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

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

How to find Windows Product Key using Command Prompt or PowerShell

When you enter, register, and activate your copy of Windows, using a Retail key, the information is stored in the Windows Registry. Users of OEM computers may have noticed that, for a couple of years, the manufacturers have stopped pasting their COA or Certificate of Authenticity sticker, which displayed the Windows product key to the machine anymore. Now this key is embedded in the BIOS/UEFI.

Find Windows Product Key

It is to be noted that a Retail product license is tied to the person whereas the OEM product key is tied to the machine, as per Microsoft Windows Desktop licensing terms. In this post, we will see how to find the original Windows Product Key using Command Prompt or PowerShell, from BIOS or Registry. It works for Retail & OEM licenses too.

Recover Windows product key using Command Prompt

From the WinX Menu in Windows 10 / 8.1, open an elevated command prompt window, type the following command and hit Enter:

Your Windows product key will be displayed.

Get Windows License Key using PowerShell

To find your Windows 10 Product Key, open a PowerShell window with administrative privileges, type the following command and hit Enter:

Your Windows license key will appear! This will work on Windows 10/ 8.1/7/Vista.

In Windows 10, the product key will probably be encrypted, tied to your Microsoft Account and stored by Microsoft in the cloud too.

If you are looking for an easier way, you can also use some free Software Key Finders to recover and save, not just Windows, but even Office, Software, Games serials and license keys.

This post will help you if you want to uninstall the Windows Product Key.

How to find a Windows 7 product key

In many cases, commercial software requires that you enter a product key in order to activate it. This key confirms that you own a valid user license for the software. Microsoft has always made use of a product key for the activation of its operating system. If you want to reinstall Windows, you will need to enter your serial number again. But how do you find this product key?

What is a product key?

Before downloads became the norm, software was sold on physical storage media, such as CDs or disks, from which the programs could be installed and launched. But since these media were often copied or lent out to friends or acquaintances, software manufacturers began assigning individual numbers to every copy sold. This ensured that software could only be used once the purchased product key had been entered.

But with the majority of software now available for download, the days of printed product keys on CD sleeves are long gone. Because operating systems come preinstalled when you purchase a desktop or laptop computer, you no longer need to make note of a product key to get started. However, if your hard disk requires formatting because of malware or for performance reasons, you will need to enter the product key during the Windows 7 reinstallation, in order to be able to use the operating system.

How can you find your Windows 7 product key?

To find your Windows 7 key, no additional software is required. It’s found in a file that’s easily located. First, open the start menu and enter the search term “regedit.”

First step: open the start menu and enter the search term “regedit.”

The next window to open displays the Windows Registry Editor. This is where Windows stores important settings for the operating system and for installed programs. You will be able to see and edit all the values in the database, but you should not make any changes unless you are aware of the effects that they will have.

On the left side of the window, you will see five folders beneath the “Computer” icon. Select the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” folder.

Second step: select the folder “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” in the Windows Registry Editor.

This folder contains all the general Windows installation settings for the local computer. If the computer is used by several people with different user accounts, all settings that are common to all users will be displayed in this folder. These will include data on connected devices, the operating system and various updates, as well as on software available to all users.

Once you have selected “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,” various subfolders will be displayed. First, select the sub-folder “SOFTWARE.”

Third step: select the “SOFTWARE” subfolder.

This folder is where all settings for the various programs on the computer, and for the operating system, are stored. Open the “Microsoft” subfolder and then hold down [Ctrl] + [F].

Fourth step: Select the “Microsoft” folder and open the search function.

This key combination opens the search window, which you can use to search through the selected “Microsoft” folder. Enter the term “ProductKey” in the search window and select the three search option checkboxes so that keys, values, and data will be displayed.

Fifth step: search for “ProductKey” using the search function.

This should launch the window containing the product key in the Registry Editor. The serial number will be displayed next to the name “ProductId.” The Windows 7 product key is composed of an arbitrary series of numbers organized into four segments and separated by hyphens.

Sixth step: the Windows 7 license key can be found next to the name “ProductId.”

It’s a good idea to write down and store the product key somewhere safe. If you ever want or need to reinstall Windows 7, you will have to enter the product key in order to use all the normal functions of the operating system. This can be particularly important if computer components have been damaged, and you need to reinstall Windows after replacing them.

If your computer is no longer booting up correctly and you need to reinstall the operating system, then it is already too late to find your Windows 7 product key. This is why it’s a good idea to write down these important numbers and store them somewhere safe. However, many computer manufacturers will save you this extra step by placing a sticker with the product key on the hardware. As such, it’s worth having a look at the underside or inside of your computer. During reinstallation, keep in mind that Microsoft support for Windows 7 is no longer available. A safe alternative would be to switch over to Windows 8 or 10.