Where are product keys stored in the registry?

Recently I started exploring registry and I found the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\UNINSTALL

It seems to contain some codes along with software details. I'm wondering if the codes are the product keys I entered during software installation.

This page on MSDN says that it's a product code. Is the product code different than the product key? If not, are there different product codes for different license types?

amod

Posted 2011-06-24T06:23:40.500

Reputation: 141

i dont know why downvote to this question. this was sumthing u really need 2 explore and i provided the whole details. i think my question was good enough but few people never understand ur motive. – None – 2011-06-24T12:03:29.440

Answers

The product codes are not product keys, and are not license dependent - they are unique on all the machine. If you explore the registry you will find similar entries for the same software. This entry is added by the Windows Installer.

When you go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, the list is populated from this registry key.

amod

Posted 2011-06-24T06:23:40.500

Reputation: 141

{Product Code} in this place is more related to Install/Uninstall technologies (MSI, InstallShield, NSIS, ...) support.

It is not related to licensing (although nothing actually prevents an installer to copy some product key here...).

Simon Mourier

Posted 2011-06-24T06:23:40.500

Reputation: 136

@simon are they unique for a particular software and will be same at all the machine??? – None – 2011-06-24T07:02:59.510

@amod0017- They correspond to a given "software". What these codes actually are and mean depends on the publisher, but for a given software and version, they should be unique across space and galaxy, yes. You can figure most of it just browsing the keys on your machine actually. – None – 2011-06-24T07:07:37.613

@simon thnx i observed it on many machine and found them unique. – None – 2011-06-24T12:02:03.713