Windows CD Key

spoogle

spoogle

spoogle

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Hopefully somebody can help with this, a lost windows cd key, but it's on the hard drive.
Father in laws machine needs a re-install of windows as it won't even boot up to windows, however he doesn't have the cd key. I have attached the HD to my machine and can view all the files on it; where can I find the CD Key?
 
i don't think you will be able to retrieve the key from a windows installation as a secondary hard drive. If you could boot up into the old install there is software that can tell you what the cd key is.
 
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If it was a retail purchase then the key will be on a yellow sticker on the box that the software came in. If was pre installed (OEM) then it will be on a sticker attached to the laptop, usually on the base but sometimes inside the compartment for the battery.
 
I believe the key is stored within the registry and to read it you'll have to be booted into Windows.

Who was the PC built by? There should be a sticker on the PC somewhere with your dads serial key on.
 
The key is hidden in hash files, while it is possible to retrive I can't remember the porgrams off the top of my head. There was a live linux disto which could do it for XP iirc.

If you can get into safe mode even, Magical Jelly Bean will work. As said there should be a sticker with it... Unless it was hooky from the get go
 
Magical Jelly bean can get the key from a non boot hd.

Put the duff windows HD in an enclosure, connect it to your coputer and point MJB to the windows directory of the duff install by clicking on "Tools>load hive".
 
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Meatball said:
I believe the key is stored within the registry and to read it you'll have to be booted into Windows.
Click to expand...

Not quite, you could load up the registry from his PC onto yours by using regedit to load up the required hive located in c:\windows\system32\config on the dads pc.

However doing a quick dig around now I can only see how you obtain the product ID and not the plain CD key.
 
Ev0 said:
Not quite, you could load up the registry from his PC onto yours by using regedit to load up the required hive located in c:\windows\system32\config on the dads pc.

However doing a quick dig around now I can only see how you obtain the product ID and not the plain CD key.
Click to expand...

Magic Jelly Bean :).
 
Yeah you can use that, was just seeing if you could do it without the need for any extra software or utilities :)
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but if the system was built by Dell/HP/Advent etc the CD-Key within the registry will be different to the one on the COA due to using VLK key. So you might not be able to use that key. Correct?
 
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