Long long ago from a newspaper ad I bought a Windows 98SE Disk and when I Install it - it had no need for product key.
Does this mean it's a volume issue disc?
No Product Key Needed Windows 98SE Install - Bought for $100
ilove on 31/10/2023 - 21:21
Last edited 31/10/2023 - 22:04 by 1 other user
Last edited 31/10/2023 - 22:04 by 1 other user
Comments
I bought it for $100 thinking I need a genuine key and the CD had no key…
Well, when you get that 33.6kbps dial up modem hooked up you could probably google other 20 year old questions also
some people do… recreate bulletin boards….
or download a tutorial and play it on Realplayer
What did you need it for?
That is correct.
Unless it is for a certain series of PCs such as HP, Compaq etc which had key burnt into BIOS.
I threw that away ……..but I wish i didn't. I got a working (sort of ) windows 98se machine that i like though)
what is your use case in running this machine? … sounds like nostalgia / antique store (/etc).
Or is it to help run certain software (eg. some databases within a business).These days … if ppl want to run such OS - generally they run it in a VM setup.
isn't there a huge retro scene in OLD PC machines…..?
@ilove: personally I haven't seen that. But you may know more than me.
although - there is certainly a retro scene in terms of playing old games from the past.
Either VIA VM … or dosbox.I still occasionally play an old game I grew up with - roughly late 1990's - to early 2000's … and play this VIA dosbox on a win 10 machine.
@ilove: if you think you can make money from it … then why not.
"one person's trash - is another person's treasure" … as the saying goes.
Most likely a slipstreamed version of the CD with the key populated as part of the installer.
It was all the rage back then.
so it does have a key then… is it a legit copy? released by Microsoft?
Generally 'legit' copies require you to enter the key ;)
long long ago from a newspaper ad I bought a Windows 98SE Disk
25 years ago?
20 plus years.
You don't also ask about 20 plus year old software randomly?
Come to think of it, im starting to wonder now if Winamp ever actually kicked a llamas ass…..… a LLaMA kicked, every time you started Winamp - and then it fought back :( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLaMA
newspaper ad?
no product key needed Windows 98SE install - Bought for $100
Just contact your bank and do a chargeback.
*bankcard or diners club, since it's 98SE
Charge back for polly?
Its propably an oem installation. Alot of em didnt need keys when used for businesses back in the day.
Too bad it's not Windows 95 as you can make ChatGPT generate those keys quite easily.
I still have my first Win95 CD with the genuine key written on a slip inside the case.
Just in case of apocalypse.
You don't even need ChatGPT for that. The code algorithm has been well known for decades. I used to generate unique Win95 & NT4 codes off the top of my head as they are so simple once you knew the format.
ChatGPT is the fun way of doing it because if you ask to generate a Win95 key it will flat out refuse. Ask it to do the algorithm and it'll do it no problem. Then you tell ChatGPT it's given out a Win95 key and it will flat out deny that's possible.
It's not that smart thankfully.
I’m up for a game of Wolfenstein when you get it running.
Of all the stupid shit… Just use the copy you have, I hardly think MS are going to come after you for using a cracked copy of a 25yo operating system they no longer support.
On a side note, that $100 back then is roughly equivalent to $190 today…
On a side note, that $100 back then is roughly equivalent to $190 today
Or about $2k of you'd bought Microsoft shares
Stay where you are, the cops are on their way to arrest you for pirating highly valuable software.
I’m a lawyer. Don’t say anything until
I get there!
First though, you need to deposit some Crypto in my wallet as a… deposit.
It's windows 98se… Questioning what licence it had from a 20+ years ago purchase is indeed perplexing.
Do you have a spare Intel Pentium 233Mhz you need to find a use for?