Here's a challenge: extracting Windows and Office keys

[agr1487]

I have a hard drive, from which, I would like to extract the Windows and Office product keys. I have the software that will extract the keys, but the problem is that it will only work on the booted Windows. I cannot boot from this HD as I have tried reinstalling Windows unsuccessfully.

I can, although, set this HD up as a slave drive and I can access all files. Does anyone know of a program that can open an external registry where I can find the keys or something else to open system info on a slave drive?

Thanks

[waresoft]

Assuming you are booting into Windows with your hard drive and have the second hard drive configured as slave you can use this freeware program to get the job done.

However, you will need to load the hive file that you need from the slave hard drive and find the product keys manually.

MiTec Windows Registry File Viewer

[snowmonkey]

for less manual work, download Aida 32 :
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html

it will give you the key automatically (in Software/ Licences) section

Cheers

[waresoft]

Snowmonkey,

I use Aida32. I was not aware that it had the capability of reading a registry hive from another hard drive and OS that isn't already loaded.

Can you show me where in Aida32 it does that?

[agr1487]

waresoft - thanks for the d/l. I don't know where the key for XP is shown in the registry. i have heard it isnt in there or it is encrypted. do you know where it is? and do you know which hive file i need to load in the registry viewer?

snowmonkey - thanks for your d/l too. i dont have a software/licenses section in my program. i have the same question as waresoft did also... how does it read a hive from a slave drive?

thanks guys

[waresoft]

You can find the XP Product key here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrent Version\WPAEvents

Value: ODBETimer

However it is in encrypted in binary format.

[agr1487]

Really... thats interesting. How do I decrypt it? And in which hive is it located (when I search the slave drive)?

[waresoft]

It would be in the "system" hive. I'm sorry but I don't know how to decrypt it.

[snowmonkey]

Sorry "waresoft" did not mean to ignor your question, just did not look at this section for past little while.

Yeah, I use Aida32 Ent. Edition.

Screen shot
http://img22.echo.cx/img22/7026/cdkeys4vq.th.jpg
Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

Cheers

[agr1487]

Snowmonkey, thanks for the clarification, but I am unable to find how to find the keys located in a slave drive. How is this done?