Can I use a product key to identify the product?

aadih:
My product id could be as far back as Windows 2000 or even 1998.

31595-OEM-000XXXX-21447

edited by MASQ

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If you're asking about activation keys then no, you can't work out which media to use just from the Product Activation Key alone.  If you think the key has already been used you could try pulling the key information out of the working system to see if it matches but depending on the number of machines you have that could be "needle in a haystack" stuff.

Not much help to you now but always write the Key on the face of the original disk.

If you have more information with the Key - such as a label with a product code or part number that makes it a bit easier - if you can't find that info it's safe to post everything but the key itself on a public forum to help get it identified.

Also beware websites that will tell you what the key is for if you type it in online - they won't - they are just harvesting valid key combinations.

If that's the activation code then
xxxxx-OEM-yyyyyyy-zzzzz
as an activation code format pre-dates Win98

If this is a Windows Key then you're looking at Win95 or NT Server

The current activation key pattern of 25 characters in 5 blocks of 5 was introduced with Win98

[ FWIW I've edited your key a little - we don't want to encourage piracy of 20 year old operating systems :) ]

I do not think it is a key, it's a product id number.

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