Where is the windows activation key located? How to find your Windows or Office product key

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 out the activation key for 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 cannot see the key. I need to reinstall the system and need my own activation key in order to activate windows later, please give me some advice.

And so let's get started, in the first method we will use the script from the site microsoft. Create a regular text document on the 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, you need to save the document with the extension .VBS. To do this, click on the “File” item and in the drop-down list, select “Save as”.

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.

This is how easy it is to find out your activation key on your computer. Let's look at another method, a simpler one using the KeyFinderInstaller utility.

How to find out your Windows activation key using the KeyFinderInstaller utility

Download 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 look at the information. That's all, now you know how to find out the activation key for your windows. I hope the article is useful to you, good luck to everyone!

To activate the Windows operating system, a special product license key is used. The Windows product key used to activate the system differs depending on the operating system version (Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.), OS edition (Home, Pro, etc.), distribution method (OEM, Retail etc).

To activate the Windows operating system, a product key is used, consisting of 25 characters in the form of numbers and capital (upper case) English letters, divided into 5 groups of 5 characters: “XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX”.

Laptops used to often have a Windows activation key stuck to it. Currently, laptop manufacturers with pre-installed operating systems embed the product key into the BIOS to automatically activate Windows.

If the system is reinstalled, or for some other reason (for example, activation failed after a hardware failure), the user may need a Windows product key. How to find out your Windows activation key?

You can find out the license key of installed Windows by running a special VBS script, as well as using five programs: ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit, Speccy, AIDA64, SIW. All listed programs are free, except AIDA64 and SIW.

The script with the extension “.vbs” and portable free programs (ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit) can be downloaded from here. Download the rest of the programs to your computer from the official websites of the manufacturers.

Using these methods, you can find out the key for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10. After you have found out the Windows product key, the data obtained is for subsequent use, in case of reinstalling the operating system, to activate the operating system.

How to find out the Windows key in ProduKey

The free ProduKey program from the well-known manufacturer NirSoft does not require installation on your computer. The application shows keys for Windows OS, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office.

Unpack the archive with the program, and then run the “Application” file from the folder. After launch, the ProduKey utility window will display the key for the installed operating system.

Select the entry with the key for Windows 10, or another operating system, and then select “Copy Product Key” from the context menu to copy the activation key to the clipboard.

We look at the license key in ShowKeyPlus

The free ShowKeyPlus program does not require installation on your computer. After launch, in the application window you will see the following information:

  • Product Name - the operating system currently installed on the computer
  • Product ID - product code
  • Installed Key - the key of the operating system currently installed on the computer
  • OEM Key - a key embedded in the BIOS of the laptop with the originally installed operating system

To save the data, click on the “Save” button, and then the received information in a text format file.

How to view the Windows key in Free PC Audit

The free program Free PC Audit will help you find out the key of your installed Windows. This program does not require installation on your computer. Run the utility file, after which the Free PC Audit program window will open, in which the system scan will begin.

After the scan is completed, in the “System” tab, opposite the “Windows product key” item, you will see the product key of the installed Windows operating system.

To copy the key, select the line with the license key, and then using the “Copy” context menu item, or using the “Ctrl” + “C” keys, copy the Windows product key from the utility window.

How to find out Windows 8 key using VBScrit

Activation keys for the Windows operating system are stored on the hard drive in encrypted form. Executing the VBScrit script will allow you to obtain the product key of the installed operating system in decrypted form. This script was developed for the Windows 8 operating system, but this code also works fine in the Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 operating systems.

To perform the operation, double-click on the “WindowsKey.vbs” file. In the window that opens, you will see the Windows activation code. Next, click on the “OK” button.

The next window will display information about the operating system version, product ID and product key number. Ignore the title of the entry "Windows 8 Key". The name of this OS will be displayed on any version of the Windows operating system.

Getting a Windows key in Speccy

Free Speccy program from the well-known company Piriform, manufacturer of CCleaner and other software. You can download the portable version of Speccy from the official website. There is a paid version of the program with advanced features.

The program provides the user with detailed information about the computer hardware, and using the application you can also find out the license key of the installed Windows.

Launch the Speccy program, in the “Operating System” section the version of the installed operating system and its serial number (activation key) will be displayed.

Finding out the product key in AIDA64

AIDA64 is a powerful program for obtaining all kinds of information about computer software and hardware.

After launching the AIDA64 program, license information, including the Windows product key, will be displayed in the “Menu” tab, in the “Operating System” section.

Select the product key, select “Copy” in the context menu, then paste the key into Notepad or another similar program to save.

Read the program overview.

Key information in SIW

SIW (System Information of Windows) is a program for obtaining information about the hardware and software status of a computer.

After launching SIW, go to the “Programs”, “Licenses” section. This will display information about the product key that is used in the Windows operating system installed on your computer.

Incorrect product key

When checking keys using the methods listed above, the Windows product key may appear as follows: “BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB”.

