Recovering Windows license keys from within a LiveCD environment in Linux

Question

I'm curious if it's possible to retrieve the license keys of a Windows XP machine from within a LiveCD environment in Ubuntu.

Normally, if I was in Windows, I would just run Magical Jellybean Keyfinder, but is there some way to do this from within a LiveCD environment?

Answer 1

The only LiveCD-style way I know of doing this would be using the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, which you can boot into from a floppy or CD. Since the key is stored in the registry, this is the logical way to do it. As for the key's location, see this article.

Answer 2

The Windows Registry files are located at

%SystemRoot%\System32\config\

1. From your live Linux distro, copy the %SystemRoot%\System32\config\ folder to a USB drive.
2. On another Windows machine, create a Windows directory somewhere and then create a System32 folder inside that to mimic the directory structure of a real Windows installation.
3. Copy the config folder on the USB drive to your new dummy Windows\System32.
4. Download and install Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0.1 (MJBKF).
5. Point MJBKF to the newly-created Windows\System32 you created earlier.
6. Let MJBKF do its magic.

Answer 3

Hirens boot CD has a Mini Windows XP option with ProduKey built into it, which will let you point to an internal drive.

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/