Each licensed copy of the Windows 10 operating system has a unique key that indicates the activation of the installed version. The key consists of 25 characters, including English letters and numbers. Without this code and entering it into the system, your OS will be available within 30 days from the moment of installation. After that, the computer will remind you of the need for activation, and after a while it will stop loading altogether. Below you can read about how to find out your Windows 10 product key, what types of keys are there and what they are for.
Operating system serial numbers are of two types:
- OEM-key - "sewn" into the motherboard memory by default, since the OS was installed by the manufacturer;
- Product Key. This key applies to the installed digital version of the product.
There is sometimes confusion due to the difference between the two types of serial numbers. For example, if you uninstall a preinstalled copy of the OS and then install your own version, then the OEM and Product keys will not match.
Why do I need a key?
Before the release of the "10", Microsoft developers used an easier way to define a unique code. The serial number for the pre-installed version of the operating system was always found on a sticker on the back of the laptop or PC case. With the advent of Windows 10 and the proliferation of digital versions, it was decided to abandon this venture.
Now the owners of the "dozens" have to use non-trivial solutions to determine the serial key. You will need the number if you decide to reinstall a licensed copy of the OS on your computer. When using a pirated version, this operation is not required, since activation is carried out using a special program. You can also purchase a Windows 10 license through Microsoft's official website.
How to check if Windows 10 is activated?
Before looking for a key in the system, check the activation of your copy. This is very easy to do. To solve the problem, follow these steps:
- Right click on the shortcut "This computer" on the desktop and select the item in the context menu.
- In the window that opens, you will see information about your system (technical data, performance evaluation, etc.). In subsection "ActivationWindows " there should be an inscription: "ActivationWindows is done " as shown in the screenshot:
You can open the same window using the Win + Pause / Break keyboard shortcut
Now you know how to check if the installed copy of the OS is activated. Now you can start looking for a license key for your Windows 10.
Where can I find the Windows 10 key?
You can find the activation key using standard OS tools and third-party programs. Let's consider all the methods in more detail:
- VBS script;
- Extended Command Prompt (PowerShell)
- ProduKey program;
- ShowKeyPlus;
- extraction from UEFI;
- applications for collecting system data.
Finding the key through scripts
This method describes how to find the license key using Visual Basic Script. It differs from the usual command line in that the result of the script is visualized in a separate window. You can download the script by. If you have any difficulties with downloading, then do not worry - you can create such a script yourself.
First you need to create a document in Notepad with the following. Then save the file anywhere on your computer with the .vbs resolution and any name in English. To change the extension, you must first save the text document, and then change the resolution through the rename function. Next, you need to run the file by simply clicking on it. The system should show the OEM key on the desktop in a separate window, as shown in the screenshot. Click OK, and then you will see more detailed information about the installed version of the operating system:
The method works for 32-bit and 64-bit systems, as well as for all versions of Windows 10, including Home, and Pro.
PowerShell
The second way to get the key using the built-in functionality is by using the PowerShell command line, which is available only on Windows 10 (x64). With its help, you will receive information about the Product Key, that is, the number of the current OS version.
- Launch Notepad and copy the text from. After that, save the file to any folder with the .ps extension. Now you need to run PowerShell as administrator. To do this, go to the search and enter the name in English (1). Now right-click on the icon and select from the menu "Run as administrator" (3).
- In the Command Prompt window, enter the command Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned and press Enter on your keyboard. Next, you need to specify the path to the file with the extension .ps1. If you saved it directly to your desktop, then the command will look like this:
The Installed Key line will contain the 25-digit code for your operating system. You can save it to a separate text file. Now let's figure out where to check the serial number on the OEM version of the OS.
We get the key from UEFI
This method will find the OEM Key.
- First, let's open a command prompt as administrator:
At the command prompt, enter the combination and press Enter.
The same action can be performed through PowerShell. Open PowerShell again as described earlier and enter the command ( Get-WmiObject -query "select * from SoftwareLicensingService").
Now you know how to check the license using the built-in tools of the operating system. Let's move on to third-party tools.
