From: "Robert Comer" 

> 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.

I don't think it would have, that was a bad situation that both IBM and
Microsoft had a part in. (It was a ThinkPad)

--
Bob Comer


"Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:44a80805$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> 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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