Windows Product Key - is it part of proprietary (e.g. Dell) laptop motherboards?

[Turbonium]

If I use key recovery software to get my Windows install's Product Key, is it always accurate?

I have a Dell laptop. I changed the motherboard at one point, so I'm wondering if the Product Key that Magical Jelly Bean is reporting is unfamiliar to me due to that (I don't remember the Product Key, but I'd recognize it easily, which I am not with the reported Key).

 

[postmortemIA]

Newer laptops have the special manufacturer key embedded in BIOS. If you have windows 8, you won't need to enter key... if you are on Vista or Windows 7, read this up:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationgui...and-recovery-program-windows-vista-7-version/
( I hope this is not considered as piracy, I would say you legally have rights to use that particular version of windows that laptop came in with)

 

[Dahak]

pretty much as postmortemIA said

For windows 8 machines, be it laptop or desktop, have the product key embedded in the bios.

For older versions there should be a sticker somewhere on the unit that has the product key and I have seen/hear on some dells its on the ac adapter, which is odd

the key that is found with a key finder may be different that whats on the unit as it is a master key that the manufacture uses during imaging. It will most of the time work as well (done this with HP machines)

The one that MagicJelly Bean finder, is finding is probably the master image key, and for Win7 and below, this is stored in the Registry not the bios.

The bios usually has a special code to allow the manufactures oem keys to activate automatically. Worst case scenario you would have to call MS to activate and let them know that the motherboard was replaced due to failure

 

[corkyg]

In some laptops, the OEM key is under the battery. Look for a sticker in the battery compartment.

 

[Turbonium]

Guys, to clarify: this laptop is almost a decade old, so the bottom sticker is way too worn out to be readable. I know I wrote down the Product Key somewhere, but I can't find it.

As long as the Key the software is reporting is accurate though (even if I have to call Microsoft to make it work, that's good enough).

 

[postmortemIA]

Guys, to clarify: this laptop is almost a decade old, so the bottom sticker is way too worn out to be readable. I know I wrote down the Product Key somewhere, but I can't find it.

As long as the Key the software is reporting is accurate though (even if I have to call Microsoft to make it work, that's good enough).

Is key for Vista or Xp? If it is Vista, then you can use one of oem keys and skip activation following the instructions from link I've given

 

[Turbonium]

Is key for Vista or Xp? If it is Vista, then you can use one of oem keys and skip activation following the instructions from link I've given

There's no way I'd be using XP after support ended.

I'd rather activate the OS, don't ask me why. If a phone call to MS will work, I don't mind.

 

[postmortemIA]

There's no way I'd be using XP after support ended.

I'd rather activate the OS, don't ask me why. If a phone call to MS will work, I don't mind.

OEMs are made to never activate. Windows activations is meant for retail copies. So it is harder to activate OEMs because of that.

 

[Turbonium]

OEMs are made to never activate. Windows activations is meant for retail copies. So it is harder to activate OEMs because of that.

Yea, but I think I remember activating this OS/system one occasion (this is going to be my third clean install on this system).

Either way, I'm hoping Microsoft can and does make exceptions in weird situations like this.

 

[maxi007]

windows 7 systems key are situated somewhare in sticker