How to Find Your Windows Product Key

Do you need to find your Windows product key? The Windows product key is necessary if you want to install Windows on a different computer or reinstall it on your the same computer. You can find the Windows product key using your computer's Command Prompt, PowerShell program, or within the Windows Registry. This wikiHow article teaches you how to find your Windows product key so that you can activate Windows.^{[1]
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Things You Should Know

You can find your Windows product key using the Command Prompt, Powershell, or the Windows Registry.
If you purchased Windows from a licensed retailer, you can find your Windows key in the box that it came in.
If you bought a digital version of Windows or an upgrade online or from the Microsoft Store, you should receive your product key in a confirmation email.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Finding your Windows Product Key

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1
Find your product key if your PC comes with Windows pre-installed. If your PC comes with Windows pre-installed, you do not need to use your product key to activate Windows. It's already running. If you want to save a backup copy, you can do so, using the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or your Windows Registry. You can also find your Windows product key within the packaging your PC came with or within the Certificate of Authenticity.
- Most newer computers do not have the Windows product key printed on a sticker on the bottom of the computer like they used to. However, you should be able to find the Windows product key within the package your computer came in.
If you bought a physical copy of Windows 10 or 11 from an authorized retailer, you can find your Windows product key within the box that Windows came in.

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If you bought a digital copy of Windows online or through the Microsoft Store, either as a new copy or an upgrade, you should have received a confirmation email. Your Windows product key should be in the confirmation email.
If you have a volume licensing agreement or MSDN subscription, you can find your Windows product key in the web portal for your program.^{[2]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Command Prompt

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Click the Windows Start menu
. It's the icon with the Windows logo in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. You can do this in Windows 10 or 11.
This displays the Command Prompt in the Windows Start menu.
3
Open the Command Prompt as an administrator
. To open the Command Prompt as an administrator, right-click the Command Prompt and click Run as Administrator.
- You must be signed in to Windows with an administrative account in order to open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
4
Type the command to display your product key. To display your product key, type the following command and press Enter.
- wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Your product key is the 25-letter key displayed under the text that says "OA3xOriginalProductKey."
You can either take a screenshot of the results or write down the key to ensure you have access to it if needed.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using PowerShell

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It's the icon that resembles the Windows logo in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Right-clicking the Windows Start menu displays a context menu. This will work on both Windows 10 and 11.
2
Click Windows PowerShell (Admin). This will open PowerShell as an administrator.
- You must be logged into Windows with an administrative account in order run PowerShell as an administrator.
3
Enter the command to display the product key and press ↵ Enter. The command is as follows:^{[3]
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- powershell "(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
4
Note your product key. You should see the product key appear directly below the command that you entered; this is your product key.
- The product key will be 25 characters long. If you don't see the product key appear immediately, enter the code a second time and press Enter.^{[4]
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  Yaffet Meshesha
  Computer Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 22 September 2020.}
You can either take a screenshot of the results or write down the key to ensure you have access to it if needed.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using the Registry

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Pressing the Windows key and R at the same time will open the Run program. This will work on both Windows 10 and 11.
2
Type regedit and press ↵ Enter. This will open the Registry Editor, where you can find the Windows Product Key.
- Warning: Editing files within the Registry Editor can cause permanent damage to your Windows operating system. Do not edit or move any files unless you know what you are doing.
3
Navigate to the SoftwareProtectionPlatform folder. You will see a series of folders listed in the panel to the left. Open the following folders to navigate to the "SoftwareProtectionPlatform" folder.
- Open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder.
- Open the SOFTWARE folder.
- Open the Microsof folder.
- Open the Windows NT folder
- Open the CurrentVersion folder.
- Open the SoftwareProtectionPlatform folder.
This displays all the files within this folder in the large panel on the right.
This displays your 25-digit product key in the field that says "Value Data." You can also read the product key under "Data" next to the BackupProductKeyDefault file.^{[5]
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You can either take a screenshot of the results or write down the key to ensure you have access to it if needed.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you check your Windows Product Key?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

The Product Key is encoded in your computer, in BIOS. To access it, you will have to use a third-party software, like Produkey or Show Key Plus.

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Question

What is a Windows product key and how do I find it?

Yaffet Meshesha
Computer Specialist
Yaffet Meshesha is a Computer Specialist and the Founder of Techy, a full-service computer pickup, repair, and delivery service. With over eight years of experience, Yaffet specializes in computer repairs and technical support. Techy has been featured on TechCrunch and Time.

Yaffet Meshesha

Computer Specialist

Expert Answer

A Windows product key is a 25-character key that tells Microsoft that your Windows operating system is authentic. The way you find it will depend on how you received the product key initially, but if you can't find it, I recommend Magical Jelly Bean, which is a product key finder.

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What is a Windows Product Key? How do I get one?

Community Answer

Windows Product Key is a unique key for each customer. This key is used to activate your Windows operating system. You receive the Product Key when you purchase a Windows OS, or you can buy it separately from Microsoft.

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You can also use the free program Magical Jelly Bean to help you retrieve your Windows product key.^{[6]
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Yaffet Meshesha
Computer Specialist

Expert Interview. 22 September 2020.}

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