To install the program, follow the link. The application is launched without installation, immediately after downloading. In the main ProduKey window, information about the serial numbers of the installed software will appear:
Produkey is also used to determine the license number for office suites from Microsoft and other software.
Download the program for free from the link. Once launched, you can immediately read Product and OEM information in one screen:
Other applications
If you want to receive information not only about the OS license, but also about the entire PC, you can use one of the following programs:
- AIDA 64;
- Everest;
- SIW and the like.
The software in this category allows you to find out everything about the software and hardware installed on your computer. The information also includes data on serial numbers. Finding them is not that hard.
Let's take a program as an example. On the main screen, click on the button OperatingSystem(one). On the right side of the program, you will see SerialNumber(2). In a similar way, you can find the serial number through the other programs listed above.
conclusions
There are many ways to find the Product Key or OEM Key of an installed operating system. The article describes everything so that the user can use it by choosing the method on his own. If any method does not work for you or you do not understand the procedure for its implementation, just move on to another! The easiest way is to use automated software such as ProduKey and others. More advanced users can easily handle scripts and the command line (PowerShell).
Video instruction
Hello dear friends! In this article I will show you how to find out the activation key for your windows XP, windows 7, 8, 10. I have been asked many times how can I find the activation key from my windows system? It turned out that the activation key was lost, or the sticker on the back of the laptop or system unit was simply worn out and I simply could not see the key. You need to reinstall the system and you need your own activation key to activate windows later, help with advice.
And so let's get started, in the first method we will use the script from the site microsoft... Create a plain text document on your desktop.
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
regKey = "HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \"
DigitalProductId = WshShell.RegRead (regKey & "DigitalProductId")
Win8ProductName = "Windows Product Name:" & WshShell.RegRead (regKey & "ProductName") & vbNewLine
Win8ProductID = "Windows Product ID:" & WshShell.RegRead (regKey & "ProductID") & vbNewLine
Win8ProductKey = ConvertToKey (DigitalProductId)
strProductKey = "Windows Key:" & Win8ProductKey
Win8ProductID = Win8ProductName & Win8ProductID & strProductKey
MsgBox (Win8ProductKey)
MsgBox (Win8ProductID)
Function ConvertToKey (regKey)
Const KeyOffset = 52
isWin8 = (regKey (66) \ 6) And 1
regKey (66) = (regKey (66) And& HF7) Or((isWin8 And 2) * 4)
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Cur = regKey (y + KeyOffset) + Cur
regKey (y + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24)
Cur = Cur Mod 24
Loop While y> = 0
winKeyOutput = Mid (Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & winKeyOutput
Loop While j> = 0
If(isWin8 = 1) Then
keypart1 = Mid (winKeyOutput, 2, Last)
winKeyOutput = Replace (winKeyOutput, keypart1, keypart1 & insert, 2, 1, 0)
If Last = 0 Then winKeyOutput = insert & winKeyOutput
End If
a = Mid (winKeyOutput, 1, 5)
b = Mid (winKeyOutput, 6, 5)
c = Mid (winKeyOutput, 11, 5)
d = Mid (winKeyOutput, 16, 5)
e = Mid (winKeyOutput, 21, 5)
ConvertToKey = a & "-" & b & "-" & c & "-" & d & "-" & e
End Function
After you have inserted the script into a text document, the document must be saved with the extension .VBS... To do this, click on the "File" item and select "Save As" in the drop-down list.
In the window that opens, in the File type field, select "All files (*. *)" And write any name for the file, for example I wrote windowssss.vbs. Click the "Save" button.
Open this file and you will see the long-awaited activation key for your windows system. You can click on the cross or the "OK" button, an additional window will open with information about windows, product code and, accordingly, the activation key.
That's how easy it is, you can find out your activation key on your computer. Let's look at another way, a simpler one, using the KeyFinderInstaller utility.
How to find the activation key for your windows using the KeyFinderInstaller utility
Downloading the utility KeyFinderInstaller(you can download it from any site on the Internet) and install it. After the utility is installed, click on the shortcut on the desktop and see the information we need in the window that opens.
