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Old Win 10 PC died, can't find Licence Key
Had my almost 10 year old desktop killed by a power surge, PSU and motherboard were fried. I've tried finding the licence key on the still working C: but no luck. Having a new desktop built and Wi...
This is a very common and frustrating situation. Don't worry, there's a very high chance your license can be recovered.
The most important thing to know is that if your old PC was a major-brand computer (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) or was a pre-built PC from a system integrator, the Windows license is almost certainly embedded in the motherboard's firmware (a "Digital Entitlement") and not on a sticker. This is also true for most modern self-built PCs where you used a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.
If it was a retail copy you bought, the key might be recoverable from your Microsoft account.