Cannot Find Windows 7 Product Key

[VMPAS]

hello all.

I have a laptop here that cannot restore Windows. My cousin gave me her son's lap top because she said it was running really sluggish. I only got to actually look at it this morning and upon booting it up there was no Windows installation, it booted directly to the recovery console(Dell Inspiron, btw). It looks like the entire system was wiped out somehow and she has no idea as her son hasn't used it in the past month. Now when I say wiped out I mean if I just let it boot on its own it goes right to the recovery console.

I was able to bring up a command prompt via the recovery console and did some digging and it does look like the system is in a "right out of the box" state, if you know what I mean. However for whatever reason I cannot get Windows to reinstall via the recovery console or get anywhere passed it.

What I would like to do is totally wipe the hard drive, save for the recovery partition and reinstall Windows that way but I do not have a product key, nor is there on one the bottom of the system. I know some systems have stickers but this one doesn't unfortunately. I was able to also access the registry and was trying to see if I could somehow find the product key that way, but so far have had no luck.

EDIT: I had just read that the key is somewhere in the registry but it is encrypted? If I were able to extract it is there a tool or method I can use to decrypt it?

Is there any other way to recover the key? I know theres software out there but they either require you to be in the Windows Desktop environment, or they cost money. Is there any other way to get this done?

 

[DirtRider]

From what I have read if you don't have it then it's a new purchase of Win7 for you

 

[Kaktussoft]

are you very sure someone did a "factory recovery"? Even after that it doesn't boot to recovery console. Are you talk about win7 recovery environment or does it boot to DELL recovery partition?

Look at C:\program files or D:\program files or E:\program files (check all!)
No programs that were installed are there anymore?

 

[VMPAS]

are you very sure someone did a "factory recovery"? Even after that it doesn't boot to recovery console. Are you talk about win7 recovery environment or does it boot to DELL recovery partition?

Look at C:\program files or D:\program files or E:\program files (check all!)
No programs that were installed are there anymore?

Nope no sign of any programs.

Also it is the Windows 7 Recovery.

 

[Dwarf]

Does this help? Windows 7 PC Restore | Dell

 

[VMPAS]

Does this help? Windows 7 PC Restore | Dell

Followed your link. Went to repair computer and as I thought it would it just brings me back to the recovery screen(Win7) and cannot restore the computer to factory settings.

 

[gregrocker]

If that model Dell shipped with Win7 then the COA sticker is on it. Check under battery. If not call or chat Dell Support to get ReInstallation disk which has activation baked in.

Then Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Everything you need is in this tutorial to get a perfect reinstall if you have the COA Product key or Dell Reinstallation DVD..

During booted install you should delete all partitions at Drive selection screen using Drive Options - Create new or just let the installer do it for you by clicking Next - since Recovery and Diagnostics tools partitions are no longer functional.

You can try tapping the F12 key at boot to see if you can run Dell Diagnostics first and keep it's partition if it runs : Dell Diagnostics - How to Run

 

[VMPAS]

ok I have an update.

I have managed to get Windows 7 to reinstall however someway, somehow it contracted Alureon without Windows even being an hour installed on the system. In ran MSE and Windows Defender Offline and managed to remove the infection.

New problem. Windows crashes upon boot. I get to the Windows splash scree and it BSOD's. The only technical information is provides is the Stop Code: 0x0000007B which I know from experience with Dells can be an issue with the Sata Operation in the BIOS. I go to the bios and switch from AHCI to ATA. Same thing happens. Switch it back. Happens again. I'm starting to believe that the software on the hard drive may be very much so currupt. I am right now running the Dell Diagnostics to make sure it isn't hardware related someway somehow.

Any other input would greatly be appreciated as I am starting to reach the end of my long list of ideas.


EDIT: Also just for the future if I were to wipe the hard drive totally clean and reinstall Windows using an ISO image and input the product key that came with the laptop would it work?

 

[gregrocker]

Did you delete all partitions as suggested during install?

If not do it over. This time wipe the HD first with Diskpart Clean Command from the installer Command Line accessed by pressing Shift + F10 at first screen when booted.

Reset BIOS to defaults. Set SATA controller to AHCI first. Do you have an EFI Boot Disk in BIOS boot order?

If you need Dell Diagnostics in the future its available on a bootable download from Dell site.

 

[VMPAS]

Did you delete all partitions as suggested during install?

If not do it over. This time wipe the HD first with Diskpart Clean Command from the installer Command Line accessed by pressing Shift + F10 at first screen when booted.

Reset BIOS to defaults. Set SATA controller to AHCI first. Do you have an EFI Boot Disk in BIOS boot order?

If you need Dell Diagnostics in the future its available on a bootable download from Dell site.

I did. I also reset the bios to defaults.

 

[gregrocker]

I'd still wipe the HD to clean reinstall. Have MSE on a stick to install before connecting to the internet. Do yo have a superior router firewall you can turn on? If not get all of the Windows Updates done to be fully secure and have the drivers Win7 prefers before importing anything else.

 

[Kaktussoft]

ok I have an update.

I have managed to get Windows 7 to reinstall however someway, somehow it contracted Alureon without Windows even being an hour installed on the system. In ran MSE and Windows Defender Offline and managed to remove the infection.

New problem. Windows crashes upon boot. I get to the Windows splash scree and it BSOD's. The only technical information is provides is the Stop Code: 0x0000007B which I know from experience with Dells can be an issue with the Sata Operation in the BIOS. I go to the bios and switch from AHCI to ATA. Same thing happens. Switch it back. Happens again. I'm starting to believe that the software on the hard drive may be very much so currupt. I am right now running the Dell Diagnostics to make sure it isn't hardware related someway somehow.

