Recover xp serial number

postmanfw · 5 Oct 2009 at 23:24

Got a mates computer with a half dead motherboard. He tried to reinstall windows but keeps freezing just as it starts at 39 mins bit. Quick inspection inside shows 3 caps gone nasty.

Problem is that his windows xp legit serial number sticker has been damaged by kids and cant be seen now

Is there any way to get it? I know you can use magic jelly bean program on a working system.

Is there any file i can recover off the formatted hard drive to retrieve the serial?

cheers

lord filbuster · 6 Oct 2009 at 01:40

I think the registry is stored in windows/system32/config, so maybe if you can recover the contents of that, you could convince magic jelly bean to read the serial from the registry hive? perhaps by creating a windows/system32/config set of folders somewhere (not on the formatted disc), placing all the files you manage to recover into it, and try to make it think it is a windows install? I doubt it will work, but it is worth a go.

EDIT: It works! I just tested it with my portable hard drive. If you can recover the contents of that folder, and as long as it is in the right set of folders (windows/system32/config, it doesnt matter where the windows folder is), just point magic jelly bean to the created windows folder using the load hive button, and it will read the serial number perfectly.
Double edit: the only file you need to recover is just called SOFTWARE, no extension.

Pho · 6 Oct 2009 at 11:18

edit: ignore

bledd · 6 Oct 2009 at 11:20

lord filbuster said:
I think the registry is stored in windows/system32/config, so maybe if you can recover the contents of that, you could convince magic jelly bean to read the serial from the registry hive? perhaps by creating a windows/system32/config set of folders somewhere (not on the formatted disc), placing all the files you manage to recover into it, and try to make it think it is a windows install? I doubt it will work, but it is worth a go.

EDIT: It works! I just tested it with my portable hard drive. If you can recover the contents of that folder, and as long as it is in the right set of folders (windows/system32/config, it doesnt matter where the windows folder is), just point magic jelly bean to the created windows folder using the load hive button, and it will read the serial number perfectly.
Double edit: the only file you need to recover is just called SOFTWARE, no extension.

very good to know, thanks

chaosophy · 6 Oct 2009 at 13:10

Never used it but ProduKey looks like it would do it as well.

osc89er · 6 Oct 2009 at 13:16

magic jelly bean

postmanfw · 6 Oct 2009 at 21:33

Many thanks mate will give it a try

Keithuk · 7 Oct 2009 at 13:05

Yes I would recommend Magic Jelly Bean but I would suggest you do a virus scan before you use it. I downloaded 1 version I forget the version number and it had a virus.

bledd · 7 Oct 2009 at 13:10

not from the main site it won't have.

some virus checkers may show false positives because of it's nature

osc89er · 7 Oct 2009 at 13:10

Did you download it from their official site/sourceforge?

Anywhere else and there is a greater chance of the file being molested before being offered for download.

Keithuk · 7 Oct 2009 at 13:12

bledd. said:
not from the main site it won't have.

some virus checkers may show false positives because of it's nature

I used the main site I don't download from anywhere else, it was a couple of years ago.

lord filbuster · 7 Oct 2009 at 14:20

i expect it was a false positive, it's probably just because it accesses a suspicious part of the registry.

postmanfw · 8 Oct 2009 at 22:29

Well turns out i got lucky

My friend hadnt formatted the hard drive but left file system intact so quick use of that program recovered the serial

Many thanks again guys for all the replies....really appreciated indeed