From: "Gary Britt" 

Argggg.... matey. 

I'm assuming the keyfinder.exe program that hasn't been updated since 2003
just doesn't properly unencrypt the key number or is something else at play
here?

This is a laptop purchased last October from Gateway through HSN and has
never been in for re-install or repair and has never been restored or
reinstalled by me.  The keyfinder.exe CD Key is completely different from
the COA Key on the bottom of the laptop??

Gary

"Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
news:44a7efca$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> Pirate!!!!
>
> 
>
>
> "Gary Britt"  wrote in message
> news:44a7ef3f$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>I tried the keyfinder.exe program that supposedly shows your windows
>>product key and it showed a key that is completely different from the key
>>on the sticker on the bottom of my laptop?
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> "/m"  wrote in message
>> news:1ldfa29d9rlnc0hnha6tapske44m61vju7{at}4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:45:30 -0500, "Geo"
 wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Adam Flinton" 
wrote in message
>>>>news:4221a503$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Esp if the virus makes it so no new number will work.
Imagine the
>>>>> "phone
>>>>> queues" of a global nature where people are
calling to re-init winxp.
>>>>
>>>>all it needs to do is change the serial number to a random number. I
>>>>don't
>>>>think anyone realizes just easy it would be to completely
hose the whole
>>>>product activation thing. Microsoft has designed windows to
watch to see
>>>>if
>>>>it was tampered with (that setting that changes workstation
to server)
>>>>and
>>>>they have now designed their strategy for updates to depend on stuff
>>>>that
>>>>can be changed by software that executes on the users machine.
>>>>
>>>>I've always thought this was a really nasty security issue,
first they
>>>>wanted the stupid serial number stickers on the outside of
the computer
>>>>where anyone can see them, write them down, and post them to the
>>>>internet
>>>>thus getting your key blacklisted. Second even if you
remove the sticker
>>>>there are programs like
http://www.nthelp.com/40/productid.htm which can
>>>>simply read the number and display it so you can copy it down.
>>>>
>>>>Imagine what would happen if the next big virus changed
this setting to
>>>>one
>>>>of the blacklisted serial numbers. It would basically mean
users have to
>>>>reinstall to fix the problem and if you happen to have an OEM version
>>>>which
>>>>now isn't going to let you reinstall without calling well...
>>>>
>>>>So when is MS going to realize that software piracy is a
law enforcement
>>>>issue and why it's a bad idea to take the law into your own
hands? It's
>>>>so
>>>>easy to frame users so that MS thinks they are running
pirated windows..
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't think they are ever going to realize that.
>>>
>>> /m
>>
>>
>
>

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