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Well, I know a (very) little about this which could provide an idea towards the next step.
This is not the solution you are looking for but it may provide insight as to possibility or not.
Here's my experience.
I had an old Chevy Equinox which we had lost the extra fob and key for.
Dealer wanted $300 for new key.
Along comes Amazon, years later (after only having one key for a long time) which sells the extra uncut keys which contain the programmable part of the key.
I went to Lowes and they cut the key for FREE. Wow!
I then went to the car and put the original key (I know you don't have this) in, turned to accessory or something, then tapped the gas pedal four times then take out original.
After that I put the new cut key (as yet unprogrammed) into the ignition and followed some similar ritual (turned to accessory & then pumped gas pedal 4 times) and voila! The new key was programmed.
Now, what I learned was that it was programmed from the old key sitting there. The old key apparently had to be "in range" to the new one when you do this.
But think about how simple that was (took about 5 minutes) and the Dealer, of course wanted $300.
So terrible.
Anyways, maybe this tells you something more about whether or not what you're thinking is possible.
It may at least give you some ideas.
I'm sorry I don't have more to help you with. Good luck!
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I recently watched a video where a mechanic hooked up a laptop and could diagnose cold-starting issues. (no signal to the coils when air temperature is below 20F degrees) The guy does a great job diagnosing the problem.
Anyhow, he replaced the ECU and had to reprogram the keys. I just looked it back up.
Dealer Couldn't fix it...for 5 YEARS!! (Nissan No-Start when COLD) - YouTube[^]
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
"Hope is contagious"
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Great video - thanks! I'm looking into the same product he is using for my new car. For every car I've ever owned, I purchased the shop manual; not the trash sold by Chilton or Haynes, but the real manual used by the dealer. Lately the manuals have been on CDs rather than printed, but the cost has been about the same, around $250US. This latest car, a Nissan Rogue, is a problem, as they no longer will sell the manual but will only allow me to subscribe to an online version of it. I wouldn't mind that but they now want to charge me almost $1000 a year to access it!
This Alldata solution is about $60 a year, and is a far better product from what I can see.
Will Rogers never met me.
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...did not catch the brand of the "computer " used nor if it was connected using the OBD plug...
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Salvatore, I don't think the brand of computer is going to matter - they're all about the same, excepting performance figures. On the inside, they all look the same to the software. I think this system must come with some sort of hardware, simply because an OBD connector doesn't match anything on any computer. Unfortunately, having totaled my car two weeks ago on a patch of black ice (yeah, here in Arizona - go figure) I now have a 2024 vehicle, and the current version of the product does not cover a car this new. When it does, I'll buy it, and I'll report on it here, if that interests you.
Will Rogers never met me.
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UK/EU based reply. It's also angled towards older cars.
There are plenty of services that can make a new key for a car whether you have the original or not (I had to have a new one done a year or so ago). It's usually a bloke with an van, a key cutting machine and an electronic device to do the key programming. It can't be that expensive to get setup since whilst it's not cheap to get a new key made, nor does the guy turn up with gold teeth and a highly customised Mercedes van (it'll be an old beat-up van and he'll look like he buys too many lottery scratch cards in the hope of getting rich some day).
Search Google for car key programming machine and see what turns up. I'm guessing your friends $4000 "computer" is a professional version one of these. There are cheap consumer versions available but I'd have no idea about the reliability. It's a fairly precarious thing to do at the best of times. No-one will guarantee you success since they see random inexplicable failures, even with the same model/year that worked with another customer yesterday.
--> Whether you can replicate that with off the shelf hardware and some code is an interesting question. See below for what ChatGPT thinks. Some bits sound easy and then the other bits sound ... challenging. If we're talking newer cars with more modern security measures then that will make it an order of magnitude more difficult.
IIRC the versions used by dealerships reprogram the immobiliser code that the car will recognise as well as program the keys, which is why they always want to change all the locks on the car as well as give you a new key (whereas the guy in the van only creates a new key that matches the existing immobiliser codes). I'm guessing the stated reason is for security (so that the old keys won't work anymore) and that the unstated reason is that it's a lot more profitable.
OBD specs require the OBD to output certain information and third party devices that conform to the spec. can access that information. However it's only basic info, usually only that required by regulations. The OEM uses the same OBD connection to access a lot more information (much more) and somewhere in there you will find the immobiliser codes, so not only would you need a key programming device you'd also need access to the device the OEM uses to connect to the OBD - unless you have a friend in a dealership then getting access to one of these is like getting access to the system used by the bank to lock its vaults.
--> Personally, I would forget this idea and stick to programming new keys.
ChatGPT
Hardware Components:
- Microcontroller or Single-Board Computer (SBC): You’ll need a microcontroller (such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or ESP32) or an SBC (like Raspberry Pi) to interface with the car’s OBD port and communicate with the vehicle’s computer.
- Transceiver Module: A transceiver (e.g., ELM327) is essential for OBD-II communication. It converts serial data to OBD-II protocol and vice versa.
