{"id":455833,"date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/"},"modified":"2022-06-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T21:00:00","slug":"how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af25ed585b15\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af25ed585b15\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#%E2%80%9CHow_to_Find_Your_Lost_Windows_or_Office_Product_Keys%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Where_Windows_Hides_the_Product_Key\" >Where Windows Hides the Product Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Three_Places_You_Might_Find_the_Key\" >Three Places You Might Find the Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#If_the_Key_Is_Stored_in_Your_PCs_Hardware\" >If the Key Is Stored\u00a0in\u00a0Your PC\u2019s Hardware<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Read_the_Key_From_the_Certificate_of_Authenticity_Sticker\" >Read\u00a0the Key From\u00a0the Certificate of Authenticity\u00a0Sticker<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Use_NirSofts_ProduKey_to_Recover_Product_Keys_Even_if_You_Cant_Boot_the_PC\" >Use NirSoft\u2019s ProduKey to Recover Product Keys (Even if You Can\u2019t Boot the PC)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Use_ShowKeyPlus_to_Recover_Lost_Keys\" >Use ShowKeyPlus to Recover Lost Keys<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/#Find_the_Windows_Key_Without_Any_Software_Advanced_Users_Only\" >Find the Windows Key Without Any Software (Advanced Users Only)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHow_to_Find_Your_Lost_Windows_or_Office_Product_Keys%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-807679\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/windows-key.png?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/windows-key.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/windows-key.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Windows Key Header\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but can\u2019t find your product key, you\u2019re in luck because it\u2019s stored in the Windows Registry. It\u2019s just not easy to find, and it\u2019s impossible to read without some help. Luckily, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Windows_Hides_the_Product_Key\"><\/span>Where Windows Hides the Product Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-206332\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_54a0affb5f877.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As you can see in the screenshot above, the product ID is stored in the registry but is in a binary format that can\u2019t be read by humans unless you are some sort of Cylon. You aren\u2019t, are you?<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/133254\/beginner-geek-how-to-reinstall-windows-on-your-computer\/\"><strong><em>Beginner Geek: How to Reinstall Windows on Your Computer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re not really sure why Microsoft went to great lengths to make it difficult to see\u00a0the product keys for their software, especially since they are stored right in there in the registry and can be read by software, if not by humans. We can only assume that they don\u2019t want anybody to re-use a key from an old computer.<\/p>\n<p>The great thing is that you can even recover a key, even from a computer that won\u2019t boot anymore. All you need is access to the disk drive from a working computer. Keep reading for more.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_Places_You_Might_Find_the_Key\"><\/span>Three Places You Might Find the Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-209983\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_54e2c0c809ee6.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The prompt to enter your Windows license key. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/186775\/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally\/\"><strong><em>Where to Download Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 ISOs Legally<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The key you need will be in one of three places:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stored in software on your PC<\/strong>: When you (or your PC manufacturer) installs Windows, Windows\u00a0stores its\u00a0product key in the registry. You can extract this product key, and\u2013often\u2013enter it when reinstalling Windows on your PC. Crucially, you\u2019ll need to grab it from your operating system before you begin reinstalling Windows or it could be deleted if you format your hard drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Printed on a sticker<\/strong>: Some PCs use a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> called \u201cSystem Locked Pre-installation,\u201d or SLP. If your PC uses this, the product key on your PC\u2013the one stored in the registry, and the one key-viewer <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications display\u2013will be different from the\u00a0actual key your PC needs. The actual key is on a certificate of authenticity (COA) sticker on your PC or its power supply. The one in the registry and key-viewer application is a red herring. This system was common for Windows 7 PCs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Embedded in\u00a0your PC\u2019s UEFI firmware<\/strong>: Many newer PCs that come with Windows 8 or 10 use a new method. The key for the version of Windows the PC comes with is stored in the\u00a0computer\u2019s\u00a0UEFI firmware\u00a0or BIOS. You don\u2019t even need to know it\u2013assuming you\u2019re installing the same edition of Windows the PC came with, it should automatically activate and work without you needing to enter a key. It\u2019ll all happen automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be sure to use the same version and edition of Windows the computer came with. In other words, if it came with Windows 7 Home Premium, you can\u2019t install Windows 7 Professional.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_the_Key_Is_Stored_in_Your_PCs_Hardware\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">If the Key Is Stored\u00a0in\u00a0Your PC\u2019s Hardware<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-209986\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/surface-pro-3.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surface laptops.