Bios : embedded windows key question

[vanrepair]

Hi guys, I'm kinda new in the board level repair stuff. I recently did a bios flash on an asus laptop and a clean install of windows 10 but I don't have a key for it. From what I understand, the windows key is now embedded in the bios. I still have a dump of the old bios. Is there a way to extract the key? Or if I'm way off please help enlighten me Thanks

[vinceroger69]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

ShowKeyPlus should work
http://m.majorgeeks.com/files/details/showkeyplus.html

[vanrepair]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I don't have the hd with the original windows install. I only have the bios dump I took before I flashed the new bios. That utility won't help me out.

[SMDFlea]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

Post the original bios backup ,and tell us what the laptop model number is.

[goontron]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

I can try and pull it out of the BIOS dump. Ive not tested my method on 10 though.

[petehall347]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

is there not a sticker like in the olden days ?

[ktmmotocross]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

just google

https://superuser.com/questions/6379...ux-environment

see the comments

[mcplslg123]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

is there not a sticker like in the olden days ?

with win8 and 10, there is no serial number sticker anymore. Those good days ended with win7.

[MJ-meo-dmt]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

Hi guys, I'm kinda new in the board level repair stuff. I recently did a bios flash on an asus laptop and a clean install of windows 10 but I don't have a key for it. From what I understand, the windows key is now embedded in the bios. I still have a dump of the old bios. Is there a way to extract the key? Or if I'm way off please help enlighten me Thanks

Simply take the old/original dump and then open it up in a good Hex Editor that supports wild card searches so then do something like this.

?????-?????-?????-?????-????? that is the wild card search. The key should pop right out Done this so many times.

What I do is I usually put the old/original key in the same place as the old one so that the original key is with the new flashed bios. Sometimes its not that easy you have to redo checksums but sometimes it just works.... Getting it out is simple.

I think neoEditor on windows had wildcard search but its a 30days free software i think....

Goodluck

[SMDFlea]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

Theres a good post on elvikom about recovering win 8 keys. https://www.elvikom.pl/sposob-na-uzy...os-t35874.html

[vanrepair]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

Thank you all for your replies. I downloaded ultra edit and found the key at line 00223ae0h for the asus x541u. Unfortunately the new windows install rejected the key. I read somewhere that it's not enough to simply have the key. You also also need a backup of the encrypted MSDM table. This case was for a different computer but I'm guessing it applies globally to Windows 8+. Anyhow I'm not motivated enough to figure how to combine the 2 firmwares I have to get the key working. This was a cheap computer I picked up on craigslist to get my hands dirty. I was able to desolder the bios chip, read it, program it and solder it back on and got it booting. I'm happy with the result. Cheers

Edit: I've attached the original bios dump for any of the curious

[SMDFlea]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

You just needed to put the key at line 00223ae0h in the new bios.

[palady]

Re: Bios : embedded windows key question

search HEX pattern:

01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1D 00 00 00