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

Upgrade from windows 10 home to Pro using key

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Hi Adeola, here is a couple of default keys for Windows 10 Pro

Power to the Developer!

MSI GV72 — 17.3″, i7-8750H (Hex Core), 32GB DDR4, 4GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 256GB NVMe M2, 2TB HDD

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Use the diagnostics key to upgrade, but please note, if you want to go back to Windows 10 Home, you will have to perform a clean install:

Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro using the following default product key:

Review instructions how to perform an Easy Upgrade using the default key:

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Windows 10 edition upgrade

Applies to

• WindowsВ 10
• WindowsВ 10 Mobile

With WindowsВ 10, you can quickly upgrade from one edition of WindowsВ 10 to another, provided the upgrade path is supported. For information on what edition of WindowsВ 10 is right for you, see Compare Windows 10 Editions. For a comprehensive list of all possible upgrade paths to Windows 10, see Windows 10 upgrade paths. Downgrading the edition of Windows is discussed in the License expiration section on this page.

For a list of operating systems that qualify for the Windows 10 Pro Upgrade or Windows 10 Enterprise Upgrade through Microsoft Volume Licensing, see Windows 10 Qualifying Operating Systems.

The following table shows the methods and paths available to change the edition of WindowsВ 10 that is running on your computer. Note: The reboot requirement for upgrading from Pro to Enterprise was removed in version 1607.

Note: Although it isn’t displayed yet in the table, edition upgrade is also possible using edition upgrade policy in Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

(X) = not supported (green checkmark) = supported, reboot required (blue checkmark) = supported, no reboot required

Pro |Home > Education |Pro > Education |Pro > Enterprise |Ent > Education |Mobile > Mobile Enterprise | |——-|————|——————|—————-|——————|—————-|———| | Using mobile device management (MDM) | | | | | | | | Using a provisioning package | | | | | | | | Using a command-line tool | | | | | | | | Entering a product key manually | | | | | | | | Purchasing a license from the Microsoft Store | | | | | | | —>

Edition upgrade	Using mobile device management (MDM)	Using a provisioning package	Using a command-line tool	Using Microsoft Store for Business or PC	Entering a product key manually	Purchasing a license from the Microsoft Store
Home > Pro
Home > Pro for Workstations
Home > Pro Education
Home > Education
Pro > Pro for Workstations				(MSfB)
Pro > Pro Education				(MSfB)
Pro > Education				(MSfB)
Pro > Enterprise				(1703 — PC) (1709 — MSfB)
Pro for Workstations > Pro Education				(MSfB)
Pro for Workstations > Education				(MSfB)
Pro for Workstations > Enterprise				(1703 — PC) (1709 — MSfB)
Pro Education > Education				(MSfB)
Enterprise > Education				(MSfB)
Mobile > Mobile Enterprise

• For information about upgrade paths in Windows 10 in S mode (for Pro or Education), check out Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise in S mode
• Each desktop edition in the table also has an N and KN SKU. These editions have had media-related functionality removed. Devices with N or KN SKUs installed can be upgraded to corresponding N or KN SKUs using the same methods.
• Due to naming changes the term LTSB might still be displayed in some products. This name will change to LTSC with subsequent feature updates.

Upgrade using mobile device management (MDM)

To upgrade desktop editions of WindowsВ 10 using MDM, you’ll need to enter the product key for the upgraded edition in the UpgradeEditionWithProductKey policy setting of the WindowsLicensing CSP. For more info, see WindowsLicensing CSP.

To upgrade mobile editions of WindowsВ 10 using MDM, you’ll need to enter the product key for the upgraded edition in the UpgradeEditionWithLicense policy setting of the WindowsLicensing CSP. For more info, see WindowsLicensing CSP.

Upgrade using a provisioning package

Use Windows Configuration Designer to create a provisioning package to upgrade a desktop edition or mobile edition of Windows 10. To get started, install Windows Configuration Designer from the Microsoft Store.

