrecon - im not sure you understood my question. I need to get the number while in DOS from PC's that for whatever reasons, do not boot.
I get sent PC's in various states of disrepair. I have to reinstall often, some of which I can boot and get the OEM numbers. Others, windows is too corrupt and wont let me in.
Im asking where to go in DOS. Wheres are the numbers held.

Thanks anyway..

Julian

 

[edfair]

In some cases you'll have to reload windows with a bogus number in a different directory to be able to get to the number from the original system file.
I've quit fighting the problem. I reload with a bogus number with disclaimers that the user is responsible for getting a legitimate number with appropriate legal safeguards signed by them.
Some of these are the idiots that throw away hardware and software manuals and then cry. Some are innocent victims of the great preloaded software scam.
Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Comtech]

In 98, it's "productkey", if it's an OEM number, just search for "OEM", in 95, it should be "productid", but careful here, if Office (or other MS product) is installed, you'll have multiple "productid" numbers to sort through.
Either way, it's in SYSTEM.DAT Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[Kspade]

in win 95, edit the same file but instead of searching for "productkey" you can searc for "-oem-" and you will find it!it is a different type of number for 95 than 98
98 has 5 sets of 5 digits:
xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
not so with 95, 95 is:
xxxxx-OEM-xxxxxxx-xxxxx I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every moment of it.

 

[michigan]

It's not possible to find an OEM number in DOS mode.

 

[wakubi]

it is.. I tried Comtech's method and it works.
Thanks everyone for such a speedy response.

Julian

 

[onsite]

All those ways work, but I believe this program is the best way to find out lots windows info from DOS.

http://www.62nds.co.nz/cgi-bin/x/e2110.html?aakdp

 

[fenix]

I found the product key in the registry, but when I try to open edit system.dat in the different Dos modes, the editor opens but I get this message: 'out of far memory' Never saw this one, could it have to do with my having a defined swap file? What does this mean? (Just going through this stuff for learning. thx.) (98 SE)

 

[Comtech]

Nope, the "out of far memory" means that you are trying to load a 4 meg file in 640k of base RAM.
Make sure that himem.sys is loaded first, and you won't have any trouble. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[fenix]

Hi Jim, Re: out of far memory advice, would you mind telling me how to accomplish what you advised with making sure himem.sys is loaded first. When I type it after a C:\prompt, or a C:\windows>it says bad command.

Under the C:\ in Dos, Config.sys pointed me to Config.tsh

I thought since it's in my config.tsh file that it is already loaded. My config.tsh reads:

device-c:\essolo.sys
device=c:\windows\himem.sys
device=c:windows\emm386.exe noems
dos=high,umb,auto
fileshigh=80
buffershigh=40,4
devicehigh=c:\windows\system\cpqidecd.sys /d: idecd001
shell=c:\command.com /p /e:2048

I use 98 SE, thx again

 

[edfair]

should be in c:\config.sys. This is a loadable device driver, not a program. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[spacecowboy1]

himem.sys is a device driver? what device?

:->

 

[Comtech]

Himem.sys loads upper (beyond 64k base RAM) memory management.
In the config.sys file, put this line: device=c:\windows\himem.sys Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[fenix]

Hi Jim, I'm not sure if you read my previouys post that this line is in Config.tsh. When I pull up the config.sys window via sysedit in run , it says do not edit this file, it is used for a placeholder. Does not the config.tsh line mentioned load himem.sys ?

 

[Comtech]

Config.tsh has absolutley nothing to do with the problem. ONLY the config.sys file. The .tsh is a backup made by windows as a "TroubleSHooting" file.
You don't NEED either, and the "don't edit" is a stupid warning. Delete config.tsh, and edit any line in autoexec.bat or config.sys that references ANYTHING to do with .tsh then edit the config.sys the way you want it. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/