Forum Discussion
Where do I find Windows 10 Pro product key?
Hi community,
I made a completely reinstall of Windows 10 Pro on his old PC. After installation, Windows 10 Pro asks to activate Windows 10 and there is a watermark appearing on the desktop all the times. I bought the key from someone and no way to find the person now.
My question is that where do I find Windows 10 pro product key? Is the product key bound to the motherboard? Much appreciated if you could help me retrieve Windows 10 product key without paying again.
Thank you
- Windows 10 product keys come in several different types, each associated with specific purchasing and licensing options. And you have to use the different methods to find Windows 10 Pro product via command prompt, registry or microsoft account.
When purchasing or using Windows 10, it's important to understand which type of product key you have as it will dictate the terms of use, transferability, and support associated with that key. Retail and OEM keys are the most common for individual users, while Volume License Keys are tailored for organizations with multiple systems to manage. - Is it an OEM key or retail key? This makes a huge difference. OEM can be only used on one machine and the retail key can be used on new machine. Usually, you can find Windows 10 product key under the settings page.
Smanthanp FindingWindows 10 product key through the Settings app is straightforward, but note that this method might not always display the product key directly, especially if Windows is activated through a digital license.
To find Windows 10 Pro product key in settings, click on Update & Security under the settings page. In the left pane, select Activation. This will show you the activation status of your Windows 10 installation. Below the activation status, you may also see the Product ID, which is different from the actual product key but could be useful for other support inquiries.
About finding Windows 10 pro product key. A lot of folks think the product key is just chilling somewhere on their computer (like in the settings or a notepad file). It’s not that simple. Sometimes it’s hidden, so don't waste your time hunting for it everywhere on your OS.
How to find Windows 10 Pro product key using CMD? Here's what i know:
1. Using Command Prompt:
- Hit the Windows key, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and run it as admin.
- Type this command and hit Enter:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey - If you’re lucky, it’ll spit out your product key right there!
2. Via Settings:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Sometimes, you can see your activation status and the option to change or view your product key if it's tied to your Microsoft account.
3. Using a Powershell Command:
- Similar to Command Prompt, you can open Windows PowerShell and run:
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
Smanthanp There are loads of “free” tools online claiming to find Windows 10 pro product key. Be careful! Some could have malware or just not work at all. Stick to what's legit. If you linked your Windows copy to a Microsoft account, log into the account associated with your purchase on the Microsoft website. There’s a chance the key could be listed there.
Smanthanp The Windows 10 product key can often be found in the Windows Registry, although it is stored in an encoded format. You can access the Registry Editor to view it, but the product key may not be readable in plain text without some additional steps. Here's how to find Windows 10 product key in the Registry.
Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes.
Step 2: Browse to the following path (you can copy and paste it in the Registry Editor's address bar):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersionStep 3: Look for the entry called DigitalProductId. The product key isn't directly displayed as a string. Instead, it's stored in a binary format.
Since the product key is not in plain text, you will need to use a script or software to decode it.
Matopias Below is a simple method using a PowerShell script to decode the Windows 10 Pro product key.
Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin). Run the Following Command:
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKeyPress Enter. If a product key is available, it will be displayed in plain text. This is a free way to help you find Windows 10 product key via regedit.
Alright, let’s chat about diving into the Windows Registry to find Windows 10 Pro product key. While it might sound like a cool techy thing to do, there are definitely some downsides to this approach. Trust me, I’ve been down this road, and it can get a bit messy.
When you’re in the Registry Editor, you have access to a ton of system settings. If you accidentally modify or delete a key, it could impact your system stability or cause software issues. I’ve seen friends lose their minds over little mistakes made in there, leading to unwanted blue screens or performance issues.With the introduction of Windows 10, Microsoft uses digital licenses (also referred to as digital entitlements) whereby the operating system is activated without needing a product key.
If you upgrade to Windows 10 from a genuine copy of Windows 7 or 8.1, or if you purchase Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store, it may be linked to your Microsoft account. The digital license validates your installation automatically.
By default, you can find the Windows 10 Pro product key by logging the associated Microsoft account.
