Two system builders left interesting questions in the comments section of my earlier post, Everything you always wanted to know about Windows Product Activation.
TJ asks:
I was just wondering if anyone knows of any tool out there that is able to validate a keycode, I mean to check if this keycode is still valid, has not been activated. I know I can call MS but when you have to check over 100’s of licenses its not really convenient.
I know of no way to check the validity of a Windows product key except by trying to activate an installation. In fact, if such a tool did exist, I presume hackers would target it immediately with a flood of requests to find valid, unactivated keys.
The answer (and it doesn’t work retrospectively) is good record-keeping. If you keep unactivated license codes in one file folder, you can pull one out and use it when needed. As soon as that code has been activated, write down the customer’s name and invoice number and then move the paperwork to a second folder, where you keep “used” (i.e., activated) license codes.
Next up, Jake Andrews asks:
We are a small Computer Repair service, and System Builder. We use nothing but legit software and operating systems, all are sold with the OEM OS package: CD/COA-Sticker.
However, we repair lots of Dell/HP etc systems, and often require an OS re-install, and the Keys on the COA sticker do not work without a 10 min call to Microsoft. This has begun to drive us crazy, is there no way around this? Of course the clients don’t have the original CD’s even if they were provided from the manufacturer, but with a legit Key there should be a way around this.
This one’s tricky. If the client brings in the original recovery CD provided by Dell or HP (both royalty OEMs), you can reinstall the operating system and no activation is required. If you use the key on the sticker, however, you have to call in. No way around it, as I explain in the Royalty OEM section of the original post.
If it were my business, I’d tell clients upfront that there’s a $20 extra service charge if they own an SLP-locked operating system and don’t bring in their original distribution media when they bring their PC in for repair. That should cover the 10-minute phone call.
Ed Bott 
One thing I have always wondered is, how can I find out which product key I used for a particular Windows XP machine? I have several Windows XP machines each with a different OEM product key. If I need to rebuild one of the machines, I never know which product key to use. If I could find out the product keys that was used on the other machines, it would eliminate this problem.
Mark,
I covered that topic in the second post I ever wrote on this blog. The secret is a program called Keyfinder, from Magical Jelly Bean Software. Get the latest version here.
Your comment to Jake Andrews is all fine and good, until your recognize that Dell and it’s competitors all seem to feel that CDs are not things that consumers need. Go buy a Dell and note the extra charge for the OS media (how many non-tech consumers do you think opt to pay more for that?).
Now since MS is in the habit of strong arming PC makers with requirements, why don’t they require the distribution of the OS media?
Mike K -> They still have to provide some kind of re-installation software, and this is usually hidden on a seperate partition – I agree that this is still not the best idea, but still, they have to make some way of flattening the machine availiable – most actually also now provide the ability to burn media discs from special software included on the ‘flat’ machine. For ref, I’ve seen this on Packard Bell machines, and I think Dell too.
K
Belarc Advisor is a free program that will give you a lot of information on your whole system …. More than what I can understand ..
Including key codes…