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I have a laptop which used to have windows 7 (and xp when it was originally purchased). However, I formatted the disk and now have Ubuntu 14.04 on it. I heard that the product key is embedded somewhere in the bios, so is there still hope to retrieve it?

Thanks

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  • It's not for the version of Windows you used; if you don't have the Windows 7 key written down your out of luck
    – Ramhound
    Mar 18, 2017 at 17:09
  • Assuming the right SLP key is really in your bios, you can read here, here and here. But tbh it would just be easier if you could just use the key you should find on the sticker glued on the bottom of your laptop.
    – mirh
    Mar 18, 2017 at 17:58
  • Windows 7 and Windows XP used COA stickers
    – Ramhound
    Mar 18, 2017 at 18:53
  • @mirh The sticker on the back is for XP, so that wont work.
    – MJ9
    Mar 18, 2017 at 18:54
  • What are you talking about then? If the PC shipped with XP, that's what -if any- it will "contain".
    – mirh
    Mar 19, 2017 at 12:04

1 Answer 1

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If, as you've stated, the product key you're trying to recover:

  • Isn't on the COA label affixed to your computer
  • Isn't accessible on-disk due to your having formatted the disk
  • Isn't written down anywhere

Then, you've lost the product key.

I heard that the product key is embedded somewhere in the bios

What you're referring to is known as Digital Entitlement. This activation method is not available for Windows 7.

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    The part of your answer about Digital Entitlement is wrong. Digital Entitlement replaces the product key altogether and has nothing to do with the BIOS-embedded product keys. Those product keys were introduced with Windows 8. Of course, the OP does not have BIOS-embedded product key, because of his ancient hardware.
    – user477799
    Mar 18, 2017 at 21:26
  • @FleetCommand Yeah, I realized that after posting but couldn't find the marketing "name" for the embedded key types. Do you know what it is? Mar 18, 2017 at 21:28
  • They don't have a name for it. (The didn't even put a name on their famous design language which we have come to known as Metro! So, one must not be surprised that they didn't name something so mundane.)
    – user477799
    Mar 18, 2017 at 21:31

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