SIW - Everything you ever wanted to know about your computer, but were afraid to ask.
SIW - System Information for Windows
"Everything you want to know about your computer"

SIW - Licenses

You can retrieve Product Keys for Windows, MS Office and over 150 other software products:


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Notes:
  1. The Product Key can't be retrieved from the Windows CD! Product keys are not stored on CDs themselves. When you enter your key while installing, it's checked against an algorithm to verify that the key is valid.
  2. Doesn't work for MAK/KMS Product Keys, or if SLMGR was used to remove the key from the windows registry, or you’re running a pirated version of Windows.
  3. For those of you using this to retrieve serial numbers from a DELL, be aware that the key will be incorrect. DELL pre-activates all its versions of Windows with an identical serial and places the license key on the outside of your case. This saves them money because it's much more efficient for these large companies to install Windows once and then clone the drive.
  4. With Office 2000, SIW retrieves the Product ID. You need to call Microsoft for customer service. You give the customer service agent the product ID and he or she will then give you your Office 2000 Product Key.
  5. You can use Windows Product Key Update Tool to change your Product Key.
  6. Only SIW Technician's or Pro Version can save Licenses to report file.


How to recover Product Keys from a non-booting Windows Installation.
First you will need some things: then:
  1. Boot the dead system from BartPE CD
  2. Start SIW
  3. Select Software --> Remote Licenses --> From Hive
  4. Load the Hive File (C:\windows\system32\config\system for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7/Windows 8) from the dead Windows directory