vb code to find the windows xp registration number

There is a free download from Microsoft called Management Extensions for VS.NET (seperate for 2002 and 2003) which accesses WMI.  It adds two more nodes to the Server Explorer Server\[COmputer name] node.

If you open the "Operating Systems" sub-node, and drag the sub-item to your form, you can access properties, such as Version, Serial Number, Organization, Manufacturer (Microsoft), Registered User, etc.

Also, under the "My Computer" node, the sub-item has cool info, even including Thermal State of the machine.

If you are referring to the CD-Key, I don't know, or care how to do that.  It is encrypted on the system, and not easily accessible.

It is very cool stuff.

This example may help
http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/remotesysinformation.asp

Thanks for trying to answer my question.
Yes I am trying to write my own program to retrieve the  key that I have misplaced.
I know there are programs out there that do this.
I am trying to write my own. Its a handy little utility that keeps people from having to purchase
another operating system just because they lost thier key.
I purchased one of these myself.
So I had this idea to try and write it myself but I am new to VB and
I dont know how to do get the command that will go into xp and decrypt the key code and return it
in the purchased form.