Almost everyone that had installed either Windows XP or Windows 2003, and now Windows Vista, will be familiar with Windows Activation to some degree. Windows Activation used the Serial provided by the user as one of the main factors used when validating a Windows copy, specially when a user wants to update the system or do one download from the Microsoft website.
The activation process also uses our hardware as a mean to cross the “data”, that is to check if the same serial number is present in different PCs(hardware). While there had been many toughs about this method there’s one thing that is bothering more than it should.
A while ago I lost my original serial number paper, so I needed a way to recover it. God… it was so easy as googling a bit. I found this little piece of software but I’m sure there will be other applications. The fact that I could recover my own, legal, serial number is good, but what if there is a virus, bot, etc… that starts gathering legal and original serial keys?
Unlike credit card numbers, you can’t simply call you bank and tell them to cancel it… even because what are the odds of knowing your serial number was stolen? If some hacker sells a list of legal serial numbers to a cracking website, or even if the virus starts playing and switching the serial numbers, imagine the impact that could have worldwide…
I guess not only many, many, many, corporations would simply stop but Microsoft itself would have little to no control over the situation. In the end they would only have two options; either to give new serial numbers to everyone, after patching the system so the retrieval is impossible, or simply shutdown the Windows Activation.
I’ve no data if this serial recovering is possible under Windows Vista, but something tells me its a matter of time. And when that day comes not only one small bug by Microsoft can open a door to one virus but it could simply stop the world by “one” day.
You can also try software called Recover Keys. It is application which can retrieve your activation keys for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Nero, Acronis products, SlySoft, and many more other software. Currently it supports more than 850+ software titles. Futhermore, Recover Keys can scan your network computers, another HDD, another Windows system bootable or non-bootable (if you have more than one).
This program was made for backup purposes, you can save your activation keys to a file (Word, Excel, Text, CSV, and many more) or send them to printer.
http://recover-keys.com/en/recover-lost-microsoft-windows-xp-activation-key.html