How to find computer serial numbers on Windows 10

Source: Windows Central

On Windows 10, the ability to check the computer serial number can come in handy in many scenarios. For instance, when you need to create an inventory of the devices connected to your home network or organization, or need to contact technical support to troubleshoot a problem, order a replacement part, or check the warranty information.

Usually, you can find the required information on the sticker affixed on the back or bottom of your laptop or desktop, or checking the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) on your motherboard. However, if the sticker isn’t available or you don’t want to go through extra steps to access firmware, you can also use PowerShell and Command Prompt to retrieve this information quickly on Windows 10.

In addition, using commands can be useful to automate the process using a script when you need to retrieve the serial information from multiple devices.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to quickly find your device serial number using command lines.

How to determine PC serial number using PowerShell

To retrieve the serial number of your computer with a PowerShell command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to find out the computer serial number and press Enter:

Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber

Source: Windows Central

(Optional) Type the following command to determine device serial number and press Enter:

Get-CIMInstance win32_bios | format-list SerialNumber

(Optional) Type the following command to export the serial information to a text file and press Enter:

Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber > PATH\TO\EXPORT

In the command, make sure to replace «PATH\TO\EXPORT» with the path to the text file you want to export the serial number information.

For example, this command exports the output to the ComputerSerial.txt file in the C drive:

Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber > C:\ComputerSerial.txt

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you’ll know the serial number of your desktop or laptop computer.

If you are using the command to export the output, you’ll find the file in folder location you specified. Also, since you exported it as a text format, you can open it with Notepad or any other text editor.

How to determine PC serial number using Command Prompt

To check the device serial number using a Command Prompt command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to find out the computer serial number and press Enter:

wmic bios get SerialNumber

Source: Windows Central

(Optional) Type the following command to export the serial information to a text file and press Enter:

wmic bios get SerialNumber > PATH\TO\EXPORT

In the command, make sure to replace «PATH\TO\EXPORT» with the path to the text file you want to export the serial number information.

For example, this command exports the output to the ComputerSerial.txt file in the C drive:

wmic bios get SerialNumber > C:\ComputerSerial.txt

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the command will return the serial number without needing to access the BIOS or going behind the device to look for the sticker.

Although these commands will work on any computer, custom-build devices don’t have a serial number. This means that the command output may read «To Be Filled By O.E.M.»

If you’re looking to retrieve the device model number, you can use these instructions.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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How to find computer serial number

Author:

Yuval Sinay MVP

COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS CONTENT DISCLAIMER

MICROSOFT CORPORATION AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, OR ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED HEREIN. ALL SUCH INFORMATION AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED «AS IS» WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION AND RELATED GRAPHICS, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WORKMANLIKE EFFORT, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. YOU SPECIFICALLY AGREE THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE INFORMATION AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED HEREIN, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF MICROSOFT OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES.

SUMMARY

The following article will help you to find the computer serial number

Please use one the method bellow to retrieve the computer serial number:

1. Using the buid in » wmic» command:

» wmic bios get serialnumber«

Tip: You can use the command » wmic csproduct get name» to retrieve the local computer model.

Find your Windows product key

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Related links

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

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.

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

If you’re getting an activation error, see Get 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.

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

Как узнать лицензионный ключ Microsoft Windows?

После замены винчестера на NVMe SSD вам так или иначе потребуется перенести на твердотельный накопитель операционную систему, в противном случае производительность компьютера не вырастет ни на йоту. Вот только в процессе клонирования диска или чистовой установки ОС может потребоваться лицензионный ключ. И если у обладателей retail-версии с этим не возникнет ровным счетом никаких проблем (код активации всегда можно найти внутри коробки с установочным DVD), то владельцев ПК или лэптопа с предустановленной Windows будет ожидать крайне неприятный сюрприз.

Лет 10 назад при покупке ноутбука или готового компьютера вы получали в свое распоряжение два диска: на одном из них находились необходимые драйверы, а на другом — дистрибутив операционной системы. Благодаря этому вы могли без труда переустановить Windows при возникновении каких-либо проблем программного характера или при замене системного накопителя, благо лицензионный ключ для активации ОС всегда можно было посмотреть на фирменной наклейке: обычно лейбл располагался на боковой или задней стенке корпуса ПК либо был приклеен к днищу лэптопа.

Времена изменились. Большинство современных машин вообще не оборудованы оптическими приводами, и в коробке с ноутбуком вы не найдете ни DVD, ни даже флешки с установочным образом операционной системы. А при осмотре корпуса максимум, что вы увидите, — логотип Windows без каких-либо дополнительных сведений о лицензии.

Сегодня производители готовых ПК и ноутбуков чаще всего поступают следующим образом:

• лицензионный ключ «зашивается» непосредственно в UEFI, от глаз рядового пользователя он скрыт;
• на системном накопителе создается раздел, содержащий бэкап операционной системы, — с его помощью компьютер или лэптоп можно вернуть к заводскому состоянию.

Это действительно удобно: вам больше не надо вбивать 25-значный код при переустановке операционной системы, да и о флешках с DVD можно навсегда забыть. Вот только у каждой медали есть и оборотная сторона. Стоит вам заменить жесткий диск на высокоскоростной SSD WD Black SN750 — и вы лишитесь дистрибутива Windows, а вместе с обновлением прошивки материнской платы может благополучно исчезнуть и ключ. Не говоря уже о том, что активация способна слететь даже после установки очередного апдейта из-за какого-нибудь бага.

Покупка новой лицензии взамен утраченной — перспектива не самая радужная (официальная цена Windows 10 Home составляет 199 долларов США, а Pro — и вовсе 289 долларов), поэтому мы настоятельно рекомендуем тщательно подготовиться к переходу на твердотельный накопитель, предварительно узнав заветную последовательность букв и цифр. Разберемся, как это сделать.

Извлекаем лицензионный ключ Windows из реестра с помощью скрипта

Данный способ является универсальным и подходит для Windows 7, 8.1 и 10. С помощью простого VBS-скрипта мы извлечем лицензионный ключ непосредственно из реестра операционной системы, куда он записывается в процессе активации.

1. Создайте в блокноте текстовый файл и скопируйте в него следующее:

Set WshShell = CreateObject(«WScript.Shell»)

regKey = «HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\»

DigitalProductId = WshShell.RegRead(regKey & «DigitalProductId»)

WinProductName = «Windows Product Name: » & WshShell.RegRead(regKey & «ProductName») & vbNewLine

WinProductID = «Windows Product ID: » & WshShell.RegRead(regKey & «ProductID») & vbNewLine

strProductKey =»Windows Key: » & WinProductKey

WinProductID = WinProductName & WinProductID & strProductKey

regKey(66) = (regKey(66) And &HF7) Or ((isWin And 2) * 4)