This means that your computer is activated with a corporate MAK or VLK key. The Windows operating system does not save such keys, so programs do not see them.

Windows 10 uses a new system authentication method (not available for all cases on Windows 10). The activation record is stored on servers and is not displayed on the computer. After reinstallation, Windows activates itself for some time.

Maintaining the license depends on changing the computer hardware configuration. If the motherboard is replaced, Microsoft activation servers will revoke the license for that computer. Windows will prompt you to purchase a new product key.

Conclusions of the article

If necessary, the user can find out the license code of the Windows operating system by running a VBS script, or using specialized programs: ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit, Speccy, AIDA64, SIW.

To activate Windows 7, a 25-digit special code is used - “product key”. Usually manufacturers indicate it on a special sticker on the computer case, but not always. Also, this inscription wears off over time, and it often happens that after just a year of using the laptop, the product key becomes unreadable.

If a user, for example, is faced with the need to reinstall Windows or the system simply crashes and loses its activation, then first of all you should find out the “Seven” key so as not to incur additional costs for purchasing a new licensed Windows. Below are the most effective methods that allow you to quickly view the key of the OS running on your computer.

The easiest way

If the user is wondering how to urgently find out the serial number of Windows 7 installed on his PC, then first of all it is necessary to examine the case of the laptop or desktop PC for the presence of a readable code on the sticker.

If it is missing, or due to severe wear it is impossible to identify the serial number, then software methods for solving this issue are presented below.

Using a tool included with Windows 7 itself

It should be immediately noted that specialists from Microsoft did not take care of the convenience of their clients, and Windows 7 is able to show only a few characters of the required number.

The following sequential steps must be taken:

  1. Hold down "Win" and click on "R";
  2. In the empty column of the window that appears, type “slmgr.vbs /dlv” and open the found application;
  3. A menu with the last few characters of the key will be displayed on the computer monitor.

The instructions described below will help you find out the full number.

Using a written script

The required number is encrypted in the memory of the PC hard drive. Experts wrote a script for the eighth version of Windows, but it also works successfully for Windows 7. This script text needs to be pasted into Notepad and then saved with a special extension.

For the convenience of users using this instruction, all of the above operations have already been completed by the author of the manual, so you just need to click here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_w1_IySvxDlazNSWDNUY3E1OXc and download the file. After saving it anywhere on the computer, you need to quickly double-click on it with the mouse, and a window will appear containing the full system key.

If you click on “Ok” in the menu that appears, additional information about the licensed product will appear.

Since this “VBScrit” was created for Windows 8, in the bottom line the user will see the name of the eighth version of the OS, but the third line should be read - “Windows 7 Key”.

Via the ProduKey application

The utility is freely distributed on the global network and works perfectly without installation. You can always download it on the official resource of the program developer “NirSoft”. After saving the archive file to the PC, the user only needs to take the following few steps:

  1. Extract the contents of the archive;
  2. Open the “Application” file;
  3. Ready! The utility menu will show the key and ID.

SIW program

The application will also help you quickly solve the problem in the following several steps:

  1. Open the application and go to the “Programs” tab
  2. Next, open the “Licenses” subsection;
  3. All. The necessary information will appear on the display.

"ShowKeyPlus"

By opening this freely distributed application on the Internet on your PC, you will immediately have access to the Windows 7 key.

Also a free utility, which is located on the resource “vellisa.ru”. The main advantage of the program is the detail of the information it outputs.

"Free PC Audit"

To use the application's features, you must complete the following steps.

Windows 7 activation failed - No problem! If your Windows 7 activation failed, your trial period has expired, or you simply don’t know how to activate Windows 7, there is a very simple and reliable method, and it’s absolutely free. At the moment, there are enough methods for activating the seven, among which specially written programs, such as the Windows 7 maximum activator, occupy a special place. Using them is quite trivial and the Windows 7 activation process follows an algorithm in several stages. Typically, activating Windows 7 takes no more than five minutes, and when using some activators, even less than a minute. As a rule, most people want everything at once, so many will be most interested in the Windows 7 maximum activator, why do we need stripped-down Windows when the maximum version with all the bells and whistles is freely available. It’s easier to activate Windows 7 Ultimate using the same techniques and use the operating system without restrictions. To download the Windows 7 maximum activator, you need to disable the antivirus, because any activator is essentially a crack, and naturally the Windows developers made sure that their product was sold and not used for free, which is why the most famous Windows 7 activators are included in antivirus blacklists. In order to successfully activate Windows 7 and subsequently not lose activation, you must correctly perform manipulations for each individual activator. Read the descriptions carefully and remember that failure to follow the instructions for installing activators for Windows 7 will not solve the activation issue or may even disrupt the operation of the system, for which all responsibility rests with you.