If you still have other Microsoft products installed on your computer, for example Microsoft office, then you can also find out the activation key for these products, just select the product in the window and see the information. That's all, now you know how to find out the activation key for your windows. I hope the article will be useful to you, good luck everyone!
Many are encouraged to read this material by a very standard and widespread situation: once bought a laptop with a licensed operating system Windows 7 or 8. After a certain time, due to the need to reinstall Windows or for any other reason, an activation key is needed, which was indicated on the sticker , which is located on the bottom of the laptop, but over the months and years of operation of the laptop, it has long been worn out or completely unstuck. How to be?
If your PC is running Windows with an activated license key, then "getting" it from the operating system will not be difficult. If the icon My computer right click and open Properties, then below we will see only product code, not the activation key itself. It is also important to distinguish between what you need to get - just the code that was indicated on a special sticker or the code for Windows 8, which is in the BIOS of the computer.
Screenshot of "My Computer" properties
For Win8 from BIOS using RWEverything
To retrieve the OEM license key Windows 8 from the BIOS of a laptop or desktop computer, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with - in it we considered how to use the program to get the key from Win8 from the BIOS of a new type: UEFI. This method is also relevant for those who are trying to recover the key if another OS was installed instead of licensed Windows 8 "from the store".
Screenshot of the RWEverything program
Windows activation key in AIDA64
If you need an activation key for an installed and working system, you can use the program already familiar to us for complete PC diagnostics - - go, get acquainted, download and install. Then we launch the program and open the tab Operating system... In chapter License information in field Product key and the required Windows activation code will be indicated.
Screenshot of AIDA64 program
In AIDA64, as in RWEverything, you can see the key hard-wired into the BIOS. To do this, go to the tab Motherboard, then ACPI... In chapter Description of the table find MSDM and in the field SLS Data the 25-character Windows activation code we need will be registered.
Screen AIDA64
Finding an activation key through KeyFinder
Simple utility from Magical Jelly Bean. This small program does not take up much space and gives out only the very minimum of information, but this is what we need. You can download KeyFinder from here (the official website of the developers), it is available in two versions - the free one is enough for us. Download, install, run. In the left window, select the software for which you need to find out the activation key - in this case, we are interested in Windows 7 Home Premium. CD Key and there is the code you are looking for.
Screenshot of KeyFinder
Instead of a conclusion
This list could be continued endlessly, since there are at least a dozen more popular utilities for solving the same problem, but I think that the provided set will be enough for you. There are also various scripts on the Internet that use VBScript or PowerShell to extract keys without installing extra programs. Everyone chooses the method that is more convenient for him.
Using licensed software often guarantees stable operation, software support and a warranty in the event of a breakdown. That is why it is so important to know the activation key for Windows. The Windows key is a 25-character code. In this article, we'll look at how to find out the product key for Windows installed on your personal computer.
For example, you can find out the license keys for Windows:
- Without using the system
- Using a script
- Through third-party software
You can find out the Windows license key without using the system and without turning on the computer at all. If a license sticker is preserved on your system unit or the case of your laptop, then the key can be viewed on it. This is how they look:
The license key for activating Windows consists of 25 characters. If you have a similar sticker, it means that you have a license key for your version of Windows.
An experienced Windows installer always has ProduKey in his arsenal. With its help, you can not only find out the key for Windows, but also the office suite.
How to find your Windows product key:
- Download the program from the website to find out the Windows activation key
- Unpack and run Produkey.exe
After launching the program, you will see a window where the keys of all installed products from Microsoft are displayed.
The program is very easy to use, questions should not arise even for beginners. Another very useful feature of the program is that you can view the key not only of the local computer, but also of the remote computer on the network. How to find your Windows license key:
- Click on "File" - "Select Source" or the F9 key
- Specify the name of the computer on which you want to view the key
Now you know how to find out the key for Windows through third-party software.
Please note that this method does not work on the Windows 10 operating system. The script will help you find the Windows product key on a laptop or desktop PC. The essence of the method is that you need to create a regular text document (in Notepad, Word) and insert a script into it.
