Lose your Key

[Ghost_25inf]

How many time does it happen OMG I lost my Key for my Windows disk. Well I found a nice tool that will give the Key that was used in all Windows OS from 95 - 2003. www.magicaljellybean.com Magic Jelly Bean will pull not only the OS KEY but also Office KEYs too. this will only pull the key used, it will not pull other keys that were not provided with the CD. So if you lost your Key, I would suggest getting this Legal Key Finder. I tried it on my system and it works great I now use it at my work for pulling Keys before I do a reinstall on a system.

[nihil]

Sure, but why?

Just go into the Windows "system" first (general) screen and it will tell you your Windows key. In any MS office application just go <help> then "about" that will show you the key.

Now write them down on a strip of paper and use cellotape/scotch tape (Durex............had to get that in for my Australian friends ) and stick it to the body of the machine.

Poor security?...............sure, the time I worry about the security of William Gates III's copyright security will be about three weeks after you realise you did not get an invitation to my funeral

OK, maybe I am a lucky guy, but I have never had anything but the best support from Microsoft, on the other hand, I have never cheated them?....................hell we can always go *nix huh?

Now, the real point of this post...........When you buy CD burners, you will get software that only works with that device (OEM licence)...........use a CD pen to write down the machine details on the CD..............it saves a lot of time trying out exactly which Nero CD goes with that particular box.

Now I can sense the guys out there saying "rubbish!..........I can get this proggy or that proggy" Sure you can.............they are called "Warez".....................use them at your own risk

I guess that is enough rant for a Sunday morning

[Ghost_25inf]

Originally posted here by nihil
Sure, but why?

Just go into the Windows "system" first (general) screen and it will tell you your Windows key. In any MS office application just go <help> then "about" that will show you the key.

Who told you this was a key?
System Properties | General |Registered to: is not the Key that you put in when you are asked on a new install. So if you really think that is the key go ahead and type that in.

[nihil]

Who told you this was a key?

Microsoft, and my experience.

I obviously need to clarify:

1. Early MS products such as Win95/98/98SE/ME/NT4 do not have a "CD KEY" they actually have a "Product KEY", which is why it works. If I have a WIN98 CD for example, I can use it to create 1 or 1,000 installations.

2. Any (VALID) product key will work with any machine and any CD. This is why I mentioned hardware specific products like NERO.................like you want to do a re-install and have half a dozen CDs.................with my luck it is always the the last one I try that is the "right" one...........hence my suggestion to write it down.

3. There is a difference between a "new install" and being asked for the CD and product key. If you already have an installation, the key stored on your system will work (this is what it used to use for automatic product registration?). On the other hand, any other valid product key will work, even if it is not the one that the original installation used. In the case of a "new install" any valid product key will work with any CD.

4. With XP and later we have a different scenario, as there is a product key and then you have a "registration key"...............I have never had any problems in getting one from MS so far, but I don't cheat them as I mentioned. Anyways, it is an automatic process until you have done a re-install so many times.

The reason I take a somewhat "cavalier" attitude to their older product security is that we are talking products that they no longer sell, so do not make any money out of? If I phone them and ask nicely, they will give the info out for free, even (once) to the extent of supplying DOS 3.3 on 5.25" floppy disks..............that one impressed me!..............say what you like, they do have a pretty good Corporate ethos.

As I see the current situation, the problem is with Corporate Licences, as those keys will work any number of times. These are frequently the ones found on "warez" sites...............in other words it is theft/fraud rather than "cracking", and circumvents the registration process.

Incidentally, thanks for the link to the software, I am sure that it will come in useful eventually, and I have added it to my "Toolbox" I just don't see it as a requirement for supporting older MS environments

Cheers

[White Scorpion]

As I see the current situation, the problem is with Corporate Licences, as those keys will work any number of times. These are frequently the ones found on "warez" sites...............in other words it is theft/fraud rather than "cracking", and circumvents the registration process.

this explains a lot, i often wonder how people would be able to crack the key, since you cannot use a debugger while windows isn't installed yet...

just to clarify, i am studing Reverse Engineering at the moment, not to use it to get software for free (most software has already been cracked), but to learn how it works, and to improve my programming skills.

[Ghost_25inf]

Well I guess I learn something new every day. I wanted to mention that this tool is legal if you purchased the Software legally and used the key that came with the software when installing the OS. This key finder will not pull any other corporate key unlike some other software out there. The reason Windows XP Corporate Addition keys can be used more than once is that it was intended for business use only. The business in question will be subjected to an audit every year to make sure that they are in there legal rights to use the software. They use this Software so they don’t have to use separate CD's when installing the OS over multiple computers making it easier and more practical. I use this software at my company when computers come in and we have to do a reinstall we don’t have to call the customer to ask for the key. Glad to hear you added the software to your files, and sorry for the misunderstanding.