This saves them (and you) money because it's much more efficient for these large companies to install Windows once and then clone the drive.Ĭan I retrieve the product key from a non-booting Windows installation?Īs long as both Windows versions are 2000, XP, 2003, or Vista, you can use the Load Hive function. If you purchased your PC with Windows already installed from a large manufacturer such as Dell or HP, it's likely that Windows was installed using an OEM key instead of the actual key for your PC. Why doesn't the product key returned match the one on my sticker? The Key Finder Tool reads the registry and extracts the key that was used to install Windows. When you enter your key while installing, it's checked against an algorithm to verify that the key is valid. Product keys are not stored on CDs themselves. Save is also available in text or CSV.Ĭan I retrieve the product key from the Windows CD?
You may have to right-click on the Keyfinder and run as Administrator. If you're using Windows Vista, Administrator rights are required for this feature. Then point it to the dead Windows install. To use, put the hard drive in a working machine (must also be Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8) or use Windows PE (not tested, should work) and click Load Hive. Load Hive option - allows you to load the registry hive of another Windows installation.Command line options - /save /savecsv /close /hive /file.
This advanced product key finder is not free, however, it doesn't cost much for what it does. If you need something more powerful, compare Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder with a tool called " Recover Keys". Another feature is the ability to retrieve product keys from unbootable Windows installations. It also has a community-updated configuration file that retrieves product keys for many other applications. The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from your registry.
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