Editor’s Word: Microsoft not sells Home windows 10, and its assist will finish on Oct. 14, 2025. Nonetheless, you possibly can nonetheless purchase Home windows 10 from some third-party retailers.
Discovering your Home windows 10 product key can really feel like a treasure hunt. It’s usually tucked away on a hard-to-reach sticker in your pc {hardware} or hidden within the packaging of a bodily copy — assuming you haven’t already tossed the field.
Nonetheless, earlier than you go crawling right into a closet or behind your desk on the lookout for a 25-digit alphanumeric code in fantastic print on the bottom of your PC, there are much less strenuous methods to trace down your Home windows 10 product key.
This tutorial exhibits you the way to discover your Home windows 10 product key utilizing the ability of the working system. We now have additionally printed tips about the way to discover your product key in Home windows 11.
How one can discover your Home windows 10 product key
The success of any of those strategies largely is determined by how your PC was activated. In case you activated Home windows 10 by upgrading from a legitimate Home windows 7 or 8 set up or with the pc’s latest buy, you’ll seemingly discover the product key with most of those strategies. Nonetheless, in case your PC was activated as a part of a corporation’s licensing settlement, discovering a product key could also be extra problematic.
1. Command immediate
Essentially the most direct methodology for locating your Home windows 10 product key’s from the command line.
- Sort
cmdinto the Home windows 10 desktop search field. - Then, right-click the command line outcome.
- Choose run as administrator from the context menu.
- Sort this command on the immediate:
wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
As proven within the picture beneath, the command will show your present Home windows 10 product key.
2. PowerShell
If you’re utilizing Home windows 10 PowerShell, the method is analogous:
- Proper-click the Begin Menu button.
- Choose Home windows PowerShell (Admin) from the context menu.
- Sort this command on the immediate to disclose the product key.
powershell "(Get-WmiObject -query 'choose * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey"
3. Registry File
The product key’s saved within the Home windows 10 Registry File, so it’s attainable to search out the code there if you realize the fitting key. To take action:
- Sort
regeditinto the Home windows 10 desktop search, and choose the suitable merchandise within the outcomes. - Navigate to this key:
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatform
As you possibly can see beneath, the BackupProductKeyDefault key will reveal a legitimate Home windows 10 product key.
Word: In my case, the Home windows 10 product key displayed by each the command immediate and PowerShell strategies are the identical; within the registry instance, the product key’s completely different. The most effective clarification I can recommend is that as a result of I upgraded from Dwelling to Professional on the instance PC, the product key displayed is for the improve to Professional or vice versa. You probably have a greater resolution, please tell us.
SEE: Home windows 10 and 11 in S Mode: What Is It, and Ought to You Use It?
Different methods to search out your Home windows 10 product key
Third-party distributors supply purposes that may additionally find and show your Home windows 10 product key. These purposes primarily do the identical factor we did right here, however they introduce another person’s programming and potential safety points.
As well as, when you purchased Home windows 10 from the Microsoft Retailer, the product key data is on the market in your account order historical past.
Is the Home windows 10 product key tied to my {hardware}?
In case you bought a tool with an OEM key, equivalent to a Dell or Lenovo laptop computer, the Home windows 10 product key could also be tied to your {hardware}. Nonetheless, when you purchased a digital copy of Home windows, you possibly can switch the license to a different pc.
What ought to I do if I lose my product key after buying Home windows 10?
In line with Microsoft, if not one of the strategies listed right here work, you might be able to contact your machine’s producer to search out the product key. Nonetheless, this can seemingly solely be attainable in case your machine remains to be underneath guarantee. You could have to buy a brand new retail license if all else fails.
Can I switch my Home windows 10 license to a different pc?
Sure. Simply notice that Home windows 10 licenses are supposed to be used on one pc at a time.
