From: "Gary Britt" 

Yes I believe you have correctly stated the situation.  I've tried 3
different programs now and they all give the same Key Number, and it isn't
the key number on the COA on the bottom of my computer.  While looking at
this I saw a reference to the situation you described below.  So I'm sure
you are correct.

Two of the 3 programs I've just downloaded and tried allow you to modify
the CD Key in the registry.  I don't know if that would have helped your
experience below or not.

Thanks,

Gary


"Robert Comer"  wrote in message
news:44a7f866{at}w3.nls.net...
>> 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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