Moving Software Serials?
 

To cut a long story short, Laptop A, had coffee spilt over it. The only damage was the trackpad and keyboard won't work, it still boots, but you can't get in to Windows.

I've taken out the HD and hooked it up to Laptop B.

I can read everything off the old drive, which is now showing up as F:, but I can't execute the software as it would have been configured while that drive was originally C: meaning I can't read the serials.

Is there a way I can transfer the software serial numbers to Laptop B from the old hard disc?

If the software was legal then you should have the installation discs surely? Within the software packs there will be serial numbers for each installation.

It was a downloadable install. If I knew who/where it was licenced to, I'd just log in to find out.

I'm assuming it's a genuine serial as they weren't running the trial version.

Then basically you are not the legal owner then. As with all downloadable content the person who purchased the software would be the legal owner. Technically if the owner has put this software onto 1 PC (As most licenses are for), then its only licensed for 1 PC. It sounds like you have purchased this laptop off Ebay perhaps from someone else? If so it maybe worth contacting the last owner to gain this information.

Ummm... that old saying. You know Assumptions are the the mother of all F*ck Ups!

I can assure you, I haven't purchased any laptops. I'm simply recovering data off one and setting up the replacement.

I've not said I'm the owner, I'm recovering the data for the owner. Hope that clears things up.

Why cant you get into windows with only a dead trackpad / keyboard? Cant you plug in an external mouse/keyboard and get in that way?

Very tricky to do even getting into windows and is totally dependent on where the applications store their registration details. If its in one place and not multiple places then its not so bad, probably the registry but there will be little or no documentation on where that information is stored as companies tend not to like giving that information out for understandable reasons.

Basically boils down to find out the apps the customer wants back, contact the companies about registration information. If they are legit, shouldn't be a problem finding out which emails they are registered too etc. If they aren't legit, customer needs to stop wasting your time, and now indirectly ours :)

It would have been easier to obtain another laptop of the same model etc and just swap the HDs, oh well.

It was a 6 year old laptop, so hardly seems worth replacing with an equivalent model. It was an old Celeron Duo, but now the replacement is an i7.

I got permission to the email account and found the password in there in the end.