win2k registration

I have never run into this before. ( leave it to my son to find this; they never listen! )

My son has, err ... had a duel boot wnin2k pro and win 98 machine. He uses win98 most of the time, Win2k for school ( it is an academic volume licence version from his school )

Because he is always changing something ( aren’t we all ) he has reinstalled and re-registered win2k at least once.

The problem: his hard drive crashed ( and no backups ). Although it can not boot and it grinds a bit, he has been able to retrieve most of his important info ( he installed win2k with a fat32). I guess I am going to buy him a new hard drive in the morning.

The problem: He claims he can not re-register the win2k because it locks out after the second registration ( even though all registrations have been on the same machine. )

Question: is there a file or files which he should try and save which will allow him to re-install the win2k system without re-registering, or should he just give up and beg for mercy from the school to give him another set? ( and I will probably get charged!! )

I don't see why he should not be able to register again, although, if he has a problem if you contact microsoft the will usually sort out the registration problem for you.

its on a cd..right! those cds are not writable. there's no way i can see that software on a cd can tell how many times its been installed. win2k does not require remote registration. its not like the old days where some var on a floppy whould increment itself every time it was installed. just go for it || spend over a dollars for new installation cd