Half-Life CD-Key extraction?

[rummy]

I've installed Half-Life on my new computer, and am unable to find the Half-Life CD's jewelbox with the CD-Key, so I'm unable to launch the game.
Half-Life is still installed on my old computer, can I extract the code from the old computer? How? Is it contained in the "Auth" folder? > D:\SIERRA\Half-Life\Auth (?) Or somewhere in the registry? ( I'm at work right now so I can't experiment. )
I know, its only $20 for a new one, but I would like to know for future reference. Next time I'll store the key code in multiple places. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[sns]

Its in your registry. I just did a search for the word half and found a few references to half-life. If you keep searching (f3) you should come across HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\Half-Life\Settings and in the right panel there is the key. Not 100% sure ok but I think that may be it.

[sns]

http://www.gamecopyworld.com/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?cdkeygen!zip
I did a search of the above world, I get my cd patches there so I do not need to load my cd I have paid for.
I did not actually try the link but if you cannot get your key from the registry it may be a fallback. If the key generated is not the orig for your particular cd of h/life you may not have access to internet games. (just a thought ok)
Someone around here (may have been a pc mag) suggested to write SNo or Keys on the actual cd to prevent this sort of thing in future. I've done it on my Microsoft CD's cause I've somehow managed to build up a collection of upgrades, full versions of the various windows. Its about time I started culling them and the useless manuals/pieces of paper they come with.

[AuraEdge]

I believe it is encrypted in the registry, if its there at all. I have tryed lookin for it before, under all "half", "life", and "Sierra" references, and didnt come up with any number that resembled the CD Key.

[Hellmund]

Copy all the half-life registries off the old computer onto the new computer. If that doesn't work then copy the main half-life execute file from the old one, then if that doesn't work just put the old harddrive in the new computer as a slave and dump the whole thing across. You could try contacting sierra's tech support. If you supplied the serial number off the box to verify you bought it they should send the CD-key for you.

[^hyd^]

Hello, i have HL installed on my and i'm running win98se. I found my key in registry under:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\Half-Life\Settings
then to the right look for "Key" and to the right of that will be your key, it's not encrypted, its just as it looks. Should be 13 numbers long, and i believe when u enter it thru half-life u use the format:
####-#####-####
If you enter it thru the registry just enter one long number(and might have to reboot).
Hope this helps...

..oops, didnt see sns's message sayin basically same thing...

[This message has been edited by ^hyd^ (edited 05-05-2001).]

[AuraEdge]

Hey. I was actually expecting it to be a lone string in a key, so I think I just glanced over this key during my search.

Thanks for clearing that up ^Hyd^

It is the same key in WinME and Win2k as well.

[rummy]

sns and ^hyd^ were right on target, I'm back in bidniz. Thanks to all, once again, this forum is excellent...