\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the simplest situation. On newer Windows 8, 10, and 11 computers, the key isn\u2019t stored in software where it can be wiped, or on a sticker where it could be smudged off or removed. No one can glance at your computer\u2019s sticker to steal its product key. Instead, the key is stored in the computer\u2019s UEFI firmware or BIOS by the manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to do anything special if you have this. You should just be able to reinstall the same edition of Windows the PC came\u00a0with and it should just work without even asking you for a key. (Still, it may be best to find the product key using one of the below methods and\u00a0write it down before reinstalling Windows \u2014 just in case.)<\/p>\n<p>If you want to find the UEFI-embedded key and write it down, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/windows-10-tip-find-your-pcs-original-product-key\/\">you can do so quite simply<\/a>. Just open the Start menu, type \u201cpowershell\u201d into the search bar, and run the Powershell application that comes up.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-266935\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/screenshot.1-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Launch Powershell through the Start menu. \" width=\"400\" height=\"534\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Then, enter the following command and press Enter:<\/p>\n<pre>(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey<\/pre>\n<p>You should be rewarded\u00a0with your embedded license key. Write it down and store it in a safe place.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-266936\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/screenshot.2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A PowerShell window displaying the Windows key. \" width=\"650\" height=\"182\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Read_the_Key_From_the_Certificate_of_Authenticity_Sticker\"><\/span>Read\u00a0the Key From\u00a0the Certificate of Authenticity\u00a0Sticker<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you have a Windows 7-era PC, there\u2019s a good chance the PC\u2019s key is a single key the manufacturer uses for all their PCs. Thanks to \u201cSystem Locked Pre-installation,\u201d you\u2019re not allowed to use that key to install Windows. If you try, you\u2019ll get error messages about the key being invalid.<\/p>\n<p>To check, you\u2019ll need to look for a certificate of authenticity sticker on your computer. The COA sticker verifies that the computer came with an authentic copy of Windows, and that sticker has a product key printed on it. You\u2019ll need that product key to reinstall Windows \u2014 and, if the manufacturer used System Locked Pre-installation, that key is different from the one your PC came with\u00a0in software.<\/p>\n<p>Examine your computer to find the key. On a laptop, it may be on the bottom of the laptop. If your laptop has a removable battery, it may be under the battery. If there\u2019s some sort of compartment you can open, it might be in there. It may even be stuck\u00a0to\u00a0the laptop\u2019s charger brick. If it\u2019s a desktop, look on the side of the desktop\u2019s case. If it\u2019s not there, check the top, back, bottom, and anywhere else it might be.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-209984\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_54e2c2933930f.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The bottom of a laptop showing a Windows 7 license key. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If the key has rubbed\u00a0off of the sticker, there\u2019s not much you can do. You can try contacting your computer\u2019s\u00a0manufacturer and explaining what happened, but we can\u2019t guarantee they\u2019ll help. Microsoft would always be happy to sell you another key, though!<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_NirSofts_ProduKey_to_Recover_Product_Keys_Even_if_You_Cant_Boot_the_PC\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_4\">Use NirSoft\u2019s ProduKey to Recover Product Keys (Even if You Can\u2019t Boot the PC)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_note\"><p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Nirsoft\u2019s ProduKey will almost definitely set off your antivirus because of what it does and how it works. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/784986\/how-to-find-your-windows-11-product-key\/#autotoc_anchor_2\">ShowKeyPlus is an option if you want a solution that works for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that\u00a0<em>won\u2019t\u00a0<\/em>set off your antivirus.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The easiest way to get access to your product key is with a third-party utility, and there\u2019s nobody better at those than NirSoft. Their utilities are always crapware-free, and are always really useful. The only issue with this particular utility is that some antivirus will detect it as a false positive, because some malware might\u00a0try to steal your product key.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_note\"><p><strong>Note:<\/strong> NirSoft\u2019s utility won\u2019t always work for OEM computers, depending on how they decided to activate the licenses. If your OEM installed your computer and used a single key for all their PCs, this won\u2019t work.\u00a0It also doesn\u2019t work for Office 2013 and later versions of Microsoft Office.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>All you have to do is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nirsoft.net\/utils\/product_cd_key_viewer.html\">download ProduKey<\/a>, unzip it, and then run it to immediately see all of your product keys. It\u2019s as simple as that.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-206336\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_54a0b5238625a.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Nirsoft Produkey displaying a Windows 7 product key. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you want to recover a key from a dead computer, you can hook up the hard drive to a working PC, and then run ProduKey and use File &gt; Select Source to point to the external Windows directory. You can then grab the keys from that computer easily.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-206334\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_54a0b18d5d7d3.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Nirsoft Produkey prompting the user to select where they want to extract a key from. