JOIN OUR RANKS
Sign up for an Acer ID and get exclusive access to deals and the Predator Den community, where you can ask and answer questions about gaming and gear.
My computer continues getting an error message which I've been advised by Microsoft means I require a clean reinstall of Windows 7. Unfortunately I cannot download the required file to complete install without the Microsoft product key. I cannot open my pc to find this, and I no longer have the packaging from my initial purchase from many years ago. Is there any way I can find out what my product key is so I can attempt this clean reinstall?
FAQ & Answers
Is there no way to open the Acer? Sometimes the Windows Product Key is under the Laptop cover.
The product key is printed on the bottom of the pc, but it is so old and smudged I cannot read it!
are you able to boot in safe mode?
if so, download nirsoft produkey to an USB flash drive
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
then press F8 at your laptop boot and choose safe mode from list
once at desktop, plug your USB flash drive, run produkey
if you are not able to boot, you can take off the HDD from your laptop, connect it to another PC using an USB HDD bay and find the product key using produkey (just be sure to select the correct HDD)
Or you can try Magic Jellybean Key Finder
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/
Yes it works very well!! It is also free and run Windows in regular mode and install and let er rip. In a few seconds it will display the keys as well as other Microsoft software installed such as Office. I had to use it on a number of occasions including on my Win 10 where Microsoft remote desktop assistance couldn't find my Win 10 keys and then i installed while they were poking around and laughed like hell when I said Magic Jellybean and gave them the keys after they couldn't. Now the problem you might run into is go into system properties. Right click on My Computer and select properties and look at the number at the bottom below "Windows is activated" at the product ID. If it says xxxxxx-OEM--xxxxxx-xxxxx (the x's are my numbers blocked) where you see OEM like my example I show here you might have dificulty getting it from Microsoft. They might snivel and say contact your Product Manufacturer of your computer or blah blah something similar for the operating system. I ran into that with my Aspire One AO533 with OEM in the ID so I had to download a clean Win 7 Starter copy WITHOUT the Product Key from another source and my key found under my battery (the same as what the Jellybean rooted out ;-) )works just fine with the OEM version ISO I downloaded. AS it is though I decided to use the recovery partition because it did a better job of completely installing eRecovery utilities etc. I just used the clean OEM ISO as anexperiment to try to get away from bloatware my eRecovery installs such as the Microsoft Office Home/Student 60 Day trial and Macaffe that is expired, out dated, and Norton but because the copy found in my recovery or Pre installed OS partition by Acer that eRecovery uses works a bit more complete I just un installed what i didn't want after eRecovery restored. It also installs numerous Windows Updates as well reducing the update process from Microsoft. IF I DIDN'T have my recovery Disks backed up and the hard drive failed with the pre installed IOS on it, I would be forced to download the drivers from Acer and use my downloaded ISO and reinstall.
Good luck.