Find product key through command prompt

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blade12

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
346
Hello, I had a question. I have Windows 7 installed on my laptop and it seems to me like it is corrupted since I get a blue screen when I try to load it normally and also when I try to enter safe mode. Blue screen comes up and goes away too quickly so I have no way to finding out what it says exactly.

My only option is to reformat. Now, here's the issue. I found my original Windows Vista Business dvd that came with the laptop so I can reformat. The problem is that I cannot find my Windows 7 upgrade dvd that I ordered with free upgrade to Windows 7 option (dvd and product key is all in there) to upgrade Vista Business to Windows 7. Anyways, at the moment, I am able to get into System Recovery Options but no operating systems are listed (my guess is that it is corrupted so they don't show up). Inside System Recovery Options, It asks if I want to use system image, which I did not previously create and I also do not have System Restore so that's out of the question too. Command Prompt seems to work fine. There is also Windows Memory Diagnostic and Startup Repair. Startup Repair just keeps scanning for problems and doesn't seem to do anything. Windows Memory Diagnostic does not seem to do anything after I select it (Asks me to restart computer and then it comes right back to System Recovery Options).

I will just reformat but I was wondering if there is any way I could find out what the product key is currently installed in this computer through command prompt. If I have that, I can probably get a Windows 7 upgrade dvd from someone else and use the currently installed product key. I would personally upgrade to Windows 7 than stick with Vista Business. If there is any way of using cmd to find product-key, it would solve this issue.

Thanks.
 
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evilsofa said:
Produkey
Click to expand...

I would have to be able to get into Windows to even load that, correct? As I mentioned, I can't get to Windows 7 since I get a blue screen before I can do anything.. Only command prompt works from System Recovery Options menu..
 
Put produkey.exe on a usb stick, boot with CD, then run produkey.exe from the stick. Would that not work?
 
evilsofa said:
Put produkey.exe on a usb stick, boot with CD, then run produkey.exe from the stick. Would that not work?
Click to expand...
Exactly how is produkey.exe a bootable piece of software?

OP, the only thing you could do that I can see is to attach the laptop hard drive to another computer, then use produkey and press F9 to load another windows directory (point to the attached hard drive).

Also, under the safe mode option you should be able to 'disable auto restart on system failure' or something like that which will let you see what is blue screening. If it's doing it under safe mode as well I don't know what to tell you other than reinstall like you suggested.
 
bigdogchris said:
Exactly how is produkey.exe a bootable piece of software?

OP, the only thing you could do that I can see is to attach the laptop hard drive to another computer, then use produkey and press F9 to load another windows directory (point to the attached hard drive).
Click to expand...

Any way that I could possibly load that produkey.exe on a USB stick from Command Prompt? Remember, command prompt works..

I really don't want to risk taking the laptop harddrive out and connecting it to other computer since I don't want to screw with the warranty by opening up the laptop. Maybe if it was possible to connect laptop directly to my main computer through usb wire or something :D
 
blade12 said:
Any way that I could possibly load that produkey.exe on a USB stick from Command Prompt? Remember, command prompt works..

I really don't want to risk taking the laptop harddrive out and connecting it to other computer since I don't want to screw with the warranty by opening up the laptop. Maybe if it was possible to connect laptop directly to my main computer through usb wire or something :D
Click to expand...
produkey seems to be able to run from a command line so that's why I think evilsofa said this. What you could do is download a boot disk and copy the contents to a flash drive, as well as that program. Boot to the USB stick which will give you a command prompt, then run the produkey.exe.

I don't have a link to a copy of a boot disk though, only boot disk creates which require a floppy drive which I'm sure you do not have a usb floppy drive.
 
bigdogchris said:
produkey seems to be able to run from a command line so that's why I think evilsofa said this. What you could do is download a boot disk and copy the contents to a flash drive, as well as that program. Boot to the USB stick which will give you a command prompt, then run the produkey.exe.

I don't have a link to a copy of a boot disk though, only boot disk creates which require a floppy drive which I'm sure you do not have a usb floppy drive.
Click to expand...

Anyone else know how to make usb flash drive bootable with produkey? I did some quick googling, but I have never done this before so I dunno.. I don't have a floppy drive though

BTW - I ran Startup Repair again and it seems to have found what the root cause was after letting it run for 30-35 minutes. It says "System volume on disk is corrupt. Repair action: File system repair (chkdsk)" so I am about to restart the laptop. Hopefully it works now..

edit 2 - seems to me like it solved the problem. thanks for the help
 
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blade12 said:
Anyone else know how to make usb flash drive bootable with produkey? I did some quick googling, but I have never done this before so I dunno.. I don't have a floppy drive though

BTW - I ran Startup Repair again and it seems to have found what the root cause was after letting it run for 30-35 minutes. It says "System volume on disk is corrupt. Repair action: File system repair (chkdsk)" so I am about to restart the laptop. Hopefully it works now..

edit 2 - seems to me like it solved the problem. thanks for the help
Click to expand...
I would suggest running

sfc /scannow

at a command prompt to make sure all errors are cleared up.
 
blade12 said:
I really don't want to risk taking the laptop harddrive out and connecting it to other computer since I don't want to screw with the warranty by opening up the laptop. Maybe if it was possible to connect laptop directly to my main computer through usb wire or something :D
Click to expand...

pretty sure you can remove the HDD and ram as they constitute user replaceable parts without voiding the laptops warranty
 
Why not stick Produkey or anything else like it on a BartPE disc and boot from that? I believe that would work.
 
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