WIn 98 product keys without CDs

Recently I picked up a grocery bag full of Windows 98 install CDs. These came in their original shrink wrap together with "getting started" booklets.



Also in the same bag came a bunch of booklets with COA product keys but without their CDs. Questions (probably fairly basic but I could not find definitive answers by googling or searching this forum):
1. Are those product keys stored on their accompanying CDs and do they basically get compared during install with they key you enter?
2. If the answer to the above is no, would it be legal to make multiple copies of one install CD and distribute those copies with the CD-less keys?

Thx

Mr. Wizard get me out of here! Proprietary Property Mr. B. Gates will say no way!

Originally Posted by ilyaz

Recently I picked up a grocery bag full of Windows 98 install CDs. These came in their original shrink wrap together with "getting started" booklets.

Also in the same bag came a bunch of booklets with COA product keys but without their CDs. Questions (probably fairly basic but I could not find definitive answers by googling or searching this forum):
1. Are those product keys stored on their accompanying CDs and do they basically get compared during install with they key you enter?
2. If the answer to the above is no, would it be legal to make multiple copies of one install CD and distribute those copies with the CD-less keys?

Thx

If I'm not mistaken a cd key can only be used x amount of times before it becomes invalid. Their just like cd keys on any other piece of software. The installer has a set of random numbers it'll accept to install and if the key is in range of these, it'll install. If not it won't accept it. Reguarding the install cd, you can but you may run into a problem where people scream piracy or whatnot so I'd be careful.

If the key is an OEM key, I believe it will work with an OEM disk. That said, don't waste your time. It is not even worth the trouble to load XP on a box. If you want a free OS, load Linux.

I take it that you have more "keys" than CDs?

To answer your question, as a couple other posters have stated, as long as the CD and the Key version match (OEM, 98SE, Upgrade), the install CD will take any of those Keys as long as they haven't been use more than two or three times.

As for making copies of discs, I wouldn’t do it, especially to sell.Although Microsoft really sells you a license to use their software and the “key” is that license.
But again, as other posters have stated, I’m not sure what kind of outlet you would have for them unless you can push them with much older systems overseas.

Those $25 Windows 7 things are almost guaranteed to be a fake.

As for Windows 98, there was no product activation, or validation. In theory, every Windows 98 computer ever built could have been installed on the same key. That would be illegal of course, but they would have booted. I'm not aware of any OEM disks for 98 that preloaded the key, but Dell did have one for ME (I used to work with old hardware a lot).

As for using them, I'd have to ask why? Linux is a much better choice for older PCs. I'm typing this on my Pentium M laptop (Basically, a glorified Pentium III with a couple of improvements), running a Linux OS that's supported through 2017.

Maybe somebody will pay for them, but I wouldn't know why.

Rest in peace, Windows 98. You were great!

matador: "Now considering the possibilities of selling floppy disks" - Just Kidding.

I own a computer service shop, so I've seen a lot of the fakes. I read up on the issue a while back. Anybody with an Internet connection can be a pirate.

As for eBay, a lot of people used to sell operating systems "with hardware". They'd just throw in a stick of untested RAM, and would call it a day.

As for eBay, this is the list of Windows 98s that were on eBay: windows 98 | eBay

Apparently, they still sell.

If the OP was looking to just burn a CD of Windows 98, and include one of them with the booklet, that's a big no-no legally. You may just be able to sell the booklets by themselves, but I can't help you much there. My last Windows 98 machine that I sold was back in 2009.