So what to do if you’ve not made a note of the license keys and can’t find them anywhere? But if you’re anything like me, you often think you’ve made a record of the license keys used during roll-outs, but then find you actually haven’t. I’ve blurred out the actual CD keys for my test machines.If you’re an IT Consultant and have got into the exceedingly good habit of keeping up-to date Network Documentation for all your clients ( go read Karl Palachuk’s blog if you need convincing why this is a good idea) then you’ll no doubt keep records of all license keys you use to install software as part of this documentation. It will display your Windows version and original CD key in the CD Key field as shown in Figure A. Execute the program, and it will quickly check your workstation to see what version of Windows you’re running and whether you’re running a supported version of Office. Like ViewKeyXP, there are no setup wizards to deal with when using Keyfinder. zip file is small, only 252 KB, so it won’t take that long to download. This greatly reduces the chances that you’ll accidentally pick up a virus from the file.Īs of the time of this article, the latest version of Keyfinder was 1.41, which you can obtain by downloading kf141.zip from Magical Jelly Bean. You can download the file directly from the Magical Jelly Bean Web site, instead of having to search for the file on the Internet. However, as soon as he can figure it out, he plans to update Keyfinder to display those keys as well.Īnother key difference from ViewKeyXP is that Keyfinder comes from a single source. According to the FAQ on the author’s Web site, he hasn’t yet been able to figure out how Microsoft encrypts the product key for Office 2000. You’ll notice that strangely absent from the list is Office 2000. Where ViewKeyXP can recover only Windows XP keys, Keyfinder finds keys for other Microsoft products as well. Like ViewKeyXP, Keyfinder finds the original product key you used when you installed Windows XP on your system. For more information about ViewKeyXP and product keys in general, see the article “Find your Windows XP Product Key with ViewKeyXP.” However, ViewKeyXP only reveals keys on Windows XP. One product I stumbled across that will help you find an original product key is ViewKeyXP. For the older versions, it’s just good record-keeping practice to know which key goes with what machine. So with these products, you need to know the original key. Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Office XP all tie the CD key to the workstation they’re installed on during product activation. The main reason you need it is if you’ve misplaced the original CD for the software you’re running on a machine and need to reinstall it.Įarlier versions of Windows and Office weren’t too picky about the actual CD key you used on a workstation, as long as the key was valid. But as long as you’re using the utility for the right reasons, you have nothing to worry about. You might be tempted to think there’s something sinister or unethical about using a utility to uncover product keys on your workstations. And, unlike ViewKeyXP, it will do so for software other than just Windows XP. If you’ve misplaced a key but need it to reinstall a piece of software, you’re in luck: Magical Jelly Bean’s Keyfinder will display your original product key for you. Although they may be useful tools for Microsoft, product keys create headaches for support techs who must maintain and track product keys for hundreds of pieces of software. Get IT Done: Uncover more product keys with Magical Jelly Bean’s Keyfinderįind product keys with Magical Jelly Beans KeyfinderĪs part of its ammunition against piracy, Microsoft has long employed the use of complex product keys that support techs must know when installing software.
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