Windows Vista sticker is unreadable

[Arcadio]

What should be done when a customer brings a PC with an unreadable product key sticker and there is no way to get the original product key from the registry?

 

[mraikes]

I'll bite . . . ummmm . . .Sell them a legit Vista license?

Or Windows 7, or whatever . . .

 

[georgenoise]

Sell them a new copy or make them wait the time it takes to get a set of recovery disks from the manufacturer and charge them the $20-$25 for that. Take the loss if it's your own fault you didn't recover the key before you trashed the system, I've had to suffer that one a time or two.

 

[B Trevathan]

there is no way to get the original product key from the registry?

Short of a hard drive meltdown have you tried programs like ProduKey? it will read product keys from several different sources like a slaved hard drive, just run ProduKey and press F9 to see the different source.

 

[Xander]

there is no way to get the original product key from the registry?

What methods/softwares have you tried?

 

[Arcadio]

The problem is that the customer took the pc to some other technician a while back and they installed a pirated version of Windows Vista. This version is not working anymore, so I need to reinstall the original version that came with the PC.

 

[16k_zx81]

cant get key from sticker, copy of sticker, original packaging or os = they have to buy a license.

Am I missing something here?

 

[gazza]

The problem is that the customer took the pc to some other technician a while back and they installed a pirated version of Windows Vista. This version is not working anymore, so I need to reinstall the original version that came with the PC.

I wish I had a dollar for every customer that has had a similar story. I would be very cautious in this situation, if you cannot retrieve the customers key then the customer is up for a new key, no debate about it! your reputation and business is on the line.

 

[RegEdit]

IF the computer can boot to the desktop, use Keyfinder 2.0 to recover the Window product ID

 

[Martyn]

IF the computer can boot to the desktop, use Keyfinder 2.0 to recover the Window product ID

He said there is a pirated version loaded at the moment.

 

[glricht]

The problem is that the customer took the pc to some other technician a while back and they installed a pirated version of Windows Vista. This version is not working anymore, so I need to reinstall the original version that came with the PC.

Try using the recovery partition (if the other tech didn't remove it) to reset everything back to day 1, including the OEM SLI key.

 

[Blues]

Not sure which manufacturers this works for but you might can order recovery CDs if it is not a custom build. Often recovery CDs won't need the CD and you will just need to know the model number to order the proper CDs.

 

[jscx93]

Just order the recovery cds and wait 2-3 days.

The computer comes with a COA (unless its a custom built) and if it is not legible, then this would be your next step

Selling them an entire operating system when they already have the license to one is sorta screwing them IMO when you can get recovery disks from the manufacturer for 20-50 bucks usually.

 

[serg]

no keys

the customer would have to contact the manufacturer and get the original recovery CDs. The Recovery CDs don't need OEM sticker...

 

[ell]

Just order the recovery cds and wait 2-3 days.

The computer comes with a COA (unless its a custom built) and if it is not legible, then this would be your next step

Selling them an entire operating system when they already have the license to one is sorta screwing them IMO when you can get recovery disks from the manufacturer for 20-50 bucks usually.

I've had this exact same experience, I gave Dell the service tag and to my surprise the Dell recovery cd's sent to me did not activate! I had to call msft and expalin everything AGAIN and I finally got someone to give me a new key, took about 4 calls, good luck! I'm in the habit of putting clear tape over my customers vista keys!

 

[atlanticjim]

I agree that we have all run into this at times.
If it is a branded computer (Dell, HP etc.) you may have luck using branded disk since the productkey is flashed into the hardware (is it in the BIOS?)