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Lost your product key? Assuming you're running a 32-bit Vista version, you can find it using the latest beta edition of Keyfinder, from Magical Jellybean Software. Here's a screen clip showing the results when running Keyfinder v2.0 Beta 2-1/2. That's the default key for Windows Vista Ultimate, taken from a system installed with Vista Ultimate without entering a product key during Setup.
Figure 1: Keyfinder, from Magical Jellybean Software
When you buy a retail copy of Windows Vista, the most important part of your purchase is the product key that comes with it. That 25-character key determines which Vista edition you're allowed to install and activate, and it also tells the Setup program whether you've purchased a full or upgrade license.
If you choose not to enter a product ID when you install Windows Vista, the Setup program automatically supplies a default key. In that case, the key used will end on one of the following default keys, which cannot be activated:
Business - MRW4W
BusinessN - QXX44
HomeBasic - 3V4VD
HomeBasicN - GFJBT
HomePremium - 76PKF
Ultimate - RP8F7
If you have two or more computers running the same edition of Vista, you might lose track of which product key you used for each machine. The solution? Open a Command Prompt window on each machine and type the command slmgr -dli. The -dli switch stands for "display license information" and shows the last five characters of your license ID. Assuming you have the product keys written down, you can use these details to see which key is in use on each machine.
Figure 2: type the command slmgr -dli from the command prompt in Windows Vista
Lost your product key? Assuming you're running a 32-bit Vista version, you can find it using the latest beta edition of Keyfinder, from Magical Jellybean Software. Here's a screen clip showing the results when running Keyfinder v2.0 Beta 2-1/2. That's the default key for Windows Vista Ultimate, taken from a system installed with Vista Ultimate without entering a product key during Setup.
Figure 1: Keyfinder, from Magical Jellybean Software
When you buy a retail copy of Windows Vista, the most important part of your purchase is the product key that comes with it. That 25-character key determines which Vista edition you're allowed to install and activate, and it also tells the Setup program whether you've purchased a full or upgrade license.
If you choose not to enter a product ID when you install Windows Vista, the Setup program automatically supplies a default key. In that case, the key used will end on one of the following default keys, which cannot be activated:
Business - MRW4W
BusinessN - QXX44
HomeBasic - 3V4VD
HomeBasicN - GFJBT
HomePremium - 76PKF
Ultimate - RP8F7
If you have two or more computers running the same edition of Vista, you might lose track of which product key you used for each machine. The solution? Open a Command Prompt window on each machine and type the command slmgr -dli. The -dli switch stands for "display license information" and shows the last five characters of your license ID. Assuming you have the product keys written down, you can use these details to see which key is in use on each machine.
Figure 2: type the command slmgr -dli from the command prompt in Windows Vista
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