Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0.8 Frequently Asked Questions March 29th, 2009 http://sourceforge.net/projects/keyfinder/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Can I retrieve the product key from the Windows CD? A: No. Product keys are not stored on CD's themselves. When you enter your key while installing, it's checked against an algorithm to verify that the key is valid. If you have an OEM CD from a company (ie. Dell, HP, Compaq) then you can look in a few places. Search the CD for the following files: WINNT.SIF, UNATTEND.TXT or OOBEINFO.INI. These SLP keys won't be of use on their own. Q: How do I change the Windows Product key for XP, Vista or Windows 7? A: We have removed the code that supported this after Microsoft released an official app for changing the key in Windows XP. You can find it and further instructions at the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx Q: What if the serial number I retrieve does not work? A: Keyfinder works 100% of the time. The key is encrypted using a algorithm and will always reverse properly. Issues arise when you are attempting to use a Windows XP Retail key with a Windows XP OEM CD. Same applies for combining upgrade, retail and OEM versions as well as various service packs. Please note if your system came preinstalled from the OEM and you have not reinstalled XP, the Product key will not likely be valid. OEM's use a SLP key to image the systems and this key will not work for reinstalling. SLP stands for System Locked Pre-install. Q: I don't have product key. Will your program generate one for me? A: No. The Keyfinder is not a key generator. It reads the registry and extracts the key that was used to install Windows. Q: Why doesn't the product key returned match the one on my sticker? A: If you purchased your PC with Windows already installed from a large manufacturer such as Dell or HP, it's likely that Windows was installed using an OEM SLP key instead of the actual key for your PC. This saves them (and you) money because it's much more efficient for these large companies to install Windows once and then clone the drive. Q: Does the Keyfinder contain any viruses, trojans, malware, or spyware? A: No. I wrote this program for myself, and it just so happened that other people can use it as well. I absolutely loathe spyware, and I would never intentionally install it on anyone's PC. Some antivirus companies have began blocking their users from software that they consider grayware, and unfortunately the Keyfinder 1.x was included in that because "Its information gathering capability can be used by a malicious user for malevolent purposes." Please see the Trendmicro write up about it. Q: Can I retrieve the product key from a non-booting Windows installation? A: As long as both Windows versions are 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 or Windows 7, you can use the Load Hive function. You will have to slave the drive and point the Keyfinder to the non-booting Windows directory. e.g. H:\WINDOWS Q: Why did the hive load fail? 1) Are both Windows versions the same. (Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, or Windows 7) 2) Are you pointing it to the dead Windows directory? It will fail if you try to run it on your currently running Windows directory. 3) Are you running the Keyfinder with Administrator rights? Right click on the Keyfinder and click "Run As" and put in the administrator information. 4) I think when UAC is enabled in VISTA, registry access is also redirected (Registry Virtualization is enabled) so you are no longer at the root level in the registry. As you can only loads hives at the root level then that may be the reason why the load fails not because of a priviledge error. Q: Do you support Apple OS X? A: No. There is a fair chance of having a version in the future. Q: Does keyfinder work with Volume License Keys (VLK) or Multiple Activation Keys (MAK)? A: Yes when you run keyfinder it will display the Volume License Key (VLK) of all versions Windows, except for Vista. Microsoft changed the way VLKs are handled on the latest operating system. Windows Vista VLKs have been replaced with Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) that either activate copies through a local Key Management Server (KMS), which in turn reports back license usage to Microsoft, or activates directly in communication with Microsoft. Currently keyfinder does not report the MAK properly. You might see the product display the Windows Vista License Key as BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB Q: What is a KMS key? A: A KMS key is a Volume License Key that is used to establish an activation service that is hosted locally in your environment. After the service is established, you can activate your client and server computers by connecting to the KMS host computer. Computers activated through KMS must reactivate at least once every six months by connecting to the KMS host. A KMS key can activate six KMS hosts with 10 activations per host. Each host can be used to activate an unlimited number of computers that are running Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Enterprise. If you need more activations for your KMS key, you can call your Microsoft Activation Center to request an increase. Source: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/ActivationFAQ/default.mspx Q: What is a Multiple Activation Key? A: Multiple Activation Key (MAK) is a Volume License Key that activates your client and server computers by connecting them to a Microsoft activation server one time. After the computers are activated, no further communication with Microsoft is required. There are two activation methods for MAK: 1. MAK Independent Activation. Each computer is activated individually by connecting to Microsoft servers over the Internet or by telephone. 2. MAK Proxy Activation. By using the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), you can activate multiple computers at the same time through a single connection to Microsoft servers over the Internet or phone. Source: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/ActivationFAQ/default.mspx