hi, irolands here, newbie, need help installing vista, i'm upgrading from xp, in the install it gives me the option of installing without entering product key so i click "no" then it just goes back to wanting me to enter the key. what am i doing wrong? i have also lost the key from the packaging, where in the vista iso file do i find where the key might be hidden so i could find it with a key-finder program?

If I were you I would definately spend the time looking for the key. It seems as though vista is quite good at hiding that info. I have yet to see anyone with a program that will locate it. I am sure it can be done, but I do not know of anyone that has it. Also, before you upgrade to vista, you might consider going over you peripherals to see if they are compatible. Vista has an issue with being good at not being compatible. I will hunt for a way to retreive your key, so look for an update by the end of the day. Good luck!

There is no key in the ISO file. License keys are not locked to a certain disk. The disk uses an algorithm to verify the key. You will have to find the key.

Thank you Freaktech, you saved me some time!!