How to find the Windows product key using a script (example, how to find the Windows product key through a script, is performed on Windows 8):
Set WshShell = CreateObject ("WScript.Shell") regKey = "HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \" DigitalProductId = WshShell.RegRead (regKey & "DigitalProductId") Win8ProductName = "Windows Product Name:" & WReadShell.Reg (regKey & "ProductName") & vbNewLine Win8ProductID = "Windows Product ID:" & WshShell.RegRead (regKey & "ProductID") & vbNewLine Win8ProductKey = ConvertToKey (DigitalProductId) strProductKey = "Windows 8 Keyct:" & Win8Product8 Win8ProductID & strProductKey MsgBox (Win8ProductKey) MsgBox (Win8ProductID) Function ConvertToKey (regKey) Const KeyOffset = 52 isWin8 = (regKey (66) \ 6) And 1 regKey (66) = (regKey (66) (And & is HF7) 2) * 4) j = 24 Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789" Do Cur = 0 y = 14 Do Cur = Cur * 256 Cur = regKey (y + KeyOffset) + Cur regKey (y + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) Cur = Cur Mod 24 y = y -1 Loop While y> = 0 j = j -1 winKeyOutput = Mid (Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & winKeyOutput Last = Cur Loop While j> = 0 If (is Win8 = 1) Then keypart1 = Mid (winKeyOutput, 2, Last) insert = "N" winKeyOutput = Replace (winKeyOutput, keypart1, keypart1 & insert, 2, 1, 0) If Last = 0 Then winKeyOutput = insert & winKeyOutput End If a = Mid (winKeyOutput, 1, 5) b = Mid (winKeyOutput, 6, 5) c = Mid (winKeyOutput, 11, 5) d = Mid (winKeyOutput, 16, 5) e = Mid (winKeyOutput, 21, 5) ConvertToKey = a & "-" & b & "-" & c & "-" & d & "-" & e End Function
After pasting the script code, you need to save this document with the vbs extension.
After that, just run the generated file. If everything was done correctly, you will see a message with the necessary information.
Good afternoon friends! Recently, I increasingly began to receive messages with a request to help activate the system. It so happened that a lot of users who previously used a license seven or eight received an unactivated Windows 10 after the update. And in order to return everything to its place, you just had to find the key indicated on the sticker and re-indicate it in the activation window and thus completely legalize your system. But, how do you find your Windows product key?
Here, just then, some users were confused. In general, the sticker with the key can be either on the disk or glued to the laptop. Usually in these places everyone is looking for keys, but those whoever bought a laptop already with a pre-installed Windows 8 system did not receive such a sticker, since the required code was sewn into the BIOS. Thus, after the next one, the computer was automatically activated using the key that was pre-installed in the BIOS.
In principle, installing Windows 10 is a simple update, after which the keys should be saved, but unfortunately, some users are faced with such a situation that after the end of the update process, the system did not automatically activate. It was necessary to do this manually, re-entering your license code, although most owners of laptops with a preinstalled eight did not even know how to find out their Windows product key.
It is because of these troubles, new questions began to appear, such as: how to find out the Windows 8 key or How to find the OEM license key for a Windows 7 and 8.1 product. You can view your key using a third-party program, this is how I answered the question posed to me. But, immediately another question begs itself, which utility is best suited for this, and in general, how to find out this license key of the Windows product with the help of the utility.
Therefore, so as not to describe to each step by step in the comments, how and what to click, I decided to prepare for you, here is such a small, but very useful guide, on how to find out the product key of Windows 10, 7 and 8.1.
How to find the product license key of the installed Windows using the RWEverything utility
So, in order to find out the OEM license key that is embedded in the BIOS, we will have to use one convenient, and most importantly free program that shows all the hardware information of the computer, and of course, directly, everything about the installed BIOS, in which the required key is stored.
This way you will recognize the OEM product key of Windows 10 or any other operating system. Now, rewrite your license key on a piece of paper and enter it in the activation form, which will allow you to return your licensed Windows back.
