Windows Key

[Bigaldoc]

My HP laptop, purchased in November 2011, has a tag affixed to the underside of the machine showing the Microsoft "authenticity" of the Windows 7 Home Premium installed. When I got it I carefully covered that tag with Scotch magic mending tape to keep it from getting worn off as I've seen others do.

Today I ran Belarc Advisor on the machine for a different reason, but, while there I thought to compare the licenses which it reports to my offline records.

Belarc reports a completely different key which it has to be getting from somewhere in the registry. Does anyone know if Belarc can be trusted or how I should go about deciding what the "real" Windows key is?

For my own safety, I've recorded BOTH in the records I keep for such things, but I'd still like to know which one is "the real McCoy."

[aekyall]

Big Al,
Piriform's Speccy will give you your key - look under its 'operating system' heading. SIW will also give you the key
HTH
Regards,

[DaveA]

The OEM copies do not require one to enter a Key code.

You have a seperate key code so if you have to use a "Retail" version then you may be able to continue. I have never seen the key code on any OEM machine to be the same as the one on the sticker.

As long as one uses the System Recover, of rebuild from a OEM brand DVD, then the built in keycode will be used.

[Bigaldoc]

... SIW will also give you the key ...

Thanks, Keith. Since I already have SIW installed, albeit a bit downlevel, I used it to check and it confirms what Belarc told me.

PS: I upgraded to the latest SIW while I was there and, unlike the old, this version DOES require installation. No sweat!

[Bigaldoc]

The OEM copies do not require one to enter a Key code.

You have a seperate key code so if you have to use a "Retail" version then you may be able to continue. I have never seen the key code on any OEM machine to be the same as the one on the sticker...

Thank you, Dave. As you can see from my post to Keith, SIW confirmed the "actual" key that's installed. So, I gather that the key shown on the case-attached tag is essentially useless, at least that's what it seems.

I've just got so many years, ever since I was a novice, of meticulous record keeping of software keys and passwords that I continue to keep my file up to date.

I DID, when I got the machine, make the DVDs required to recover, AND I have periodic images of all four partitions. So, there's little chance that I would ever need a key, but keep records I must do 'cause it's instinct...

[John Gray]

As you can see from my post to Keith, SIW confirmed the "actual" key that's installed. So, I gather that the key shown on the case-attached tag is essentially useless, at least that's what it seems.

Al, unfortunately you and everyone else have got it exactly the wrong way round!

The true product key (the one you'd use for a reinstall from CD) is the one on the CoA sticker on your machine. The product key pulled out by all the programs like Belarc Advisor, SIW, ProduKey, Magic Jelly Bean Key Finder and the rest is the generic product key used by the manufacturer (Dell, HP, and maybe some others) so that they don't have to enter a separate unique key for each computer they sell.

"If you bought your computer with installed operating system, you may find the Windows product key appeared in ProduKey utility is different from the product key on your Windows CD. This problem is mostly reported with Dell computers."

The position is complicated further with recovery partitions - which have the true product key built in to the software, so that you don't have to enter it if you reinstall from the recovery partition (Dell, and probably other manufacturers).

[Bigaldoc]

Thank you, John. As mentioned, I made my recovery DVDs when I got the machine as instructed. I've also recorded BOTH keys in my everlasting list of software product keys and licenses.

[Argus]

Firstly, in these cases; HP, DELL etc. we are talking about "royalty OEMs"; as some of you know there are different OEM versions; there are also OEM System Builder copies that can be bought separately, these are activated by the system builder, which could be the end user. Now let's forget about those OEM copies.

Many of these large computer manufacturers use system locked preinstallation, SLP; a mechanism to pre-activate before distribution to the customer. It's linked to the BIOS on the motherboard.

With royalty OEM PCs there should be no need to activate Windows if using the same install media, CD/DVD, that came with the computer, same as during the first run of Windows; as long as one is using the same motherboard and BIOS, or, motherboard and BIOS that meets the OEM's requirements for that PC (i.e. includes the SLP info needed). (I don't know about all the different ways of doing this, but I think that system recovery DVDs are usually disk images, not install media, and then there is also, obviously, no need for activation.)

The true product key (the one you'd use for a reinstall from CD) is the one on the CoA sticker on your machine.

The_product_key is the one on the CoA, I agree with John about that; it is unique. But with a SLP machine using the, not so often supplied, install media, and obviously recovery media, there should be no need to activate.

A couple a years ago, 2005, Microsoft tried to reduce piracy, Ed Bott et al wrote about it. There were also an awful lot of "FUD". In most cases it meant nothing. In short it means you can no longer activate via the Internet, if using a computer from one of the major players, i.e. royalty OEMs, using the CoA product key. On the other hand, as mentioned above, usually there's no need to activate.

For example, see the second question in this Q&A at Ed Bott's blog:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/01/qa ... ctivation/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The answer to the second question also links to his earlier post in 2005.
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/02/ev ... ctivation/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To summarise the above blog posts, and the change back in 2005, if, for some reason, one needs to use the product key on the CoA, on a royalty OEM machine using SLP, one will need to call MS. But as mentioned, most of the time there's no need to activate Windows on these machines.

[Gloria E]

Al I can tell you which one is the real key. When I had my computer taken over by remote control and a clean, repair install done ( I don't remember exactly what it's called), I was asked to supply the key. I used the key found in Belarc Advisor and was promptly advised that what I entered was invalid. The tech asked me look at the machine somewhere to find the information. I found it underneath the computer and ended up disconnecting the power cord (my computer is a Dell desktop that looks like a jewelry box).
Any way, that's how I found out what was the true product key.

Gloria E