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can also use a Linux live CD to pull the Windows directory\u00a0off the other computer and onto a thumb drive, or just grab the registry files if you prefer. If you need help, we\u2019ve got a guide to pulling data off a dead computer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Recover Files From a Dead Computer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_ShowKeyPlus_to_Recover_Lost_Keys\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_5\">Use ShowKeyPlus to Recover Lost Keys<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nirsoft\u2019s program works \u2014 but it might tigger a warning in your antivirus, or even your browser. If you don\u2019t want to deal with that, ShowKeyPlus is a good alternative. ShowKeyPlus is available <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=2QzUaswX1as&amp;mid=24542&amp;u1=htg\/206329&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.microsoft.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2Fshowkeyplus%2F9PKVZCPRX9NV\">directly from the Microsoft Store<\/a> for Windows 10 and Windows 11.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Open up the Microsoft Store, find <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=2QzUaswX1as&amp;mid=24542&amp;u1=htg\/206329&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.microsoft.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2Fshowkeyplus%2F9PKVZCPRX9NV\">ShowKeyPlus<\/a>, then click the \u201cInstall\u201d button and wait while it downloads and installs. It shouldn\u2019t take very long; the program is pretty small.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-807667\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/click-install.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"468\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cOpen\u201d after it has downloaded, and the product keys on your system will be displayed.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-807670\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/showkeyplus.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"ShowKeyPlus might display multiple keys depending on what you've done with your system.\" width=\"650\" height=\"384\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that there might be both an installed key and an OEM key. OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer, keys are tied to the hardware of the device. If you\u2019re using a prebuilt desktop PC or a laptop, the OEM key and the installed key will be the same unless you separately purchased a different Windows license.<\/p>\n<p>If you did purchase and install a separate Windows license for a prebuilt or laptop (or for a computer you built yourself) make sure you grab the <em>installed <\/em>key, not the OEM key. OEM keys are subject to more restrictions than retail keys, so you don\u2019t want to accidentally use the wrong one.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Find_the_Windows_Key_Without_Any_Software_Advanced_Users_Only\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_6\">Find the Windows Key Without Any Software (Advanced Users Only)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Assuming you can boot your computer without any problems, you can easily create a simple VBscript that will read the value out of the registry and then translate it into the format that you need for reinstalling. We\u2019re not sure where this script came from, but <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/discuss.howtogeek.com\/t\/see-system-product-key-fast\/12931\">reader raphoenix posted it on\u00a0our forum<\/a> a long time ago, so we\u2019re sharing it here for you.<\/p>\n<p>Copy and paste the following into a Notepad window:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<pre>Set WshShell = CreateObject(\"WScript.Shell\")&#13;\nMsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead(\"HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionDigitalProductId\"))&#13;\n&#13;\nFunction ConvertToKey(Key)&#13;\nConst KeyOffset = 52&#13;\ni = 28&#13;\nChars = \"BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789\"&#13;\nDo&#13;\nCur = 0&#13;\nx = 14&#13;\nDo&#13;\nCur = Cur * 256&#13;\nCur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur&#13;\nKey(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur  24) And 255&#13;\nCur = Cur Mod 24&#13;\nx = x -1&#13;\nLoop While x &gt;= 0&#13;\ni = i -1&#13;\nKeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) &amp; KeyOutput&#13;\nIf (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i &lt;&gt; -1) Then&#13;\ni = i -1&#13;\nKeyOutput = \"-\" &amp; KeyOutput&#13;\nEnd If&#13;\nLoop While i &gt;= 0&#13;\nConvertToKey = KeyOutput&#13;\nEnd Function<\/pre>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to use File -&gt; Save As, change the \u201cSave as type\u201d to \u201cAll Files\u201d and then name it productkey.vbs or something similar ending with the vbs extension. We\u2019d recommend saving to the desktop for easy access.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-206330\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_54a0af4794be1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Paste the script into Notepad, then save it as a .vbs. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve saved it, you can just double-click and the popup window will show you your product key.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-206331\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/img_54a0af7f8bff8.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Run the script, then a popup will appear with your system's CD key.\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_tip\"><p><strong>Tip:<\/strong> If you use CTRL+C when the popup window is active, it will copy the contents of the window to the clipboard, and then you can paste it into Notepad or somewhere else.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr\/>\n<p>The product key system is complicated to understand because Microsoft doesn\u2019t really want\u00a0typical Windows users to reinstall Windows on their PCs. Instead, they\u2019d rather you use your computer manufacturer\u2019s recovery media. But\u00a0the\u00a0recovery media is full of the bloatware you don\u2019t want on your PC \u2014 that\u2019s why so many geeks often opt to reinstall Windows on their new PCs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/206329\/how-to-find-your-lost-windows-or-office-product-keys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys&#8221; If you\u2019re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but can\u2019t find your product key, you\u2019re in luck because it\u2019s stored in the Windows Registry. It\u2019s just not easy to find, and it\u2019s impossible to read without some help. Luckily, we\u2019re here to help. Where&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":455834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/windows-key.png?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-455833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}