How can I check if I have a legit key?

My computer is running a little slow, and graphics are sluggish. I would like to format the harddrive because I suspect it has a virus or spyware. I have a copy of vista that my school gave me, but I only copied down the cd-key with a pen. I want to make sure 100% that I copied the key right before I format, or else I would be left hanging without an OS. How can I check if the key is good or not?

Thanks!

 

Try to download something that requires a genuine window from www.microsoft.com

 

Do you mean something like windows media player 11? I think that only checks if your current version of windows is genuine, but cannot check another key.

 

use magic bean it gets ur key for u

 

im serious...

 

You don't have to reenter the serial number again if you are reinstalling the same version of vista on the same laptop.

 

Now you are confusing me. I am going to format the hd, then install windows again. This is a desktop if that makes a difference.

 

ok you should have got an oem dvd that came with your laptop
if not then..you will have to find out your key by using a program called magic bean or something like that... or install windows on virtual machine and test the cd key you wrote down

 

Did you even Google for Magic Bean? It's an actual keyfinder program.

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Now playing: The Killers - Mr. Brightside
via FoxyTunes

 

If your school gave you a retail copy of Vista. Why did u have to write it down

All you have to do is run Windows Update after you do a reformat. This will check your copy and authenthicate it. You need a legit key to access and obtain windows updates.

 

Yeah, I'm not going with the "written down key for a school copy". Not at all.

 

Sorry, I was under the assumption that Magic Bean is another one of those keygens. I will try it out. Thanks

All my school gave me was a link in an email to the cd key and another link to download vista to burn to a cd. Both links have already expired.

 

One suggestion. Load the Auslogics Boostspeed trial from www.auslogics.com and you can see your CD Key on the "View System Information" at the bottom left of the main menu. Write this key so you can reload the same version of Vista you're using. Good luck

 

I see.

After you do a fresh install of Vista, it will ask you to activate your copy. If your key is legit then its not a problem at all. Now sure why you have to ask 'how can i check if i have a legit key?' unless its not.

But anyway if you somehow 'borrowed' this key off another school computer. It wont work because it will be an OEM licence which will only work for that computer.

 

The school probably had the links instead of giving every student a disc. This might have been a limited license and can only be activated so many times. Just use a single anti-virus program and clean out the hard drive using the aforementioned program (Auslogics) and see if the performance improves. Delete all the junk programs you don't need or haven't used for a long time. He might not be able to reactivate the key after a clean install but he could ask the school for a discounted disc with a new key.

 

hey use ccleaner
auslogic defrag
a good spyware remover might be worth investing in one
use msconfig to stop processes and to prevent ones on boot up
look and uninstall junk and look in your c drive and so on

 

ImprezaSTi - if you need the key, as someone has pointed out, use Magic Bean, all you do is download, run the program it and let it find your key? problem solved? right?......(suspicious face)

 

As far as I know, most schools don't give out retail copies of almost anything they get from MS - MS has a very detailed set of various academic licensing regimes, only some of which provide what amounts to the same thing as a retail version (minus the support direct from MS itself).

The OP should, however, check with his school's IT department first, both in terms of the key and in terms of whether or not s/he'll be able to use the key to reinstall - some of the academic licenses MS gives out are very temporary in nature; for example, some require that the licensed software be removed from a student's system once the student no longer attends the licensing school.

 

All the OP wanted to know if his key will work with a clean install. We are not the thought police in which if he's using it for legitimate reasons. Give the person the benefit of a doubt.

 

ok guys, i have my xp pro cd and my vista cd, wat im trying 2 do is locate the folders that the drivers for the comp, like video driver, lan driver and sound driver. do u know wat folder i can find them in? help me please

 

I know which folder they are in, but you're asking in the wrong thread, so I'm not going to help you with this here as it'll only encourage others to make the same mistake.

And as a punishment, I'm not going to answer it in the other thread you created as well.

And if you PM me regarding this, I'll delete those infs from your CD, and defrag your Internet.

P.S - Vista cannot fit on a CD, unless it's retarded.

 

Way to be a nice person. Don't bite the newcomers. As for the question itself, I, myself, don't know but you could probably ask one of the other prevalent forum members.

 

wow what a kind person you are....
honestly i dont know the answer so i cant help
and vista can fit on 5-6 cds or you can n or vlite it to 1cd

 

It was against the rules, and if we don't ask others to follow them, then what's the point of having them? I could've answered it here, but he created a thread, and then tried hijacked this one. I'm just doing my bit.

Your compassion is a weakness n00bs will not share.

 

it must because u a rooney fan jk ..lol
ahh whats against the rules he did? did i miss something? are you a moderator?
don't mean any disrespect

 

Okay, thread has been hijacked and has gone OT so its now closed.

Continue the discussion about Drivers On OS Cd's in this thread and if the OP still has a questions about the key, he can create a new thread.