Validate WinXP Product Key before installing
Is there any website, utility, etc. that you can input a product key for Windows XP, Office, etc. that will tell you if it is a valid key? The key isn't on a blacklist or pirated? Also all without having to call MS?
I know this may be a little far fetched, but MS can tell you if the key is a good one or not. I was hoping maybe either MS or someone had something like the available.
Thanks!
I know this may be a little far fetched, but MS can tell you if the key is a good one or not. I was hoping maybe either MS or someone had something like the available.
Thanks!
Brian Pierce
afraid not
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Thanks acl-puzz, that's a great idea. I will check into that.
other than microsoft genuine validation tool, this was all i was able to find but i have never used it:
http://www.solidblogger.com/download-windows-7-product-key-checker-free/
http://www.solidblogger.com/download-windows-7-product-key-checker-free/
There are some sites that claim to do this but it's likely they are just harvesting Keys
I do not think that there will be such tools unless someone has cracked into the internal database of Microsoft storing all product keys of different products that they have sold. My grounds are as follows:-
1. For OEM products, there are MS genuine labels attached on the products sold.
2. For Volume licence, there are licence agreements (in paper form) with or without setup media, and the setup media can be downloaded from https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter/
3. For retail box, there are a label card inside the box set.
4. For MSDN subscription, the subscribers are binded to the MSDN subscription agreement and are not allowed (i.e. against the law) to install the product in production environment. The MSDN subscription caters for the needs of the developer of MS products to do testings before the deployment in production environment.
I am afraid that getting confirmation from Microsoft is the only way for answering your question. From the above, you can see that all sources of getting a product key MUST come with certain from of showing ownership of the product. (either a genuine label, volume licence agreement, the label card inside retail box set or a MSDN subscription agreement.
1. For OEM products, there are MS genuine labels attached on the products sold.
2. For Volume licence, there are licence agreements (in paper form) with or without setup media, and the setup media can be downloaded from https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter/
3. For retail box, there are a label card inside the box set.
4. For MSDN subscription, the subscribers are binded to the MSDN subscription agreement and are not allowed (i.e. against the law) to install the product in production environment. The MSDN subscription caters for the needs of the developer of MS products to do testings before the deployment in production environment.
I am afraid that getting confirmation from Microsoft is the only way for answering your question. From the above, you can see that all sources of getting a product key MUST come with certain from of showing ownership of the product. (either a genuine label, volume licence agreement, the label card inside retail box set or a MSDN subscription agreement.
ASKER
Thanks, jackieman, for the info, but I was already aware of the different ways MS offers its software.
MS overdoes its activation process, in my opinion. It creates more problems for the average user (probably about 90% of its customers) in order to try to control those few pirates out there. Of those pirates, probably most if not all of them have their ways of getting around to activation anyway. In my opinion, MS doesn't have enough really smart "security strategists" to out-smart those pirates out there anyway.
This is all my opinion, just like butts, everyone has one.
The reason for asking about this was that I have come across keys either on stickers on the box, found with Magic Jelly Bean, on disk envelopes, etc. that appeared to be legit, but after trying to use them, they turned out to be fake, belonging to another PC, wrong version, were upgraded, or such. If there was a way to determine if a key belonged to which version of Windows, another MS product, fake (MS had never issued this certain key to any of its products), or another Windows (XP, Vista, 7) or Office (2k, 2k3, standard, pro, etc), it would certainly be a great help.
I think they spend too much time finding new ways to take a product & make as many versions of it as it can to squeeze as much $ out of it as it can. Instead of making really good products. But MS has always been a "marketing" more than a software company. Just my opinion!!
MS overdoes its activation process, in my opinion. It creates more problems for the average user (probably about 90% of its customers) in order to try to control those few pirates out there. Of those pirates, probably most if not all of them have their ways of getting around to activation anyway. In my opinion, MS doesn't have enough really smart "security strategists" to out-smart those pirates out there anyway.
This is all my opinion, just like butts, everyone has one.
The reason for asking about this was that I have come across keys either on stickers on the box, found with Magic Jelly Bean, on disk envelopes, etc. that appeared to be legit, but after trying to use them, they turned out to be fake, belonging to another PC, wrong version, were upgraded, or such. If there was a way to determine if a key belonged to which version of Windows, another MS product, fake (MS had never issued this certain key to any of its products), or another Windows (XP, Vista, 7) or Office (2k, 2k3, standard, pro, etc), it would certainly be a great help.
I think they spend too much time finding new ways to take a product & make as many versions of it as it can to squeeze as much $ out of it as it can. Instead of making really good products. But MS has always been a "marketing" more than a software company. Just my opinion!!
Totally agreed and understand your pain.
"MS has always been a "marketing" more than a software company." - YES
"MS has always been a "marketing" more than a software company." - YES
ASKER
I got my answer many times, but this one gave me an option of testing the key in a virtual environment.
Thanks!
Thanks!