Windows – Recover Vista install key from non-booting OS drive

Yes, it should work. Your install will go into OEM mode. You should also check to see if the laptop has a recovery partition on the HD already. This blog post has a description of the process.

First of all, for reference, we have a community-faq post on how to find keys on Windows. It sounds like you've already read the key using some similar software though.

The reason why your keys are different is a fundamental difference between how OEM activation works and how normal activation works. When you get Windows pre-installed on your PC, it comes with special OEM activation files, which tell Windows to check for a certain code on the motherboard of the computer. If that code exists, then Windows knows that the computer was manufactured by that OEM, and verifies it against the activation file. If they match, then activation proceeds automatically. For these types of installations, one product key is used by essentially all of the computers that manufacturer installs that version of Windows on. The key on the sticker on the bottom of your laptop is essentially inactive, although it can be used if you lose the recovery media.

If you have the original recovery media, you can just install Windows with it, and it should automatically activate, as long as the recovery media is from that computer manufacturer. Windows should activate automatically when it connects to the internet. Do keep a record of the key you sniffed though, just in case activation fails. You can always call Microsoft to get free help with activation, if it does not work automatically.