why must they always stick them on the underneath of laptops.... got 2 family laptops to fix at the moment, and in both cases I cant get the license key off them. the first was damaged by small child picking at the label, the second has had the ink rubbed away. both laptops have hard drive bays that would have allowed the sticker to be placed internally where it'd have been safe. so now going to try cloning the MBR and recovery partition onto the replacement ssd and hoping that works
1) Windows 8 doesn't have stickers anymore. 2) cloning the MBP ? Like Macbook Pro ? OS X Internet Recovery doesn't work for you ? http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4718
I might have a program that can help you .its called Everest ultimate it tells you every thing about you pc and all the thing you did not know eg license key stickers
If you can still boot into windows use Jelly Bean Keyfinder to pull off the keys. The stickers microsoft use are rubbish and are easy to damage. I guess they are cheaper to make and people have to buy another copy of windows when the key is lost. Also if you have the original recovery media that will install Windows in an already activated state. EDIT: You can buy OEM versions of Windows 8 and they include a license sticker with the product key. However most new machines come with the Windows 8 product key embedded in the UEFI BIOS and have no license sticker.
Widows? I've used the free version of KeyFinder before to recover keys prior to a rebuild: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/ For things such as Dell Service Tag numbers, which are also stuck the underside of laptops, they're usually listed in the BIOS. Edit: Ninja'd by Pookie.
Whenever I came across an unreadable license key, I just used Jelly Bean as mentioned above. However, if I got to the sticker before it got damaged, I made a point of: a) noting down the key b) moving it out of harms way (under the battery / hard drive etc) I guess the reason they stick it on the outside is because it is done after the laptop is assembled and it makes it easier to find (most people wouldn't be happy taking their laptop apart to find the sticker). Regarding Everest, it got replaced by AIDA64 (basically the same thing but with a different name)
Dell made a point of sticking them under the battery, I think they saw the error of their ways. Jellybean is one way of pulling the key, there was also a NIRSOFT product that I once used, that allowed me to load a reg file from a machine, then pull the key from that. It was pretty neat, but I forget what it was called. I tend to stick sellotape over the COA these days when I get to a machine, it does help to keep the COA visable for a lot longer.
thanks for the replies, aida64 was able to get the first 5 digits of the key (looks about right from what I can read of the sticker) but refuses to give the rest as its a trial version got a key using jellybean, so will try that, however need to create a vista install disk now
Remember that when you obtain an install disc, you can remove the ei.cfg file to avoid confusion with what's on the install disc and what version the key's good for. Iirc, you pick which version it is during installation from a list of all the versions, just ensure you pick the right one.
This shouldn't be a rant. Stickers wear off with wear and tear but even if the machine is not bootable, you can use a tool like Magic Jelly Bean to extract the serial number for all Microsoft software on a disk as long as you can browse it whilst plugged into another machine. Yes, Windows XP stickers were much tougher because they were a plastic laminated type whereas the Vista/7 ones are plain un-laminated paper. Also, this: is a little known fact, but is essential knowledge for PC techs. I was performing a W7 reinstall in front of a very qualified and supposedly experienced technician one day using my "any version" W7 bootable memory stick and he actually asked me how it was letting me choose the version to install, having never seen it done like that before.
Tesco and Microsoft : every little helps... Isn't Bill Gates back on the top spot for wealth again... Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Licence key stickers that rub off are annoying. You often see other stickers on the bottom of the laptop (specs, serials etc) that survive fine, but the actual licence key that you are effectively paying for doesn't. You'd think they could/should make them out of something that is a bit more durable. Regarding using a key finder to extract the key: I've noticed with some laptops the key you extract doesn't match the key on the sticker and often will cause problems activating windows. I assume this is because big OEMs use a generic disk image that doesn't need activating with the key supplied with the laptop. So once the key on the bottom is gone, it's gone.
If it's a win7 laptop, then the license key on the bottom is largely pointless. The license should be contained within the bios - IF you use the right restore images. Okay, that might cost you thirty note (on average), but saves you license hassle. also, something I've noticed with Windows license stickers. The way the number is printed on the CoA, you can catch the characters/numbers in the right light with a picture and expose them using Photoshop or even paint.net. Legally there shouldn't be a laptop/desktop of Windows 7 heritage you can't legally restore to factory defaults. For non work machines I'll heat the CoA and move it into the battery bay though. Just in case.
Download magic jellybean and run it you will get the correct code as the stickers isn't the right code anyway
The sticker key is what's called an OA license and it will activate just fine using the telephone system if not on the same machine (BIOS mismatch) or using the online system if it is. It's a 'spare' and is unique to that individual laptop. The key the OS is activated with from the factory (the one you extract with software) is the OEM volume license key and will also activate online upon reinstall, again as long as it's the same machine. That has been my experience during hundreds of rebuilds/installs since Vista. Yes, once the OA code is gone, it's gone, but as long as you have one or the other, there shouldn't be a problem.
To be fair, I've reloaded hundreds of machines and I never knew this. If your methodology doesn't hinge on it you could easily never know this, it doesn't mean you're incompetent. I mean, I don't think I'm incompetent, I've just never had to do things that way.
It is true. I did know about it, only because I had to deal with various levels of OS in my last job for a lot of different people and I thought that there must be an easier way than carrying around 8 install discs. That said if you only deal with pro why would you need to find an alternative, it is a very useful thing to do Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
