Retrieve Windows key from outside Windows?

[Trotter]

Gonna be working on my mom's computer tomorrow. From what she has described, some files in Windows are corrupt and not letting it completely boot. it gets to or just beyond the splash screen, and that's it. I haven't laid eyes on it yet, but it sounds that way to me.

If I have to do a repair installation on it, I will need the Windows key from within Windows itself. Magic Jellybean won't work, as it works from inside Windows. I need a tool that will let me get the key as well as where I should look for it.

I have ERD Commander and Knoppix, if they would work. If I need something else, I hope it is small or she will have to wait a day or so.

 

[carnageX]

Mentions how to use ERD or BartPE:
How to Recover the Product Key from an Unbootable Windows PC - The Winhelponline Blog

Another one that uses the ntuser.dat file:
Recover Windows XP Product Key from ntuser.dat in Corrupted or Unbootable System My Digital Life

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

If you can get the registry hives, you can still use magic jellybean, just tell it to upload from those hives instead.

 

[TKF]

Found this in tips & tricks not sure if it will work It will run off a flash drive

http://www.techist.com/forums/f27/windows-product-key-license-finder-183541/

Also found this at its web site FAQ >Klinzmann.name

My system is damaged. How to find out the serial numbers, if the computer can't boot again?

"There is a way. All you need a bootable CD-ROM or USB stick.
Start Linux or BartPE and save the following file: Windows\System32\Config\software (no extension)
Open Regedit: (WIN+R) enter regedit
In the Registry editor use "load hive..." to bind the file "software"
run the LicenseCrawler
Regedit "unload hive..."

 

[Trotter]

Building a BartPE with ProduKey right now... I guess I'll see how that works.

 

[carnageX]

Good luck with it, Trotter. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Trotter]

Ended up not using anything.

It would get just past the splash screen flash up a BSOD and reboot. I went into the BIOS to have it halt, rebooted, it went through CHKDSK and now runs just fine. Go figure.

I went ahead and used System Restore to move it back to a day last week, as I am not sure what caused the problem. once it booted up, it wanted to report a serious error for each time both my mom and I tried to boot it. Gotta love it.

 

[carnageX]

Lol well good to know you got her fixed up, Trotter .