To create a provisioning package for upgrading desktop editions of WindowsВ 10, go to Runtime settings > EditionUpgrade > UpgradeEditionWithProductKey in the Available customizations panel in Windows ICD and enter the product key for the upgraded edition.

To create a provisioning package for upgrading mobile editions of WindowsВ 10, go to Runtime settings > EditionUpgrade > UpgradeEditionWithLicense in the Available customizations panel in Windows ICD and enter the product key for the upgraded edition.

For more info about Windows Configuration Designer, see these topics:

Upgrade using a command-line tool

You can run the changepk.exe command-line tool to upgrade devices to a supported edition of WindowsВ 10:

You can also upgrade using slmgr.vbs and a KMS client setup key. For example, the following command will upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise.

Cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43

Upgrade by manually entering a product key

If you are upgrading only a few devices, you may want to enter a product key for the upgraded edition manually.

To manually enter a product key

From either the Start menu or the Start screen, type ‘Activation’ and click on the Activation shortcut.

Click Change product key.

Enter your product key.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

Upgrade by purchasing a license from the Microsoft Store

If you do not have a product key, you can upgrade your edition of WindowsВ 10 through the Microsoft Store.

To upgrade through the Microsoft Store

From either the Start menu or the Start screen, type ‘Activation’ and click on the Activation shortcut.

Click Go to Store.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

Note
If you are a WindowsВ 10 Home N or WindowsВ 10 Home KN user and have trouble finding your applicable upgrade in the Microsoft Store, click here.

License expiration

Volume license customers whose license has expired will need to change the edition of Windows 10 to an edition with an active license. Switching to a downgraded edition of Windows 10 is possible using the same methods that were used to perform an edition upgrade. If the downgrade path is supported, then your apps and settings can be migrated from the current edition. If a path is not supported, then a clean install is required.

Downgrading from any edition of Windows 10 to Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 by entering a different product key is not supported. You also cannot downgrade from a later version to an earlier version of the same edition (Ex: Windows 10 Pro 1709 to 1703) unless the rollback process is used. This topic does not discuss version downgrades.

Note: If you are using Windows 10 Enterprise Subscription Activation and a license expires, devices will automatically revert to the original edition when the grace period expires.

Scenario example

Downgrading from Enterprise

• Original edition: Professional OEM
• Upgrade edition: Enterprise
• Valid downgrade paths: Pro, Pro for Workstations, Pro Education, Education

You can move directly from Enterprise to any valid destination edition. In this example, downgrading to Pro for Workstations, Pro Education, or Education requires an additional activation key to supersede the firmware-embedded Pro key. In all cases, you must comply with Microsoft License Terms. If you are a volume license customer, refer to the Microsoft Volume Licensing Reference Guide.

Supported Windows 10 downgrade paths

вњ” = Supported downgrade path
В SВ = Supported; Not considered a downgrade or an upgrade
[blank] = Not supported or not a downgrade

Destination edition
Home	Pro	Pro for Workstations	Pro Education	Education	Enterprise LTSC	Enterprise
Starting edition
	Home
	Pro
	Pro for Workstations
	Pro Education
	Education	вњ”	вњ”	вњ”	S
	Enterprise LTSC
	Enterprise	вњ”	вњ”	вњ”	S

Windows 10 LTSC/LTSB: Due to naming changes, product versions that display Windows 10 LTSB will be replaced with Windows 10 LTSC in subsequent feature updates. The term LTSC is used here to refer to all long term servicing versions.

Windows N/KN: Windows «N» and «KN» SKUs follow the same rules shown above.

Some slightly more complex scenarios are not represented by the table above. For example, you can perform an upgrade from Pro to Pro for Workstation on a computer with an embedded Pro key using a Pro for Workstation license key, and then later downgrade this computer back to Pro with the firmware-embedded key. The downgrade is allowed but only because the pre-installed OS is Pro.