Product key, which is also known as a software key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It is a 25-character code that is used to activate Windows and helps verify that Windows has not been used on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow.
Microsoft has made every effort to make Windows 10 licensing convenient. At times when product activation might not work as per the planning. Whether you want to perform a new install or shift your Windows 10 license to a new computer, your product key is what you need to have.
It depends that how you have acquired Windows 10, you might not have had a Windows 10 product key, here you are going to know that how do you find Windows 10 product key.
How to find Windows 10 Product Key
This method involves software called ProduKey(Third-Party). Using this ProduKey by NirSoft you can recover the lost Windows and MS Office Product Keys. You just need to download and run this tool on your system to find Windows 10 product key.
First of all visit nirsoft.net and on the homepage find ProduKey under Freeware System tools.
Click on it and come all the way down to download ProduKey software. Or you can follow the given steps:
- Go to Google engine and search for Product Key
- You will hit upon the very first website referring you to Product Key.
- At the bottom of the page, you will find the download link.
- Once you click on the link you will get various options for downloading.
- Download the zip file for the following.
- After downloading, open the file.
- You will receive the file as ProductKey.exe.
- Open the file, but don’t install it.
- The Product Key will be palpable to you along with your product id.
- Once you will click on it, you will get the details.
- The file will be less than 1MB
Refer to the link: how to find windows 10 product key
Let’s begin with the purchased Windows Product key or license as it is officially known. Windows 10 is licensed as a digital download or a full packaged product you can go out and purchase from the physical stores.
The only authorized stores from whom you can buy the Product Key is Microsoft and Amazon.com, any other retailer you are referring to is not genuine; so make sure you purchase a license from these sources only if you are going for the digital download mode.
Before knowing the working procedure to find the Windows 10 Product Key, it is better to be conscious of the fact that if you are using a pirated version of windows 10 then you won’t be getting the working product key by using this method.
This will only fetch you the license if you are using a genuine copy of Windows 10.
In case, if you are trying to reinstall the Operating System on the same windows 10 activated laptop then you actually don’t need to find the product key until you decide to activate the same copy of Windows 10 on another system.
We recommend you to take the backup of the license in any condition by using these 2 simple methods.
Now, let us see how you can find Windows 10 Product Key on a preloaded laptop or computer.
- The very first method is by using a command prompt. You don’t need any kind of software to find the lost Windows product Key and here is how you can do it.
- Open command prompt in administrative rights, by right-clicking at the left bottom corner.
- Here you’ll need to type a command.
- Type “wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey”(The whole command is case sensitive)
- Hit the enter button to view the Windows 10 Product Key in the command prompt window.
If you don’t see the key that means you are using the pirated version of Windows.
When you purchase your Windows 10 license from the Microsoft store, a copy of the product key is stored in Microsoft account. Microsoft will also send you a copy of the product key in a confirmation email.
If you are not able to hit it upon in your mail, look into the junk mail folder.
And after continuous searching you are still not able to find it then follow these steps:
- Log in to Microsoft store
- Go to Downloads
- Go to Product Keys
- Then go for Subscription Page
- Then click the Digital Content tab to see your previous purchase along with your product key.
Retail Full Packaged Product
Windows 10 is also available as a retail full packaged product, the one which you can buy from the store. Inside the Windows 10 product box, you will find your product key on a small business card at the back. The user should keep in mind that the product key should be kept at a safe place or have a backup copy.
Also read: Buying A New Phone? 7 Smartphones Brand You Need To Consider
OEM System Builder License
The windows 10 product key is typically found on the outside of the package; on the certificate of authenticity, so make sure you keep it safe or have a backup of it as a picture. If you have purchased your PC from a white box vendor, the sticker might be attached to the chassis of the machine; so look into it at the sides.
Lost or Damaged Product Key
Microsoft does not provide a way to cavil about the lost or damaged or lost product key. In a few cases, you might be able to find it by key finder utility. Otherwise, if you lose it, the only option you are left with is to purchase a new one.
This is why you should always make a backup box for it.
A user who took advantage of the free upgrade offer doesn’t have a unique Windows 10 key. This is because of the way Windows 10 handles activation.
There are third-party utilities too like Show Key Plus can help if you have difficulty finding the key after upgrading from the last version.
To find Windows 10 product key you could go through the following processes, and at the end, you can call Microsoft, which is always the last resort.
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