Solved Determine Product Key From Unbootable Hard Drive

[jumanji]

Yes, as you said if 4GB memory 64 bit otherwise 32 bit.

@boweasel, Thank you for the rep. I am happy to see happy faces. Now Greg is there to help you with a clean install. Even if that key is OEM System Builder Key - which I think it can be - the activation will go through on the original PC. And take a screenshot of the key and keep it.

Looking at the imaging screenshot, I see something is mentioned as MFT corrupt. We may try MFT repair on it with TestDisk. But that is all secondary. Go ahead with the clean install on a new HDD as Greg suggested without wiping the old HDD.

Have a good day.

 

[gregrocker]

Crystal Disk flags it as Bad HD but I think I'd want confirmation from HD Diagnostic
scan either from boot disk or Windows just to be sure.

Absent confirmed bad diagnostics, MFT corruption also can be overcome as far as I know by reinstall with wiping.

 

[boweasel]

I've got 2 Microsoft Windows 7 disks - one is 32 and the other 64. But they're Windows 7 Professional and I sort of remember getting an indication somewhere that the bad HDD was Home Premium. I also have a Dell 64 bit W7HP, as well as 2 unbranded disks I created from somewhere. One of those is labelled W7HP and the other W7HP 64. I have no idea how much memory is in the original tower. Since the case is already open I suppose I can yank out the memory and read what it says on the sticks. Or maybe just go with the unbranded W7HP.... I'm starting to wonder just how much I like my brother...

 

[gregrocker]

Use the latest 32 bit installer for home Premium in Reinstall tutorial which you should be following.

 

[boweasel]

SOB.... After jumping through all these hoops to determine the product key, wiping, partitioning, formatting a new drive, and using my unbranded Windows 7 Home Premium disk to install Windows.... I ultimately get a message 'The product key does not match current Windows SKU'. See my previous Microsoft product key rant because I'm having a hard time not dropping the F-bomb.

 

[SIW2]

It might be Home Basic ? Check the product key with this:

The Ultimate PID Checker

 

[gregrocker]

It may be Upgrade. If you can't find out with certainty the version go ahead and install anyway and afterwards do the quick registry workaround to activate Upgrade on a clean drive.

Si probably thinks its Basic since 32 bit. Ask user if he at least remembers transparent borders. Basic has solid powder blue ones

You can also call MS Customer Service to confirm the key. Better to use SIW2's checker.

 

[boweasel]

It might be Home Basic ? Check the product key with this:

The Ultimate PID Checker

And the frustration level continues to ratchet even higher.... This is a RAR file and although this computer seems to be able to handle zip files with a right click followed by extract all, right clicking this puppy does nothing. I downloaded the 32 bit exe 7-Zip from Source Forge, installed it to the Program File and still nothing. Downloaded the 64 bit msi file to Program Files (x86) and still nothing happens on a right click.

Have they changed 7-Zip?

 

[boweasel]

Had to open 7-zip from all programs, then navigate to the pidgen.rar file to get it to work. That ain't the way it USED to work.....

 

[boweasel]

Success! :shock: It actually worked. Of course I have no drivers. Can they be pulled of the old drive, or should I just go to the ASUS site?

 

[AddRAM]

Yes, get any drivers you need from Asus. If you have a red X through the network icon at the bottom right, you need to get the network (LAN) drivers, once you install those you can start running windows update, but I`m sure you`ll have to get 1 or 2 more drivers from Asus.

Right the key down using ink, put it in a zip lock bag and tape it to the inside of the case.

Once you have all the drivers you need from Asus, you could put those on a cd and put that in the bag too.

 

[gregrocker]

Enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) then run all rounds of Important and Optional Updates except Bing, with reboots, until there are no more offered when you go back to Check for Updates.

This will provide most drivers and important patches to make them work better. So it needs to be done right off. Only after all Updates are done should you import any missing drivers from Asus, unless you need the network driver to get to Updates.

You can set up your desktop and other things while they're installing, even install some programs. But I'd pace myself so that you can monitor performance after each reboot.

 

[jumanji]

Just for Information:

The Windows Registry Recovery Window will show the Product Name, Product ID ( If it is OEM the OEM string will be there in it) and also Product version apart from the Product Key.. I hope you have taken a screenshot and kept as advised.



Next you can find your Windows version from the licence.rtf file which is in Windows > System 32.





All this on your faulty drive. There is no way that the information presented by Windows Registry Recovery can go wrong since it is extracted from the Registry.

I hope everything goes on well, unless it is some TechNet Key ( I forget the exact name). If you send a PM to NoelDP with the Key, he may be able advise on the nature of the key)

Also you may be aware, if it is a OEM System Builder key, the activation is tied up to the original machine id - which is already present in the MS activation servers - and the activation will go through only on that machine.

 

[boweasel]

You guys have been great! With GR's tip about the drivers and windows updates, I only had to get the Ethernet driver from ASUS. The rest just came in with the updates. Have activated Windows, installed all the updates, minus Bing and Silverlight, re-integrated her desktop background photo and copied all her pictures, documents and music from the external drive where I was storing them. The PC is running beautifully.

This undertaking would have been impossible without the assistance of this forum. Thanks again.

 

[gregrocker]

Glad to hear it!

Did it activate with no problems?

 

[boweasel]

Glad to hear it!

Did it activate with no problems?

Yup. After the ethernet driver was installed I waited 'till all the updates were complete (and when you think they're finally complete - just wait 5 minutes and they'll be a whole new set), then I activated online. It took all of 30 seconds. I double checked by right-clicking Computer and left-clicking Properties.

I wish I could double the reputations I've given.

 

[jumanji]

I am happy to see the tick mark against this thread. Well done.