Microsoft Office is a large and expensive software package. If you buy it, it’s wise to save your Product ID and CD Key codes, preferably in a secure yet accessible place. The same goes for SQL Server and Exchange Server, and throw Windows in while you’re at it. Failure to do so can result in elevated stress levels, should you need to repair or reinstall the software. If you didn’t jump through all the hoops in the proper order, you’re probably going to have to telephone Microsoft, and we know how you feel about that.

That’s why we think it’s probably not a bad idea to download and run NirSoft’s ProduKey. This compact freeware identifies and displays the Product ID and CD Key for Microsoft Office, Windows, SQL Server, and Exchange Server. If you’ve lost the codes you need to reinstall these large bundles, ProduKey can help you recover them. It’s an extremely simple tool, and completely portable as well. We simply clicked the program’s icon, and it immediately opened with the Product ID and Product Key codes displayed for Windows 7, Internet Explorer, and Office. ProduKey also displayed the Installation Folder, Service Pack, and other extracted data. We could choose what headers we wanted the program to display from the Options menu, as well as grid lines, time display, and other settings. We could save, search, and copy data and call up properties pages from the toolbar, which also contained a Select Source feature for choosing how the program loads product codes. A Web-based Help file and documentation sheet contained lots of useful information such as version histories and known issues. It also does a good job of explaining how to use this admittedly simple tool, mostly in the form of Command-Line Options for power users.

ProduKey is a great little tool to have on hand, especially if you shelled out big for some hefty MS wares. Even if you don’t download it, don’t you feel better just knowing it exists?