In addition to many free keyfinder programs, several commercial keyfinders are also available to help find your lost serial number or product key.
A program's product key or serial number is usually located with the original DVD or CD. If you've lost this license key, you can often find it in the registry but it's not easy. This is what a keyfinder program does for you, automatically.
Important: Please read my Keyfinder Programs FAQ before you pay for any keyfinder program.
Below are the top 6 commercial key finder programs.
1. Recover Keys
Recovery keys is an excellent, full featured keyfinder program.
Pros: Supports a huge list of programs and games, well designed interface, scanning of networked computers is very easy
Cons: Keys are not displayed instantly, installation is required, price is high compared to other keyfinders
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, and NT.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Most Microsoft Office programs, Adobe applications, and many other popular programs - well over 800 in total.
I tested Recover Keys using their demo version which restricts product key recovery to the first 4 characters.
Recover Keys is currently priced at $19.99USD for use on a single PC. Other licensing options are available.
2. Jalapeno Keyfinder
Jalapeno Keyfinder is a very easy to use, straightforward keyfinder program.
Pros: No installation required, product keys are displayed instantly, cost is low compared to other commercial keyfinders
Cons: Drop-down selection of found keys is a poor interface choice, lack of advanced options
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Microsoft Office 2007, Office 2003, Office XP, and hundreds of non-Microsoft programs including many games and graphics applications.
Jalapeno Keyfinder is currently priced at $6.95USD.
3. Product Key Explorer
Product Key Explorer is another good commercial keyfinder tool.
Pros: Scan for product keys is fast, several product key backup options are available, several advanced options
Cons: Installation is required, manual scan for product keys is required, cost is a bit high compared to other commercial keyfinder tools
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, and 2000.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Most Microsoft Office programs, Adobe and Macromedia applications, and many other programs - nearly 1000 in all.
I tested Product Key Explorer using their demo version which restricts product key recovery to the first 4 characters.
Product Key Explorer is currently priced at $29.50USD.
4. Keyfinder Advanced
Keyfinder Advanced is a very easy to use keyfinder tool.
Pros: Product key display is instant on program load, contains offline registry hive loading abilities, relatively inexpensive, contains ability to change the product key
Cons: Interface is poor (dark blue text on blue background)
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, and possibly more.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Most Microsoft Office programs including Office 2007, many popular video games, and several other applications.
I tested Keyfinder Advanced using their demo version which displays only part of the product key.
Keyfinder Advanced is priced at $5.95USD for a single user license.
5. Product Key Viewer Professional
Product Key Viewer Professional is another popular commercial keyfinder.
Pros: Attractive interface, easy to use
Cons: Requires a very slow manual scan, is very pricey compared to other commercial keyfinder programs
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000, ME, NT, 98, and Server 2008 and 2003.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Most Microsoft, Adobe, Norton, and other common programs including an impressive list of popular video games.
I tested Product Key Viewer with their demo version which displays only part of the product key.
Product Key Viewer Professional is currently priced at $19.99USD. A "Technician" version is also available for $39.99 with the added ability to scan external hard drives for product keys.
6. Product Key Finder
Product Key Finder is yet another commercial keyfinder tool you might find in your searches.
Pros: Finds product keys from the running system or from a non-booting one, scan time is fast
Cons: Finds a limited number of product keys compared to competition, installation is required
Finds Keys for Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, Server 2008 & 2003, ME, and 2000.
Finds Keys for Other Software: Most Microsoft Office applications, SQL Server, Exchange Server, ISA Server, and several other programs including many of Adobe's popular applications.
I tested Product Key Finder with their demo version which displays only the product ID, not the product key.
Product Key Finder is currently priced at $17.95USD.
Important Keyfinder Information (Windows Product Keys)
If your computer was purchased with Microsoft Windows pre-installed and you have not upgraded or reinstalled it yourself, a keyfinder may only find the generic product key that your PC manufacturer used to install Windows.
This product key may not work when attempting to reinstall Windows. In this case, you must use the unique product key that is on the sticker attached to your computer.
If you can't locate your product key sticker you'll need to request a new Windows product key from Microsoft.
