Re: Locating Windows Application Installation Keys

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" wrote:

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

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.

"GhostInAK" wrote:

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

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.

"rowe_newsgroups" wrote:

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

eSolTec wrote:

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.
"rowe_newsgroups" wrote:
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

eSolTec wrote:

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.



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