- Key Programmer Circuit: Design a circuit that can read/write data from/to the car’s immobilizer system. This may involve EEPROMs, microcontrollers, and other components.
- Power Supply: Provide a stable power source for your device.
Software Development:
- OBD-II Communication: Write code to communicate with the vehicle’s OBD-II system. You’ll need to understand the relevant protocols (e.g., ISO 9141-2, ISO 14230-4, ISO 15765-4).
- Security Algorithms: Implement security algorithms used by car manufacturers (e.g., rolling codes, challenge-response authentication).
- Key Programming Logic: Develop code to program new keys, sync them with the immobilizer, and handle keyless entry functions.
Mike
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Thanks, I am surprised I actually got responses.
And no, I was not looking for swapping "me too " stories. BUT since that is OK , here is my
short version.
On initial call to dealer I got " you have to tow the
car here..." - no price was offered for "service" , not even estimate...
So far I called TWO locksmith outfits and ask
I have lost my last IGNITION key, can you help?
Yes, they both quoted $ 140, made an appointment
and DID NOT SHOW or bother to call...
Loosing keys must be very contagious or $140 is not worth the short drive...
This OBD is a standard, hence it has to have some specification somewhere. It is used as diagnostic tool AND there are variety of hardware on the market to PROGRAM the system. This would be a good use for my idle RPi Zero.. It has Bluetooth interface and I have a Bluetooth enabled "MiniOBD"...
PS
I have a "female OBD adapter" on order...
My 30 gauge wire wrapping tool did not fit over the "male" pins...
Now all I have to do is finish my Bluetooth software and adapt it to the OBD...
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Here is the latest
2. When lost all keys or only have the deputy key, we need to do it initialize:
2.1.Hold down the LED button on the equipment, and insert it into the OBD, and release the button after the sound of "di" twice,the device enter into the state of search vehicles in this time. :
2.2..Push the start-button twice. After 7 seconds the vehicle will connect the devices successfully, and the equipment will send off a sound of "di" with 4-5 times, 4 sounds mean that the system is the 4th period, 5 sounds mean that the system is the 5th period; after 5 seconds
Please note the highlighted part
SOLD at wally's for less the $20 !
Will not ask , buy one and if it does not do the job...I am out of $20...
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IDK... but at some point me personally? I'm probably going to try to figure out a way of totally replacing the starter and any other bits so I don't have any usability thwarting electronics integrated.
It's just too much $ for too little. If they wanted $300 for that key like that it would make me want to park in their showroom from high speed.
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Don't know what has happened but clicking on or pressing the Windows key doesn't pop open the apps menu, similarly clicking on the status bar speaker icon(or any of them) doesn't pop up the volume slider, I did have the usual Windows updates failure this morning where it tries to apply the updates,fails, and then undoes updates . Anyone had this ?
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
modified 15-Apr-24 11:45am.
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Sounds like Windows Explorer in Zombie Mode.
The solution is to kill the explorer.exe process via Task Manager.
Windows explorer should restart automatically. If not, <Windows key> + <R> (Run) should help.
I did not have issues with the latest Windows updates.
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Thanks for your reply, explorer.exe is not shown in Task Manager but I started it from run - no change I'm afraid
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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There need to be an Explorer in Taskmanager, Tab Details.
Close all programs, including all visible explorers.
Kill the explorer in Taskmanager->Details. If you kill it desktop disapears and you get a blank screen.
Type Ctrl&Alt&Delete and choose 'Taskmanager'
In Taskmanager choose 'File -> Run new task', type in explorer to run explorer.
Desktop should now be back.
modified 15-Apr-24 11:19am.
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Hi there thanks for your reply, I did everything you suggested but the situation is the same Windows key not working and status bar icons not responding
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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Could the key be broken? After my last laptop got long in the tooth, its ZXCV keys pretty much stopped working!
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Hi Greg, that wouldn't explain why the mouse click and hover is also not working - everything was cool until the update
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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I guess you can tell who merely reacted to the first symptom in your post. 
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In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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CAN YOU ROLL OS BACK TO LAST WORKING COPY?
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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What, back to the days when "Terminal" meant KSR-33?
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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KSR-33? Way back machine in high gear.
advanced recovery tools or least the latest version
One of the first terminals I used.
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
modified 15-Apr-24 23:49pm.
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Has it EVER fixed anything?
Every time I've been prompted due to some network issue to run windows network diagnostics, it has NEVER, EVER found a problem or fixed anything. This morning, it just errored out with some random code.
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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I'd amend your title to "Windows Troubleshooters" in general. And also throw in sfc and dism.
They're the go-to answer for everything in the MS support forums. But I've never seem them fix a problem. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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I stand corrected. Seems to be a placebo.
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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I wouldn't lump dism into this category.
This has always been my go-to solution whenever I needed to install .NET 2.0/3.5 on OSes that don't include it by default, and the installer fails (which I'm not sure ever worked for me). But this always succeeds:
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:E:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess
(replace E: with the appropriate ISO mount drive, D: turned into a smiley...)
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