Software product keys

Does anyone out there know where in Windows I would go to find a product key of installed software? In other words, if I want to reformat my drive and I've lost my documentation, is there anywhere in the registry perhaps that stores this information? I know there are utilities out there for Windows and Office, but how would I go about finding this info in the registry without said utilities? Thanks.

 

Your best bet would be a freeware utility, since personally, I don't see the point in reinventing the wheel. One like this:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

In Windows XP it's not even possible to get your Key from the registry, here is my reference article:

http://pcsupport.about.com/cs/pctutorials/a/lostkey_2.htm

Here's the important part of that article:

"Because the product keys are encrypted, you cannot simply go into the registry and retrieve it like you could in earlier versions of Windows. You will need a utility program to extract the product id from your registry. One such tool is the Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder."

If you want to get the Key from an earlier version than XP, try Microsoft's KB article on the issue here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824433

 

Thank you for your prompt response! What about software other than Windows or Office? Any type of software. Is there a general location in the registry that product keys for any software are stored? In a job interview, I was asked "what if you have to re-install software and you can't find the product key?", I didn't know how to answer this. He said that info is usually stored in the registry. But how and where would I go about finding it? Thanks.

 

Give this a shot. It's Belarc Advisor. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1385.html