Is it possible to retrieve information from acronis image?
Hello,
I would like to ask about possibility to somehow retrieve the information from acronis image.
I have a full backup of windows partition of my previous notebook. The notebook accidentaly crashed and I had to buy a new computer which is desktop.
The only thing I really need from the notebook image is serial number of windows 7. I have bought the windows 7 separately for the notebook as I didn´t like original vista. However I lost the original DVD as it was 2 years ago (I am still looking for it, but I am loosing hope).
I understand that I cannot restore image on another desktop with so different HW, therefore I would like to know whether is there a possiblity to retrieve the information from acronis true image image?
Thanks a lot.
Martin
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As Scott says, theoretically you might be able to locate the product key in the Registry, but it would be encrypted so of little use to you.
If you have no other way of getting the product key (always a good reason to record it somewhere in a file), then you could do this:
Restore that backup image to your notebook, so that you again have a functioning system.
Download and run a utility that will discover your installed Windows product key.
One such utility is Belarc Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Belarc Advisor will display all kinds of information about the hardware and sofware on your system, including Windows product key.
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You can use a third party utility to recover the Windows 7 product key. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
You would have to "mount" the backup image in True Image (after installing True Image on your new system) and have the utility look in the Windows folder of the mounted image to find the product key.
I have used this utility to do this numerous times.
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Go with James' method! I didn't know of a utility that would find the product key in a non-installed backup of Windows.
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