From: "Robert Comer" 

> 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?

That's not the problem, it's that Gateway used a generic key to do the
install.  They do that to make it easier on the customer so he doesn't need
to actually type that 16 character key in.   Easier for the
customer, what a novel concept. 

The trouble with this scenario is that if that generic key gets pick up by
the pirates and marked as bad, then god forbid, you have to reinstall from
restore media.  It's likely that neither the generic key (because it's
pirated), nor your specific key (because it doesn't match the recover
media) will work and you'll have to reactivate by phone, and hopefully it
wont be after EOL of your particular restore media OS.  I've hit this
particular problem on a thinkpad install, and while I was able to activate
it over the phone (not the automated, but by a real person) it took quite
some time and was a humiliating and frustrating experience.

We've only seen the tip of the iceberg guys...

--
Bob Comer


"Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:44a7f659$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> Argggg.... matey. 
>
>
> 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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