Reverse Engineer MS Office Key

[wlee]

I just discovered one of our MS OfficeXP SBE Discs has gone "missing" It's an OEM ver that came with a Dell computer. I only noticed it because I needed to use it for Office Update. Luckily, I have 4 more, but I wanted to know if there is a way to reverse engineer the key from the product ID. should I have to re-install this machine, I'll need a key. I know, I should have recorded all the keys into a file. I kept all the software bundled together in separate manilla folder for each computer and kept them on my bookshelf.

 

[spyordie007]

not that I'm aware of, but it's a possibility that someone somewhere has written an application such as that.

I would try contacting MS customer service and find out if they will help you recover it (assuming you have registered your product with them).

Sorry to hear about the misfortune.

-Spy

 

[CTho9305]

Belarc Advisor told me most of my CD keys... it looks like every MS app EXCEPT office

. I'd say give it a shot anyway.

 

[wlee]

I didn't register any of them with MS. I know their policy on OEM vers is that you have to deal directly with the OEM. If I can't find out who swiped the disc, I'll try to email Dell Tech Support. Still, if anyone knows of a util that can recover the install key, please post!. 🙂 Thanks!

 

[CTho9305]

Did you try belarc advisor?

 

[slackerinabox]

I won't talk about the legal implications.. I honestly don't know them.. But since you did pay for the software is it really that ethically wrong to just get another OEM key (from google or whatever)?

 

[KF]

There are indeed key generators for Office XP. It seems to me the key generator for XP Home/Pro/Corporate has an option for Office too. Anyone helping you find the key generator, or even giving you one key is subject to prosecution under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. And besides, they could get banned from Anandtech. astalavista.

As far as I know, the keys for XP at least are independent of the product code, so I imagine it is the same for Office XP. Any key will work with any CD, as long as it is for that version. That is: Pro with Pro, not Home with Pro.

There are utilities to show the key that was stored somewhere when you install these kind of programs. I'm not sure why MS thinks this ought to be such a dark secret. You should be able to find them the same place you find key generators. But if you use astalavista to search, be sure to have Adware and Spybot handy to get the malware off your computer, just in case.

 

[Broadkipa]

here is the site for you, daft name but it works a treat:http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml