Reinstallation possible without re-entering product key?

My Media Center on my Vista Ultimate installation is seriously jacked up
(immediately crashes upon opening every time) and the only remedy I see is a
reinstallation of Windows. I don't want to do a clean install and have to
redo all my files and programs. Is it possible to do a reinstallation without
re-entering my product key? I can't seem to find my disk cover that had the
product key on it. Help/any other ideas? I'd be completely satisfied if I
could just get my Media Center to stop crashing on launching but I'm not sure
that's even possible anymore...

Try the free utility work at the following link to get the product key on
your system.

http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/


"BrandonR" <BrandonR@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CDFC9E1B-257B-4B60-B6B2-5E2437F26FA8@microsoft.com...
> My Media Center on my Vista Ultimate installation is seriously jacked up
> (immediately crashes upon opening every time) and the only remedy I see is
> a
> reinstallation of Windows. I don't want to do a clean install and have to
> redo all my files and programs. Is it possible to do a reinstallation
> without
> re-entering my product key? I can't seem to find my disk cover that had
> the
> product key on it. Help/any other ideas? I'd be completely satisfied if I
> could just get my Media Center to stop crashing on launching but I'm not
> sure
> that's even possible anymore...

Awesome thanks! I have another question. I'm assuming with Vista it's the
same story with you can only install this OS (with this product key) on so
many machines... Will Vista be smart enough to realize that I'm just doing a
reinstall and not count it towards that limit or will I need to do anything
else to make it aware that it's just a simple reinstall?

"Curious" wrote:

> Try the free utility work at the following link to get the product key on
> your system.
>
> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>
>
> "BrandonR" <BrandonR@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CDFC9E1B-257B-4B60-B6B2-5E2437F26FA8@microsoft.com...
> > My Media Center on my Vista Ultimate installation is seriously jacked up
> > (immediately crashes upon opening every time) and the only remedy I see is
> > a
> > reinstallation of Windows. I don't want to do a clean install and have to
> > redo all my files and programs. Is it possible to do a reinstallation
> > without
> > re-entering my product key? I can't seem to find my disk cover that had
> > the
> > product key on it. Help/any other ideas? I'd be completely satisfied if I
> > could just get my Media Center to stop crashing on launching but I'm not
> > sure
> > that's even possible anymore...
>

You can only use one license on one machine at a time. You will probably
have to use phone activation to explain what happened and then you will have
no problem
"BrandonR" <BrandonR@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:97086B58-6AED-4825-832C-6DB935821773@microsoft.com...
> Awesome thanks! I have another question. I'm assuming with Vista it's the
> same story with you can only install this OS (with this product key) on so
> many machines... Will Vista be smart enough to realize that I'm just doing
> a
> reinstall and not count it towards that limit or will I need to do
> anything
> else to make it aware that it's just a simple reinstall?
>
> "Curious" wrote:
>
>> Try the free utility work at the following link to get the product key on
>> your system.
>>
>> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>>
>>
>> "BrandonR" <BrandonR@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:CDFC9E1B-257B-4B60-B6B2-5E2437F26FA8@microsoft.com...
>> > My Media Center on my Vista Ultimate installation is seriously jacked
>> > up
>> > (immediately crashes upon opening every time) and the only remedy I see
>> > is
>> > a
>> > reinstallation of Windows. I don't want to do a clean install and have
>> > to
>> > redo all my files and programs. Is it possible to do a reinstallation
>> > without
>> > re-entering my product key? I can't seem to find my disk cover that had
>> > the
>> > product key on it. Help/any other ideas? I'd be completely satisfied if
>> > I
>> > could just get my Media Center to stop crashing on launching but I'm
>> > not
>> > sure
>> > that's even possible anymore...
>>