[TUTORIAL] How to retrieve the BIOS key
hlide 2016-11-02 10:35:46 11816 Views6 Replies I didn't need to do so but in case of I'm telling you how to get from the BIOS image you read with a flash programmer.
First, to retrieve my current key, I used RW-EVERYTHING. Once the installed program run in LP, I selected ACPI tables then the MSDM tab:
msdm-bioskey.png (58.67 KiB) Viewed 11440 times
Just look at "Data" field which is the last line: there is the key XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.
Now, I have the original BIOS image I read with a flash programmer AFTER LP fails to boot into BIOS. I opened it with an hexadecimal editor (Notepad++ with hexedit plugin in my case) and researched the key and found it at this offset 0x00440010 (4456464 in decimal). Great, it means I was lucky that I didn't need to give the key when I reinstalled Windows 10.
So now? let's suppose you get a defective unit and you may need to flash a new BIOS or reinstall Windows 10 and you may not be sure the key was already registered. How to retrieve it without using RW-EVERYTHING? well, I dare to think we can find the BIOS key at the same offset in the original BIOS image. And maybe we can copy in the new BIOS image at the same address.
I didn't try it because I didn't need it but I think it may interest other people here wanting to mess with their LP and be able to retrieve the original Windows 10 with the original key if necessary.
First, to retrieve my current key, I used RW-EVERYTHING. Once the installed program run in LP, I selected ACPI tables then the MSDM tab:
Now, I have the original BIOS image I read with a flash programmer AFTER LP fails to boot into BIOS. I opened it with an hexadecimal editor (Notepad++ with hexedit plugin in my case) and researched the key and found it at this offset 0x00440010 (4456464 in decimal). Great, it means I was lucky that I didn't need to give the key when I reinstalled Windows 10.
So now? let's suppose you get a defective unit and you may need to flash a new BIOS or reinstall Windows 10 and you may not be sure the key was already registered. How to retrieve it without using RW-EVERYTHING? well, I dare to think we can find the BIOS key at the same offset in the original BIOS image. And maybe we can copy in the new BIOS image at the same address.
I didn't try it because I didn't need it but I think it may interest other people here wanting to mess with their LP and be able to retrieve the original Windows 10 with the original key if necessary.
