If you upgrade your computer from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10, you probably have no idea what your product key is for the latest version of the operating system. The time may come when. If you have a computer that didn't come with a digital or printed license key, then odds are it's embedded in your UEFI firmware or BIOS. The beauty of this method is that don't need to know your key, nor activate Windows; it's all done for you. But, if you want to retrieve your Windows key, it's simple.

A Windows product key is a 25-character code used to activate Windows. It looks like this:

PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Locate your product key for Windows 10

Depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10, you'll need either a 25-character product key or a digital license to activate it. A digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10, Version 1511) is a method of activation in Windows 10 that doesn't require you to enter a product key. Without one of these, you won't be able to activate your device.

Where to find your product key depends on how you got your copy of Windows.

Select any of the following to see more information:

A new PC running Windows

The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.

A copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer

The product key is on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. For more info, contact the retailer that sold you Windows 10. How to tell your software is genuine.

A digital copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer

Find your product key in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website.

A digital copy from a Microsoft website

The product key is in the confirmation email you received after buying your digital copy of Windows. Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you purchased from the Microsoft online store. You can find out if you purchased from Microsoft in your Microsoft account Order history.

Free upgrade to Windows 10

If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you should have a digital license instead of a product key.

Windows 10 Store App

If you bought Windows 10 Home, Professional, or Upgrade to Pro in the Windows 10 Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key. You can use the digital license for activation.

If your product key is scratched, blurred, or otherwise unusable, contact the retailer who sold you the product. If you aren't able to get help from your retailer or have already tried and couldn't get a working key, call Microsoft Support.

For more information about digital licenses and product keys in Windows 10, see the “Methods of Activation” section in Activate Windows 10.

Locate your product key for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

Find Your Windows 10 Serial Key

A product key is usually required when uninstalling or reinstalling Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. If you’ve lost or can’t find the product key, contact the manufacturer. To ensure your product key is genuine, see How to tell your software is genuine and How to tell your hardware is genuine.

Windows authenticity

For info about how to tell if your copy of Windows is genuine Microsoft software, see the How to tell page.

Windows download and installation

For more Windows 10 download info, see Download Windows 10.

If you need installation media to install or reinstall Windows, see Create installation media for Windows to learn how to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

Windows activation

If you need more help with activation, see Activate Windows 10.

If you're getting an activation error, seeGet help with Windows activation errors.

If you’re reinstalling Windows 10, you might not need a Windows product key. See Activation in Windows 10 for more info.

If you're reinstalling Windows 10 due to a motherboard problem or some other hardware issue, see Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change.

Other product keys

If you're looking for product keys for Office, apps, games, and more, see Find your Microsoft downloads and product keys

Windows Product Key is embedded in the computer’s BIOS/UEFI firmware and cannot be easily seen or accessed. You will find below different methods to find Windows 10 Product Key.

Find Windows 10 Product Key

Windows Product Key, also known as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Key is a 25 character long code used by Microsoft to prevent unauthorized use of its software.

https://potentpaul.weebly.com/blog/google-translate-app-for-mac. The 25-character Windows Product Key contains letters and numbers, divided into 5 groups that are separated by a hyphen “-” and written in the following format:

Windows Product Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The method to find Windows Product key varies, depending on whether Windows 10 was purchased from Microsoft, came pre-installed on your computer or was obtained by switching to Windows 10 from an earlier version of Windows.

1. Find Windows 10 Product Key Using Command Prompt

In case of new computers, Windows 10 Product Key is embedded right into the UEFI/BIOS firmware and won’t be available on the packaging or stickers attached to the computer.

Finding Your Win 10 Serial Key Generator

1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.

2. In Run Command window, type wmic path softwarelicencingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey and press the Enter key on the keyboard of your computer.

Finding Your Win 10 Serial Key Free

3. Once the command is executed, it will display Windows 10 Product Key on the Command prompt window.

2. Find Windows 10 Product Key Using Registry Editor

While it is easy to locate the Registry entry containing the Product Key, you will need a third party software to convert Registry entries in to 25 Digit Windows 10 Product Key. /konica-minolta-bizhub-c221-user-manual.html.

Finding Your Win 10 Serial Key Activation

1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.

2. In Run Command window, type regedit and click on OK.

3. On Registry Editor screen, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftNTCurrentVersion.

4. Open CurrentVersion Folder and click on DigitalProductId entry in the right-pane to find Windows 10 Product ID.

As mentioned above, you will be needing a third part service to convert the coded registry entries in to 25 digit Windows 10 Product ID.

3. Use ShowKeyPlus for Windows 10

ShowKeyPlus is a free to use Open Source Software Program that can find Windows 10 Product Key on your computer.

You can Download ShowKeyPlus from GitHUB directly on your computer or download the program to a USB drive and Run the program from there.

Finding Your Win 10 Serial Keys

The ShowKeyPlus Program for Windows 10 has a very simple user interface, most users should find it easy to use this program.

You can easily save the Product Key and other information displayed by this program to a text file by just clicking on the Save button.

4. Check Confirmation Email from Microsoft

If you bought a digital copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft, you will find Windows 10 product key in the confirmation email received from Microsoft.

If you do not have the confirmation email, you should be able to find the Product Key by logging in to your Microsoft Account and checking your order history.

Note: Only Microsoft and Amazon are authorized to sell digital copies of Windows 10. Other retailers selling Windows 10 product keys are not legitimate or genuine.

5. Check Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

If your computer came with Windows 7 or earlier versions of Windows operating system, Windows Product key will be available on COA sticker attached to your computer.

On Laptops, the sticker is usually placed at the bottom or at the lower right corner of the keyboard.

In case of Desktop computers, the sticker is fixed on the sides, at the back or inside the casing.