If you need your Windows product key, but you do not know where you find it, at least you come to the right place. Here, we will inform you how to find your Windows product key according to Microsoft site. But first, what is a Windows product key? It is a code consisting of 25 characters which is used to activate Windows.
Ways to Find Windows Product Key
According to Microsoft site, to be able to find Windows product keys depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10. You will need either a product key which consist of 25 characters or a digital license to activate it. Then, what is a digital license? It is also called a digital entitlement in Windows 10 and it is a method of activation in Windows 10 which does not require you to enter a product key.
You will not be able to activate your device without one of these things. So, to know more how to be able to activate your device whether using a digital license or a product key, you are able to read the explanation below.
A New PC Running Windows
If your PC is new and runs Windows, the product key is preinstalled on your PC, it is included with the packaging the PC came in. Or, it is included on the Certificate of Authority (COA) which is attached to the PC. You are able to contact your hardware manufacturer.
Getting A Copy of Windows 10 from an Authorized Retailer
If you got a copy of Windows 10 from a retailer which is authorized, the product key is available on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. To get more information, you are able to contact the retailer where you buy your Windows 10.
Getting A Digital Copy of Windows 10 from an Authorized Retailer
If you got a digital copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer, you are able to find your product key in the confirmation email that you got after you buy Windows 10. Or, you are able to find it in a digital locker which is able to be accessed through the website of the retailer.
Getting A Digital Copy from A Microsoft Website
If you got the digital copy of your Windows from a Microsoft website, you are able to find the product key in the confirmation email that you got after you buy your digital copy of Windows. It is important for you to note that Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you bought from the Microsoft online store. You are able to find out if you bought from Microsoft in your Microsoft account.
Free Upgrade to Windows 10
If you get Windows 10 from upgrading it for free from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you will have a digital license instead of a product key.
Windows 10 Store App
If you get Windows 10 Home, Professional or Upgrade to Pro in the Windows 10 Store app, a digital license will be obtained by you instead of a product key. So, to activate your device, you are able to use the digital license that you received.
In the Microsoft Answers, there is an explanation about the product key as well. The product key can be printed on a Certificate of Authenticity sticker, stored in the Windows Registry, or Embedded in the UEFI firmware of your PC. If it is printed on a Certificate of Authenticity, if you are using a Laptop, it can be found on the bottom side. But on a desktop, it can be on the back, sides or top. If you have the latest PC that came with Windows 8 or Windows 10, the product key will not be a sticker but the manufacturers embed it right into the UEFI firmware of your PC. The embedded key is not able to be smudged off, stolen or deleted. To be able to extract the UEFI key, you have to open the Start menu, type powershell run the program. After that, you have to type the command below in the PowerShell window and then press Enter.
(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey
Then, you will see a window with the key in it. If the product key is not embedded in the firmware or you miss the COA sticker, you can find the key in the registry. To do that, you have to open a new Notepad window and then enter text that you can find in the Microsoft Answers. After that, you have to click on File and choose Save As and then save the file to your PC as productkey.vbs. Then, you can close the Notepad and double click the file. You will be given your product key in a pop up.
Finding Your Product Key for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
If you are looking for your product key for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, it usually can be found on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in if you buy a physical copy of Windows. You will be required to enter the product key when you uninstall or reinstall Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. However, if Windows came preinstalled on your PC, you are able to find the product key on a sticker on your device. If you realize that it is lost or you are not able to find it, you are able to contact the manufacturer.
Solutions for Damaged Product Key
What do we have to do if the product key that we have is blurred, scratched, or otherwise unusable? If you find this kind of product key, you are able to contact the retailer where you buy the product. But then, if the retailer cannot help you, or you have tried and the key does not work, you are able to call Microsoft Support.
To contact Microsoft Support, you are able to access the official Microsoft site, and there, you have to go to the Contact Us page. There, you will find some options. One of them is Contact Support that you can use on the browser. If you want to contact them through the browser, you can click on Contact Support under the Open Get Help app button. When you click on that, there will be a small window and the Support Team will ask you to describe your issue. After that, they will give you a solution.
AUTHOR BIO
On my daily job, I am a software engineer, programmer & computer technician. My passion is assembling PC hardware, studying Operating System and all things related to computers technology. I also love to make short films for YouTube as a producer. More at about me…
