If you want to activate your Windows, you need a product key. Not only in the latest version of the Microsoft OS. But a product key (in some form including digital license) is necessary to activate any previous versions as well. It allows preventing unauthorized access and piracy of the most popular computer OS the world has ever seen. So today, we are going to take a quick look at the steps required to find the product key installed on your Windows 10 OS. For some reason, if you want to know your product key and take a backup of it, you can follow this guide.
Flip your Laptop
Most of the devices nowadays ship with an operating system pre-installed. If you also purchased a laptop that already had a Windows version installed, most probably you can find the product key just underneath the device in the form of a sticker or label. Some manufactures also include the Windows 10 product key on the product packaging, or the instruction manual itself. So be sure to check those as well.
Using Windows Settings
- Click on the Start menu.
- Click the Gear icon (settings).
- Go to Update & Security.
- On the left sidebar, navigate to the Activation tab.
If you have a digital key connected, it will show you that Windows is activated using a digital key. It will also display other activation methods such as organization activation. If the product is activated using an actual product key, it will be displayed on the screen.
Find Windows 10 Product Key using CMD
- Type CMD in the Start menu search box.
- Click on the Command Prompt option. It will open the command prompt where you can enter commands.
- Enter the following command in there and press Enter.
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
It will display the product key currently activated on your Windows 10 PC.
Check your Email
If you purchased Windows 10 online, it will usually come with a digital key that will be connected with your Microsoft account. The digital key will act as a virtual activation method. So basically your Microsoft account will be the tool to activate Windows 10. So you can check the email address that you used to purchase Windows 10 for any traces of the product key. If you are sure that it is the correct email address connected with your Windows 10 purchase, you will find it there. You may not even need it as long as you have the Microsoft account connected to the OS.
Using third-party tools
There are several third-party tools available to check the Windows Product key installed on your device. Some good examples include Nirsoft Product Key, SoftKeyPlus, Win Keyfinder, etc. You can simply install any of those programs and check for the product key. If you are going for any alternatives not listed here, make sure that they are trusted programs. If you go for potential bad software, you may run into trouble.