Need to recover Windows key from defunct installation

[Bryce Alan Katz]

Hey, all. A client of mine has managed to corrupt the registry on an XP Home
machine and now the system won't boot. I've researched the bluescreen error,
and it's unfixable without an ASR disk. Of course, one was never made.

Complicating the reinstallation of Windows is the lack of a Windows License
sticker on the Dell C400 laptop. I've contacted Dell already and asked for
assistance, to no avail. I'm hoping to avoid having to purchase a new
license for XP.

To that end, I'm wondering if anyone knows of a way to pull the installation
key out of the registry files in a Ghost image. I have utilities that will
query a functional Windows installation for the key, but they're quite
useless when one cannot boot into Windows... I'm thinking, however, that if
anyone can point me to the specific registry key which stores this
information, I'll be able to extract the registry files from the Ghost
image, load the appropriate hive, and pull the key from the corrupted
registry.

That's the theory, anyway. Anyone actually done this?

 

[WTC]

Try this link
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

[WTC]

Disregard post, thought you needed to find key on a working computer.

 

[WTC]

Maybe this link would help

http://www.internetguideandmore.com/finding_lost_cd_keys_in_your_reg.htm

 

[Richard Urban]

You say you have a Ghost image. Where is it saved, on another partition or
hard drive? Is there sufficient room to create and save a 2nd Ghost Image?
See where I am going?

Create an image of the computer the way it is now. Then, restore the
previous image. Retrieve the key. The client may be happy with this old
image. If not, restore the image you just created and use the key you
retrieved from the older image.

--

Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Bryce Alan Katz]

William: That last link doesn't apply to XP :-(

Richard: I'm not sure I follow. I created the Ghost image *after* the client
reported the problem as a way to get the user data off the machine. (Side
note: Ghost Explorer bypasses NTFS permissions.) I don't have a functioning
configuration at this time, and short of installing a new retail copy of
Windows there's no way to get the system to boot.

I was hoping someone (a programmer, perhaps) could direct me to the registry
key which stores the Windows installation key. Knowing that, I can pull the
registry files out of the Ghost image and retrieve the key.

 

[Bill Gay]

http://www.911cd.net/forums/

Check out the forum for BartPE. I've used this method to create a bootable
standalone XP CD that can have a keyfinder plugin. So far I've been able to
find the HD installed XP key on machines when I need it.

It takes a little effort to get this done but the steps are pretty straight
forward and result in a very valuable and customizable tool.

Userfriendly
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Leythos]

Complicating the reinstallation of Windows is the lack of a Windows License
sticker on the Dell C400 laptop. I've contacted Dell already and asked for
assistance, to no avail. I'm hoping to avoid having to purchase a new
license for XP.

If you install the CD it won't ask for a key - none of the Dell laptops
that were shipped with XP Home or Pro that I've used require entering
the MS key to use it - they are OEM versions.

 

[Alex Nichol]

To that end, I'm wondering if anyone knows of a way to pull the installation
key out of the registry files in a Ghost image. I have utilities that will
query a functional Windows installation for the key, but they're quite
useless when one cannot boot into Windows... I'm thinking, however, that if
anyone can point me to the specific registry key which stores this
information, I'll be able to extract the registry files from the Ghost
image, load the appropriate hive, and pull the key from the corrupted
registry.

It will probably not help. The key that will be in the registry will
be one used by ell in making a 'bulk image' that was then copied to the
machine, and is no use for a reinstall. If the label is gone, you are
stuck