Locating Windows Application Installation Keys

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Guest

Thank you in advance for any and all assistance. I'm looking for a way to
programmatically retrieve the following if possible:

Windows Installation Key or COA from the registry
Windows installed applications, like:

MS Office 97-2003
MS FrontPage
MS Word
MS Works
MS Excel
MS Power Point
MS Access

The latter is if an office suite is not installed. I don't want to change
anything, just be able to programmatically retrieve this information and
other keys if possible for backup and reinstallation, should I need to format
my computer(s) and can't locate the software keys.
--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
Windows Installation Key or COA from the registry

Question: If you know they are somewhere in the registry, why not open
up regedit and hunt down the directory yourself? Then use the
Microsoft.Win32.Registry namespace in your program to do whatever you
need to do.

Thanks,

Seth Rowe
 
Seth,

thank you for your comments. That's what I'm trying to find out, where the
keys are.
--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
That's what I'm trying to find out, where the keys are.

Not to be rude, but isn't this something that you couldn't figure out
on your own if you took the time to open up regedit and do some
exploring? I always referred to this as "node hunting." If you're sure
it's in there somewhere then start exanding the nodes and looking for
the value. Also the "Find" option on the menu may be something that
would help.

Thanks,

Seth Rowe
 
Seth,

Again, thank you for your comments. I think the reason I'm asking this
question, is that most programs I'm aware of encrypt the key in the registry,
so finding the key is not difficult, but decrypting it is. The Windows Key
for example, is about 200 lines of code to find, and decrypt it for
reinstallation use. I thought if anyone knew, it would save me time and
frustration of finding or attempting to find the keys. I also know some
programs people will know where the keys are, and others will not. I was also
wondering if there is a way to programmatically find any installation key, so
if it became necessary to reinstall the software and I couldn't find the key,
I would be able to retrieve it from my program.


--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
If you have original software, you should have the key that you used to
re-install it. The reason the keys are encrypted is to prevent what you are
trying to do.
 
Hello eSolTec, Inc. 501(c)(3),

I'm with Seth. Go find the key entries and if you can't decipher them, then
come askin for help. But to come in here asking where something is just
because you don't want to spend the time yourself, and are unsure of what
you will find were you to look yourself is just plain rude, not to mention
stupid.

-Boo
 
Dennis,

I have been a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and one of the biggest
problems people have if their computers are old, is locating the software to
reinstall the Operating System and Application Programs. Most, not all are
legitimately unable to find them. Some are people whom other people have
installed illegal software on their PC. I have also been an OEM reseller
since 1998 and I know it's encrypted. I didn't ask for a legal or what
should. I asked if anyone knew where the keys could be located so that if a
reinstall is necessary and the keys can't be located, that the system can be
restored and used by a consumer. I'm not a hacker or cracker looking for free
software or keys, just the ability to help my clients, when they need it. A
lot of the time with older software, before Microsoft required the COA to be
affixed, people misplace things. I'm sure you don't do that at all, but thank
you for your input.
--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
I don't believe that I have been rude or stupid. This is a moderated
newsgroup and I've paid my money to Microsoft to ask the questions. Maybe if
someone would take this pointer. Not everyone wants your opinion. I'm asking
professionals about finding information about what I'm looking for. I'm not a
programmer by trade, I'm a technician and I'm building this application to
aid me and other techs in resolving issues of people installing spyware,
adware and other malicious programs in people's computers that require a
reformat, rather than attempting to rundown the culprid. Calling someone
stupid because they don't think like you is really imature. If you don't want
to help, please don't comment. If you do, thank you for your help and
assistance.

The smart person, knows when to ask for help. It's the dumb one's that
explore and end up finding something way over their heads and end up
drowning. Thank you for your two cents, you and Seth both, but I'll pass on
playing in something I don't know and am unfamiliar with.
--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
Hello eSolTec, Inc. 501(c)(3),

Yes.. run and hide from the unknown.. run and hide. DO YOUR OWN DAMN WORK.

-Boo
 
Hello eSolTec, Inc. 501(c)(3),

By the way, this is NOT a moderated group. THis is a public newsgroup available
via NNTP at no charge.

-Boo
 
You are partially correct. This is a publicly monitored newsgroup by
Microsoft Professionals to answer questions that are proposed by MSDN
subscribers. Just goes to show you, you don't know what you're talking about.
--
Michael Bragg, President
eSolTec, Inc.
a 501(C)(3) organization
MS Authorized MAR
looking for used laptops for developmentally disabled.
 
GhostInAK said:
Hello eSolTec, Inc. 501(c)(3),

Yes.. run and hide from the unknown.. run and hide. DO YOUR OWN DAMN WORK.

-Boo
Click to expand...
Hang on a minute! I don't know who Michael Bragg (eSolTec) is, but I do
believe he deserves a bit of common courtesy.

I am appalled to read the rude and downright offensive replies he has
received, what's going on here, are we not mature adults dealing with
the topic of application development?

I don't venture onto these sites too often as I myself have been the
victim of such unwarranted abuse in the past. I feel there are a number
of individuals on this NG that need to take a good long look at themselves.

As for an answer to Michael's question, I will be responding directly as
his question has obviously hit some peculiar nerve with some people!

ShaneO

There are 10 kinds of people - Those who understand Binary and those who
don't.
 
I am not not trying to be rude, honestly. But lets look at the original
Post:
Thank you in advance for any and all assistance. I'm looking for a way to
programmatically retrieve the following if possible:
Click to expand...

I answered this part when I said to use the Microsoft.Win32.Registry
namespace. That left the following question:
That's what I'm trying to find out, where the keys are.
Click to expand...

First off, this question is not a Visual Basic question - it's a
registry question. I didn't blast the OP for posting in the wrong ng, I
asked him why he didn't take some of his own time to look through the
registry on his own. Obviously, the OP knows this is a fairly easy task
as evident in this snippet:
so finding the key is not difficult, but decrypting it is.
Click to expand...

And thats also where the real question is, how to decrypt the keys. If
this was the question that was originally posted we probably wouldn't
be having this discussion. In my opinion, the OP should have gone in
the registry, found out where the key where and if he had trouble
decrypting them, then come ask for help. Most of us here are
volunteers, we post to help out others who are legitimentally stuck. We
get fairly sore when people ask questions they could easily find an
answer (or part of an answer) to, but they don't feel like taking the
time to do some of the legwork.

Thanks,

Seth Rowe
 
eSolTec said:
You are partially correct. This is a publicly monitored newsgroup by
Microsoft Professionals to answer questions that are proposed by MSDN
subscribers. Just goes to show you, you don't know what you're talking about.
Click to expand...

Umm, I dont't use the MS news servers and currently don't have an MSDN
subscription. These newsgroups are available to everyone. There's
nothing monitored or moderated about these groups.
 
Hi,

This is not a moderated newsgroup. Than it cannot be on UseNet.

However in this newsgroup have those who use the Microsoft Webserver client
and connect to that with there MSDN password (when you have a valid MSDN
subscribtion) for sure answer from a Microsoft MSFT.

The help that than is given is mostly very good and the questions are than
controled if they did answer the question.

I hope that this gives an idea.

Cor
 
Hello eSolTec, Inc. 501(c)(3),
C-Services is correct. These groups are completely public and community
supported.

When you are told something by someone with greater knowledge and experience
than you, it is wisdom to listen to them, even if you don't like how it's
said.

-Boo
 
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