Any other input would greatly be appreciated as I am starting to reach the end of my long list of ideas.


EDIT: Also just for the future if I were to wipe the hard drive totally clean and reinstall Windows using an ISO image and input the product key that came with the laptop would it work?

Set SATA back to what it was in bios so I think AHCI. Alureon modifies atapi.sys and that's why it bsod'ed to stop 7B!
Replace atapi.sys in c:\windows\system32 with a good atapi.sys! Copy it from a working 64bits win7 machine and transfer using usb stick. Copy using win7 recovery environment. It hasn't changed since 2009!

 

[VMPAS]

ok I have an update.

I have managed to get Windows 7 to reinstall however someway, somehow it contracted Alureon without Windows even being an hour installed on the system. In ran MSE and Windows Defender Offline and managed to remove the infection.

New problem. Windows crashes upon boot. I get to the Windows splash scree and it BSOD's. The only technical information is provides is the Stop Code: 0x0000007B which I know from experience with Dells can be an issue with the Sata Operation in the BIOS. I go to the bios and switch from AHCI to ATA. Same thing happens. Switch it back. Happens again. I'm starting to believe that the software on the hard drive may be very much so currupt. I am right now running the Dell Diagnostics to make sure it isn't hardware related someway somehow.

Any other input would greatly be appreciated as I am starting to reach the end of my long list of ideas.


EDIT: Also just for the future if I were to wipe the hard drive totally clean and reinstall Windows using an ISO image and input the product key that came with the laptop would it work?

Set SATA back to what it was in bios so I think AHCI. Alureon modifies atapi.sys and that's why it bsod'ed to stop 7B!
Replace atapi.sys in c:\windows\system32 with a good atapi.sys! Copy it from a working 64bits win7 machine and transfer using usb stick. Copy using win7 recovery environment. It hasn't changed since 2009!

I see. Alright I'll do that. But how or why would this trojan pop up when the new image isn't even an hour old?

 

[Kaktussoft]

ok I have an update.

I have managed to get Windows 7 to reinstall however someway, somehow it contracted Alureon without Windows even being an hour installed on the system. In ran MSE and Windows Defender Offline and managed to remove the infection.

New problem. Windows crashes upon boot. I get to the Windows splash scree and it BSOD's. The only technical information is provides is the Stop Code: 0x0000007B which I know from experience with Dells can be an issue with the Sata Operation in the BIOS. I go to the bios and switch from AHCI to ATA. Same thing happens. Switch it back. Happens again. I'm starting to believe that the software on the hard drive may be very much so currupt. I am right now running the Dell Diagnostics to make sure it isn't hardware related someway somehow.

Any other input would greatly be appreciated as I am starting to reach the end of my long list of ideas.


EDIT: Also just for the future if I were to wipe the hard drive totally clean and reinstall Windows using an ISO image and input the product key that came with the laptop would it work?

Set SATA back to what it was in bios so I think AHCI. Alureon modifies atapi.sys and that's why it bsod'ed to stop 7B!
Replace atapi.sys in c:\windows\system32 with a good atapi.sys! Copy it from a working 64bits win7 machine and transfer using usb stick. Copy using win7 recovery environment. It hasn't changed since 2009!

I see. Alright I'll do that. But how or why would this trojan pop up when the new image isn't even an hour old?

Maybe it was already on disk(?) You did clean whole disk? Or did you just delete all partitions?

 

[VMPAS]

I went through the recovery GUI and restored to factory settings. Not sure if thats a clean or a formatting....wouldn't it be the same?

 

[VMPAS]

Got it...

 

[VMPAS]

No luck. Same BSOD Stop Error. I copied the file exactly where it needed to go. Sata Operation in Bios is correct, checking it for the upteenth time xD.

Can you explain to me the difference between a cleaning and a formatting? Because tbh I thought they were the samething....

 

[Kaktussoft]

I went through the recovery GUI and restored to factory settings. Not sure if thats a clean or a formatting....wouldn't it be the same?

The virus is a rootkit and is located in MBR (the first sector of physical disk). It is active even before windows or recovery stuff starts! Even if recovery stuff tries to override that piece of code, the virus can block it and return a "fake overrride success"

 

[VMPAS]

I went through the recovery GUI and restored to factory settings. Not sure if thats a clean or a formatting....wouldn't it be the same?

The virus is a rootkit and is located in MBR (the first sector of physical disk). It is active even before windows or recovery stuff starts! Even if recovery stuff tries to override that piece of code, the virus can block it and return a "fake overrride success"

Ah I see. Makes sense so really I would have to wipe the entire drive. Is there a usb tool I can use to do this because tbh I don't feel very comfortable attaching the HDD to my lap top and formatting the drive through Disk Management and such.

And even afterword how would I reinstall Windows 7 without a recovery interface? I mean I have an ISO for Win 7 but will it work with the product key that I have? If I can even get it at this point since I cannot get into Windows and such...

 

[Kaktussoft]

I went through the recovery GUI and restored to factory settings. Not sure if thats a clean or a formatting....wouldn't it be the same?

The virus is a rootkit and is located in MBR (the first sector of physical disk). It is active even before windows or recovery stuff starts! Even if recovery stuff tries to override that piece of code, the virus can block it and return a "fake overrride success"

Ah I see. Makes sense so really I would have to wipe the entire drive. Is there a usb tool I can use to do this because tbh I don't feel very comfortable attaching the HDD to my lap top and formatting the drive through Disk Management and such.

And even afterword how would I reinstall Windows 7 without a recovery interface? I mean I have an ISO for Win 7 but will it work with the product key that I have? If I can even get it at this point since I cannot get into Windows and such...

You have a COA sticker with a product key on laptop?