How to find your Windows 10 product key? With the release of the latest version, many old best practices have changed. Now Microsoft understands an operating system more like a service, with many drastic updates in addition to years of support. Part of this also affects the Windows 10 key, a license key that doesn’t really exist anymore.
So what do you need for a new installation? And why are one-time licenses such as for Windows 10 Home so handy for this very reason? An overview.
Where is the Windows 10 Key stored?
The authenticity of your Windows 10 version is confirmed by a so-called digital license. This is accompanied by an individual hardware ID, which takes into account various configurations of your personal computer. This means that you do not need a license key for a new installation on the same device. Microsoft has already stored all the necessary data, and you just need to know how to find your Windows 10 product key.
At this point, a Windows 10 key almost seems like a relic from the long-forgotten days of Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free back then, you can also continue to use the old license key from the previous version. How to find your Windows 8 product key – that’s something our detailed tutorial will show you.
For Windows 10, the procedure is quite similar:
How to Find your Windows 10 Product Key?
- Read a Part of the Key via the Command Prompt
- With a little Luck Find it in the BIOS
- Check the Windows 10 Key with a Special Program
As said, in general you should be better served with the digital license. Only if you want to separate several Windows devices from each other, for example, can the following trick be worthwhile:
Read a Part of the Key via the Command Prompt
The command prompt is often used in case of problems like deleting unwanted folders. This can be done with a simple command, for example. We show you what you have to consider.
- The fastest way to open the command prompt is to type cmd in the search (Windows logo key + S).
- A black window with text will appear. At the already selected position, enter the command slmgr /dli and confirm with Enter.
- This should show you how to find your Windows 10 product key or at least the last five characters of your license for comparison purposes.
With a little Luck Find it in the BIOS
The Windows PowerShell process is similar. You can use this powerful framework to activate your admin account or to find your Windows 10 product key:
- Using the Quick Access (Windows logo key + X) or the Start menu, run Windows PowerShell as administrator.
- Confirm that you want to make changes to your computer.
- Copy the following into the input line: (Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey
- Your license key will be displayed if there is an entry in the BIOS. Otherwise you get an empty output.
Check the Windows 10 Key with a Special Program
Last but not least, there is of course a wealth of external software solutions, most of which are available for free. Usually, you can remove the program right after reading your license key. You just have to expect some advertising.
At this point, we can recommend the Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder. According to its own information, the freeware can not only read your Windows 10 key, but also detect more than 300 product keys. Afterwards, you can simply output your findings as a handy text file or in CSV format.
As always, you should be careful when using such free programs, even if you have a modern virus protection. Through a backdoor, you can quickly catch malware or just install an app that you don’t need. You would have to scan your entire PC again with programs like AdwCleaner. So watch out if you want to learn how to find your Windows 10 product key.
