Windows Keys - duplicates...

AHarvey · 20 Jan 2017 at 20:45

Hi,

I've a VBScript that you run and it tells you the product key of windows.

I've run this on maybe 20 machines at work so far as part of the asset tracking system I am building, but, I've had 3 machines come up with the same key.

All in the same department, desktop running Win10 Pro 64, desktop running Win10 Home 64 and a laptop running Win10 Home 64.

I know that before I started they thought it was ok to run a home Office 365 account and install it over 5 different machines within the business. Is it possible it's picking up the Office product key and not the Windows one?

Code:

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function

I'm not sure why or how it would be doing it with Windows.

Disco_P · 21 Jan 2017 at 12:34

Are the duplicate keys TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 for Windows 10 Home and VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T for Windows 10 Pro?

AHarvey · 21 Jan 2017 at 18:22

T49TD-6VFBW-VV7HY-B2PXY-XXXXX for all of them.

They aren't the same brand either systems either which is odd.

Quartz · 21 Jan 2017 at 19:44

What is the licensing situation at your workplace? Do you have a KMS server?

AHarvey · 21 Jan 2017 at 23:41

Quartz said:
What is the licensing situation at your workplace? Do you have a KMS server?

They just order in laptops/desktops as they need, mixtures of Win versions (home/pro).

No asset management, no licence tracking etc. O365 home accounts shared between 5 employee's, no standard IT procedures or antivirus in place.

Recently had a laptop hdd die, new hdd in but no licence keys so it's now my linux laptop.

It's only since I replaced the IT guy I've started tracking licences/equipment.

demonix · 22 Jan 2017 at 14:33

AHarvey said:
Recently had a laptop hdd die, new hdd in but no licence keys so it's now my linux laptop.

License keys are hard coded into the BIOS on pre-built systems nowadays, so it shouldn't request a license key during the install process (there might be software available that can extract the product key directly from the BIOS, but I'm not sure).

Quartz · 22 Jan 2017 at 16:43

As the IT guy, are you personally responsible for licensing?

At a guess, your predecessor solved problems by re-imaging. Fortunately there's a very easy way to correct the license key: run slmgr.vbs -ipk 11111-11111-11111-11111-11111 (replace the 1s with the correct license key) from an elevated command prompt. You will then need to re-activate Windows using slmgr.vbs -ato.

jpaul · 22 Jan 2017 at 21:03

The nirsoft produckey tool will reveal both product key & id for windows and office on all machines, and win key will show if it is OEM license.

If they all share the same key does that not indicate all machines were sourced from same company who had used a KMS or MAK volume key,in which case can check their legitimacy with that company ?

andshrew · 22 Jan 2017 at 21:58

If you search for the key you posted you'll find it may be a generic key which is reported when the machine was upgraded to 10 from an earlier verison of Windows.

You can run 'slmgr /dlv' for more details about the license.