Locating Vista Product Key

spannerzone

Basically the manufacturer will make a batch of computers, create a hard drive image (installation of operating system plus drivers and bloatware) and then this image will go onto all those computers. The licence key will be the same for all those.

When you reload the operating system you should use the number on your COA sticker. Trying to use Magical jellybean will reveal the manufacturers code that may not activate when you've reloaded Windows, it may work but often won't.

Using the system image recovery often gets around this by reinstalling the original 'from factory' software which was preactivated using that initial factory install key.

In fact almost every prebuilt Dell, HP, Fujitsu, Median etc will show that the serial number on the sticker is nothing like the one magical jellybean reveals.

TakeThis

spannerzone wrote: »

Basically the manufacturer will make a batch of computers, create a hard drive image (installation of operating system plus drivers and bloatware) and then this image will go onto all those computers. The licence key will be the same for all those.

When you reload the operating system you should use the number on your COA sticker. Trying to use Magical jellybean will reveal the manufacturers code that may not activate when you've reloaded Windows, it may work but often won't.

Using the system image recovery often gets around this by reinstalling the original 'from factory' software which was preactivated using that initial factory install key.

In fact almost every prebuilt Dell, HP, Fujitsu, Median etc will show that the serial number on the sticker is nothing like the one magical jellybean reveals.

That is not quite how it works. You can use the Product Key on the COA, though in general they are blocked from online activation. So you'll have to call to activate it.
But this is only for the novice who no longer has the recovery discs nor the recovery partition.
The Intermediate to Advanced would preserve the Pre-Activation.

prowla

Get a tool called ProduKey - it will list the licence keys.
I've just used it today before reinstalling a PC.

Wesker

TakeThis wrote: »

You may not need the discs.

Press F8 on boot up, choose 'Advanced Menu Options' and then 'Repair Your Computer' > System Recovery Options > Fujitsu Siemens Computers Recovery..

This seems to have worked ok. Didnt ask for the product key either Thanks very much.

TakeThis wrote: »

So the key the OP has retrieved will begin with 48382.... and certainly not match with what would be on the laptop.

Yes it did start with that number :cool:

TakeThis

Quite a few Windows Updates to install now....

Wesker

TakeThis wrote: »

Quite a few Windows Updates to install now....

Yes...its going to be a long night...zzzzzz

spannerzone

TakeThis wrote: »

That is not quite how it works. You can use the Product Key on the COA, though in general they are blocked from online activation. So you'll have to call to activate it.
But this is only for the novice who no longer has the recovery discs nor the recovery partition.
The Intermediate to Advanced would preserve the Pre-Activation.

To clarify, are you saying that the COA number on the sticker will be blocked from online activation or that the product key number presinstalled (and retrieved by magical jellybean) will be blocked?

I've not had any COA sticker be refused via online activation but nearly all product keys preinstalled and read back by jellybean are blocked.

I've not done so many reinstalls last couple years (only for myself) so things might have changed.

Cheers.

OGR

The only COA I have ever had refuse to activate is on an Acer laptop. Generic OEM Windows Vista Home Premium disk and key for that version (confirmed by microsoft) but it wouldn't activate.

Acer of course wanted £55 to send a disk worth 10p as the user didn't create a recovery disk and the HDD failed. To be honest I think its a complete con and I told Acer they were ripping the poor guy off by not providing the disks with the Laptop. I half expect that they hope people don't create the disks or don't realise they have to so that they can charge the suckers £55 when things go wrong. Acer tried to say that the disk had to be ordered from Germany and the charge was warranted but in the end the guy decided to buy another laptop and give up on Acer.

Does it really cost £55 to get a German to pick up a disk from a shelf in a warehouse, put it in a bag and then in the post? A true 21st century con.

TakeThis

In order to reduce a significant source of piracy, Microsoft has disabled online activation for COA Keys that are attached to PCs that have been pre-activated by OEMs.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

Perhaps they have varied the policy. Who knows?

You can often get them to work without calling by entering the key after installation.