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I need to have good suggestions how to obtain required documentation. I was
assured that I would receive all material for this computer which I paid
full price for. I wanted this computer and it was the only one that was
available (floor model). Best Buy has refused to help me and I have not
been able to get help from Sony. What I need is the Product Key numbers for
the software installed on the computer. I went to the individual programs
such as MS Works Word Processor, "Help", "About MS Works", the Product Key
Number listed there comes back as not a good number when I enter it to
register the product with Microsoft. You see there should have been a
document packed with the compute which would have contained this
information. I have called and contacted Best Buy and they say they looked
and don't have this package and to contact Sony and they will allow me
credit for what it costs me. I contacted Sony and was told that information
is packed with the computer and they can not help me. I am hoping that
someone in this newsgroup would be able to give me a clue as to how to deal
with this. If ever I should have to reload the items that came with this
computer which are numberous I have nothing. Thanks for any help you can
provide.

Mary K. Gunn wrote:
> I need to have good suggestions how to obtain required documentation. I was
> assured that I would receive all material for this computer which I paid
> full price for. I wanted this computer and it was the only one that was
> available (floor model). Best Buy has refused to help me and I have not
> been able to get help from Sony. What I need is the Product Key numbers for
> the software installed on the computer. I went to the individual programs
> such as MS Works Word Processor, "Help", "About MS Works", the Product Key
> Number listed there comes back as not a good number when I enter it to
> register the product with Microsoft. You see there should have been a
> document packed with the compute which would have contained this
> information. I have called and contacted Best Buy and they say they looked
> and don't have this package and to contact Sony and they will allow me
> credit for what it costs me. I contacted Sony and was told that information
> is packed with the computer and they can not help me. I am hoping that
> someone in this newsgroup would be able to give me a clue as to how to deal
> with this. If ever I should have to reload the items that came with this
> computer which are numberous I have nothing. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.

Try Belarc Advisor or Everest Home for most numbers.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/everest.html

"Mary K. Gunn" <> wrote in message
news:f0fd0$425f033c$40710ff6$...
>I need to have good suggestions how to obtain required documentation. I
>was assured that I would receive all material for this computer which I
>paid full price for. I wanted this computer and it was the only one
>that was available (floor model). Best Buy has refused to help me and
>I have not been able to get help from Sony. What I need is the Product
>Key numbers for the software installed on the computer. I went to the
>individual programs such as MS Works Word Processor, "Help", "About MS
>Works", the Product Key Number listed there comes back as not a good
>number when I enter it to register the product with Microsoft. You see
>there should have been a document packed with the compute which would
>have contained this information. I have called and contacted Best Buy
>and they say they looked and don't have this package and to contact
>Sony and they will allow me credit for what it costs me. I contacted
>Sony and was told that information is packed with the computer and they
>can not help me. I am hoping that someone in this newsgroup would be
>able to give me a clue as to how to deal with this. If ever I should
>have to reload the items that came with this computer which are
>numberous I have nothing. Thanks for any help you can provide.


Simply claim the computer is unusable and return it for a refund. It
will, after all, be unusable in 30 days if you can't get it activated.
So no matter how good the price or deal, in a month you'll end up with
the hardware and an expired trial version of Windows.

If the activation site reports that it is not a valid number then it is
not a valid copy of Windows. Tell Best Buy that you will calling your
State Attorney's Office to report fraud and piracy, that you will
register a complaint with the BBB, and you will be taking them to
conciliation court to force them to issue a full refund (it will be a
short hearing if they won't provide another commercial OEM copy of
Windows to replace the unusable expiring one they stuck you with). Note
the date when you first contacted Best Buy about the problem. Even if
you are outside the return policy period at the store, the court will go
by when you first reported the problem to them. And don't just
threaten. Do it.

If the unit was sold as-is for a floor model, you'll need to check your
state's laws regarding your compliance with that type of sale (i.e.,
as-is usually means the store doesn't guarantee the unit to be free from
defects since it is a worn unit and potentially damaged or corrupted by
patrons visiting that store). You got a discount because the store
doesn't have to provide support of the product once you buy it. It is
up to you to inspect what you are getting before you walk out their
door. If the law isn't on your side, you are trying to take advantage
of the store. Figure the deal wasn't so good after all and go buy a
commercial OEM copy of Windows to eat the extra cost.

By the way, the number listed within the products for their Help is
*not* the product key. That is the product *code* which is generated by
combining the product key (needed for installation) along with the
product identifier itself. This helps the techs identify what product
you are calling about by interrogating the product code to know which
product it is and what version. You'll need a utility to interrogate
for the product KEY for the software. The two that I know of are:

- Belarc Advisor

- Everest Home

Everest Home was originally AIDA32 but some features were removed for
the "Home" version. I don't know if the product KEY info is still
provided in Everest Home. In Belarc Advisor, be sure to differentiate
between the product KEY and the product CODE.

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Thank you both for your help.
Mary
"Mary K. Gunn" <> wrote in message
news:f0fd0$425f033c$40710ff6$...
>I need to have good suggestions how to obtain required documentation. I was
>assured that I would receive all material for this computer which I paid
>full price for. I wanted this computer and it was the only one that was
>available (floor model). Best Buy has refused to help me and I have not
>been able to get help from Sony. What I need is the Product Key numbers
>for the software installed on the computer. I went to the individual
>programs such as MS Works Word Processor, "Help", "About MS Works", the
>Product Key Number listed there comes back as not a good number when I
>enter it to register the product with Microsoft. You see there should have
>been a document packed with the compute which would have contained this
>information. I have called and contacted Best Buy and they say they looked
>and don't have this package and to contact Sony and they will allow me
>credit for what it costs me. I contacted Sony and was told that information
>is packed with the computer and they can not help me. I am hoping that
>someone in this newsgroup would be able to give me a clue as to how to deal
>with this. If ever I should have to reload the items that came with this
>computer which are numberous I have nothing. Thanks for any help you can
>provide.
>