Difficult Data Recovery for WinXP

Fer0x · Post by **Fer0x** » 15 Nov 2008, 13:15

Okay where to begin. Well recently i decided i wanted to reinstall my copy of Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. However one of the greatest fears of many online gamers came true. I lost the booklet with my CD Key on it! Now i could just get a random key from the internet to play singleplayer, that's the easy part. But i want to play multiplayer and free cd keys don't work for that. So i turned my house upside down looking for my manual. I found lots of others but not the one i was lookin for. So i get online and do some searching and find out that the CD key is actually saved in the registry! However as luck would have it, I reformatted my hard drive and reinstalled windows a while back due to some problems i was having. So now those registry entries are long gone. At least, i hope not. I heard that i could use data recovery tools to get them back but all the ones i've tried so far only try to recover data from my latest C drive and not the one that's in the data graveyard.

So, did i hear wrong and it's actually not possible? Or are the tools i've been using just crappy since they're freeware. Are there any free ones that actually work? Buying an effective program would be pointless as i could just send my game back in and get a new one for 15$. Which is what i'm trying to avoid, hence all the effort.

So...can anyone out there actually help me?

Post by **floodhound2** » 15 Nov 2008, 13:24

Well this is a tough one. I have recovered data before even after many formats, but never looked at recovering registry data. I am not sure it can be done.

Here is what I would do.

Take out hard drive and put it on a computer that is running a hard drive file recovering program. There are many to choose from, PM me for more information. Search the entire hard disk for the registry file your looking for and well it may work. In fact while I write this I think that some data recovery programs will specify the type of data. i.e jpeg. Later on ill check my program to see if it list registry files that can be recovered.

Good luck

Oh and welcome to Suck-o

Fer0x · Post by **Fer0x** » 15 Nov 2008, 13:40

Well theoretically it shouldn't be any different from recovering a normal file. If i'm correct, registry info should be stored in "C:\System Volume Information" of the drive that no longer exists. I just can't seem to find a program that will find that dead drive. They all detect the current one.

And thanks for the welcome. Been lurking here for a while, first time I've needed help with anything after researching on my own.

Post by **bad_brain** » 15 Nov 2008, 16:15

hm, for this one you really need a big portion of luck, because if the place where the file was stored on the HDD has been overwritten with new data the chances to recover it the software-way are about zero....if you're lucky and the physical space on the HDD has not been overwritten yet it's no problem.
I think floody will recommend you the same app via PM I would recommend too, because I know it helped him already....

Fer0x · Post by **Fer0x** » 17 Nov 2008, 17:25

Yeah it looks like they've probably been overwritten. The restore point numbers matched up with the ones i have on my computer at the moment. There was one folder before all the others that didn't match up, but it was empty. Also some weird shit was going on with the timestamps. I had some files that were created recently but were modified in the past which doesn't make any sense. Infact i even found some random files that were created in like the year 2071

. If only that damn cd key was stored in some text file or something instead of the friggin registries >_<. Companies should really start putting these things on the disk itself as well as the manuals. Or maybe i should just be more careful where i put things.

Post by **Gogeta70** » 17 Nov 2008, 18:56

Well, we all know that i've a bit of gray on my hat here, so i'll give you a tip...

supplies:

Knife
Sharpie
balls (only a little)

Walk into a store that sells the game you need the key for, and pick up one of the cd's to the game that has the key in it. Don't go straight to it, browse for a few minutes. After you have the cd, 'browse' your way to the restroom, make sure no one sees you take the cd in. When you're in and the restroom is clear, cut open the plastic wrapping and copy the key onto your hand, or a paper or something. Then sharpie out the key so no one else can use it. Put the cd away (just toss the plastic wrapping) and put the cd back on the shelf where you found it (don't be obvious about it though, 'browse'), and buy yourself a soda, and leave (makes you look less suspicious). Even if you get stopped at the door, you have no stolen items, so they have nothing on you really, except if they somehow know you opened the product...

Of course, this is all theoretical, and i've never done this before...

Fer0x · Post by **Fer0x** » 17 Nov 2008, 19:10

Yeeaah, considering there are cameras and security detail in a lot of electronic stores I don't think that's the best idea. I think I'll just try and convince my friend to give me his code instead. Though he's been ignoring my calls as of late...

Post by **Gogeta70** » 17 Nov 2008, 20:50

You really have no need to worry. Half of those cameras are scarecrows (fake), and there's just some fat security guard sitting at the monitors watching for (keyword) obvious shoplifters, he isn't going to pay much attention to only you with other customers in the store. However, go about it any way you want, i'm just popping out an alternative to data recovery. Either way, good luck.

Still_Learning · Post by **Still_Learning** » 17 Nov 2008, 21:30

well you could also use a camera phone to take a picture of the serial then use photoshop or something later to make the pic bigger and read the game code from the pic..

also tin foil will block the signal from setting the alarm off at the front door on the product, so you could easily tin foil something then place an object within the foil.. (could be illegal though, neither me or suck-o.com is responsible for your actions)

one time , i knew a friend also who bought a game like that, installed it, used the code, then brought it back to walmart and got their money back.

that would seem like the best option, their game account worked forever as well! so they paid 40$ for WoW installed & used code, returned game, got their 40$ back = free game

Post by **bad_brain** » 18 Nov 2008, 05:40

meh, too much risk for a 15 bucks game....there is a chance he will get caught, and it's definitely not worth it.
you can try to contact the manufacturer and simply ask for a new key, best do this by phone. of course let them know you can prove that you have an original CD by sending them a picture of it or the product key printed on the CD/package....will be of course not easy, but it's worth a try...and as I said, do this by phone and not via email, you will have a much better chance then.
be friendly and play a little dumb/helpless, maybe make up a little story like "the game is your little brother's one and mum threw away the booklet by accident" and you try to help him....if the person on the phone has kids too it'll be most likely a winner.

Fer0x · Post by **Fer0x** » 18 Nov 2008, 07:05

Hm it's worth a shot, but i'll most likely just get there generic response of "We're sorry, but we can't replace lost or stolen bla bla bla give us your money."

As for 'borrowing' one from my local electronics store, since the game is kind of old i don't think it'd be on the shelfs anymore. But i could check.

As for the buy/return method. They don't allow you to return PC games in this local area specifically because of stolen keys. Plus I'm broke anyway.

I could always 'borrow' money from my parents though. They never really seem to care considering how much they make a year.

Then there's the option of actually trying to get a job at the electronics place. I could use a job anyway.

For now though I'm just gonna see if i can get my friend to give me his code since i know he no longer uses it. That is if i can get in contact with the bastard since he never answers his damn phone.