I got a OEM dvd for my laptop recently but i don't want to reinstall 7 home premium. Since it's prone to breaking, which requires me to take it in, i also dont' want to have any other versions on it which would rise suspicion. I found the file which seems to have the keys but when i try to activate it windows keeps telling me that they're not valid. Anyone know how to decipher this file? or it pointless?
Because that is not the serial provided on the disc , the stickers are oem coa keys and the ones on the disc are oem slp keys.
well it was a disk that came to me. I got my laptop before 7. Well this one anyway before 7 was being released. ~3months before that is. So al i have is the dvd. And i'm not going to deal with teh pile of s**t vista... so well yeah :/ Edit: I'm talking about finding it from the DvD i found a file which apparently has them but it's not working. None of them is being allowed from M$.
You're probably looking at product.ini, that contains the defualt keys that windows uses if you don't enter a key during setup. As in, if a product key was not included, and you didn't enter one when it asked. look for an unattend.xml, that might be where the OEM puts it. Mount install.wim, look in there too.
er... there's no "unattend.xml" file in there. Also do you have any suggestions for a program that can mount .wim so far i know of known.
Get the Windows Automated Installation Kit v2 from Microsoft's download centre. It comes with a command-line utility called "imagex".
You dont have to 'mount' a .wim just to see and/or extract its contents. 7zip will do the job just fine...just rightclick the ISO, select 'Open', navigate to the .wim and doubleclick it and 7zip temp-extracts it right from the ISO. After that you can view the files and also copy them by simply dragging them from the 7zip GUI to the desktop (or wherever you prefer). Of course you could also go to the extraction folder in AppData\Local\TEMP and copy any files from there...
You need to check what version of SLIC you have in your BIOS - if the laptop came with Vista it is probably SLIC 2.0 so no 7 key will activate BUT your manufacturer will probably have a BIOS update which you can use. If it is SLIC 2.1 all you need is the matching certificate and any OEM key which matches the version of 7 installed will work. If no SLIC use a loader.
Well it was one of the "windows 7 upgrade avaiable" laptops. i was just going to use a loader but i was hoping that it'd be easy to just get the key w/o all the work. As in having to search trhough things and find nothing. So far i checked over the files and i still dont' see them yet. That is the Unattend.xml
He shouldn't mount "\sources\install.wim", but the second image of "\sources\boot.wim" (i.e. image index: 2). The first image of "boot.wim" is the Windows PE used for booting/restorations, the second is the Windows Setup image. The file "install.wim" contains the different editions of Windows, one of which will be applied to the target partition. Once boot.wim:2 is mounted, from the mount point find the file "\Windows\System32\Winpeshl.ini". In it you'll find where the XML file for unattended installations actually is (the one containing the product key). Of course, you can use 7zip instead of mounting the "boot.wim" file. Make sure you go into image #2.
I can see what he is asking for and I think you missed his point. He, as well as myself, would like to find a program that can scan a Windows installation CD-in my case X64 Ultimate-to find the OEM key or product code. Belarc Advisor, PC Wizard, and AVG has all reported my re-installion has having two numbers! One is the OEM and another is something all together different! No wonder Windows keeps on declaring my Windows as illegal months after activation. I wore on OCZ SSD out with Diskpart clean all to reinstall Windows over and over. I must explain that to install Windows, I put the Windows disk in the tray, restart the computer, and "press any key to boot from CD". I am never asked for a Product Key during installation, and go for several months before windows pulls the plug without warning! If I had gone to control Panel and clicked "System" I would probably see that I had been given a grace period, but who does that! I want a Product Key Finder that can scan the Windows Installation CD and tell me what the keys are on a Retail Version I purchased from FleaBay and the OEM. I also purchased another Dell installation CD from FleaBay and would like to see what product key it was assigned before installing again. I am getting old-in very poor health and don't fell like fighting with Microsoft or always working on computer. I seldom get on except to check my e-mail or shop Amazon or EBay when my Wife can't find something locally. Some days I do fair, like today. If anyone knows how to get the Product Key from the Windows Installation CD without installing the OS, please let me know! I can't set in this chair for hour after hour and wearing out another SSD. They are expensive! Someone PLEASE tell me where the Key is on the CD, but is is probably coded and would require a program to read and extract it. Jelly Bean will give your OS Key-installed- but so will many programs as I mentioned above. I need to be able to check the Key with Windows BEFORE INSTALLATION so I won't loose another OS. It Takes too long and is too painful to keep this up. I don't know why I am having this re-occurring problem.
@ harmie, only OEM:SLP dvd come with serial so they pre-activate (i,e, your dell one for example) you will find the key in sources\$oem$\$$\setup\scripts in slp.cmd. Retail and OEM:NON SLP dvds come with serial number you need to enter when installing.
I hear what you are saying. I have looked in the DVD drive and followed your path as you have noted, but there is no "Key" there. Yet I has the Alienware Icons and Dell as a Home Page after running, but is always shows as "Activated" after set up. I have used computers since the days of DOS and used the first Windows program and was completely lost with it. Yet this seams to be a game for Microsoft to kill a system that is running fine. I have set up many computers and not only for friends but for companies. If my Dell Re-Installment disk from EBay is illegal, they have gone to a lot of trouble to make it a "Dell Environment" CD with Icons and Dell home page and Dell Screen when "wakening" up and besides an OEM Key Number is sold to Manufacturing Companies very cheaply and they use them to set up a large number of computers with one key. No one knows the number of computers they use the same key on except Microsoft and themselves. I suppose it depends on how much they pay for the Key number its self, but my computer came with Home Premium and I had so much trouble out of it, the Engineer gave up fixing it and sent me another. They said it would be as good or better than the first, but I insisted on the Ultimate Version OS. When I got my replacement, it was a Refurbished computer with Windows 7 X64 Ultimate. Now I can't upgrade to Win 7 Ultimate SP1? No way! I am going to quit Windows and besides, they are not the only one's who can play "Dirty"! I will use this disk and I have another copy that came from an Authorized Microsoft Retailer with the same problem. It will not stay activated long either! Microsoft sold Vista so high Priced it didn't go where they needed it to go to make money, and they now want us to buy Windows 8! I have bought Windows 8 but have never downloaded it. I want to finish this Battle! A Good General said "Never fight a battle you know you can't win but choose YOUR Time and Place and plan for and provide for unexpected surprises by having a well planed retreat! I am engaged in battle, I have chosen and I am only using an OS that is well documented as to its origin!