Windows Loader Activator by Daz

One of those few programs that every Windows 7 user should have in stock for a rainy day. Windows Loader allows you to activate almost any edition of the Windows 7 operating system with the click of a button - from Starter Edition to extended versions of Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise, including 32 and 64 bit platforms.
Download activator Windows Loader by Daz 2.2.1. Detailed instructions .

Video instructions for activation

Please also pay attention to this: In the descriptions of many activators there is often a promise that the system will be verified for authenticity and the activation will not fail. Yes, this is true, but not entirely, the fact is that Microsoft is constantly monitoring new ways to bypass legal activation, and improving its products to detect such facts. Specifically: its “important” security update for Windows KV971033. This is the license authentication (activation) file. So if today your OS easily passes all authentication checks, then tomorrow after the next update KB971033, your Windows 7 activation may well fail. Well, here we come to what needs to be done to ensure that Activation never fails:
To do this, go to the uninstall programs window:
Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. At the top left, click on “view installed updates”:
In the next window, look for the installed update KV971033, if there is one, click on it with the mouse (select it) and click on “delete” at the top.
In principle, that’s it, you can run the activator you selected and downloaded for Windows 7. But in order to ensure that the activation of Windows 7 never fails, you need to do the following (either before activation or after activation, it doesn’t matter):
Option 1: You can disable updates altogether in Windows Update, then activation will certainly NEVER fail. Or at least turn off automatic updates: Windows Update> customize settings> and select "download updates, but I decide to install them." Then, when installing updates, you need to monitor and prevent the installation of KB971033. To prevent the support center from bothering you with messages about disabled updates, check the “do not notify” box.
Option 2: If the system prompts you to install updates (there should be a command in advance “download updates, but the decision to install is made by me”), or go to the update center yourself, start searching for new updates, then select the KV971033 update, right-click on it, select in the context menu "Hide update" option.
All! Update Center will ignore the unfortunate update. You can set the command to install updates automatically in the update center.

In the next window:

How to check activation.

Computer > System Properties (top). At the bottom of the window there should be an inscription: Windows activation completed:

Activating Windows 7 without activator and entering keys

A very interesting method in which Windows 7 is activated without using an activator and without entering keys. This approach allows you to extend the trial of using the operating system to 120 days, which allows you to gain time for searching and entering a license key, a suitable activator, or purchasing genuine Windows 7. This method is relevant for activating Windows 7 of any version and is recommended for use on an OS for a period of 30- those day trial for which has not expired, otherwise you will still need to enter a license key for Windows 7 or use activators.
It is known that after installation, Windows 7 works in evaluation mode (trial), which lasts for 30 days, so it would be advisable to activate Windows 7 without entering keys at the end of the trial period, for example, on the penultimate day.

Instructions for activating Windows 7 without an activator and entering keys:
We launch the “Start” menu and enter the “cmd” command in the request field, right-click on the icon of the found program and select “Run as administrator”, after which you should start a command line interpreter, i.e. black window.
In the window that opens, you need to enter one of two commands: rundll32 slc.dll,SLReArmWindows or slmgr.vbs /rearm then confirm by pressing the “Enter” key and restart the computer.

If after a reboot you see a reset trial in the properties, then you did everything right. You can repeat this procedure for activating Windows 7 without an activator and entering keys, or rather extend the trial, four times. To obtain a licensed copy of Windows 7, this method will not work, which means that there is a need to use keys or activators, one of the most promising of which is the Windows 7 Loader eXtreme Edition activator, as well as activators from Daz and Khazar.

Lists of keys for Windows 7

If for some reason your computer brand is not on the list, but you know that you have, for example, Windows 7 Ultimate installed, then feel free to use the keys for Windows 7 Ultimate.

Keys for Windows 7 ULTIMATE (OEM-8992662)
FJGCP-4DFJD-GJY49-VJBQ7-HYRR2 – ACER/GATEWAY/PACKARD
VQ3PY-VRX6D-CBG4J-8C6R2-TCVBD – ALIENWARE
2Y4WT-DHTBF-Q6MMK-KYK6X-VKM6G – ASUS
342DG-6YJR8-X92GV-V7DCV-P4K27 – DELL
9CW99-79BBF-D4M3X-9BK9M-4RPH9 – FUJITSU
MHFPT-8C8M2-V9488-FGM44-2C9T3 – HP
6K2KY-BFH24-PJW6W-9GK29-TMPWP – LENOVO/IBM
49PB6-6BJ6Y-KHGCQ-7DDY6-TF7CD – SAMSUNG
YJJYR-666KV-8T4YH-KM9TB-4PY2W – SONY
2WX6M-X2HKM-86X8X-2QD44-F3FGJ – ?????
78FPJ-C8Q77-QV7B8-9MH3V-XXBTK – ?????

Windows 7 ULTIMATE E key (OEM-8992662)
278MV-DKMGJ-F3P9F-TD7Y3-W6G3M – HP/COMPAQ

Keys for Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL (OEM-8992671)
YKHFT-KW986-GK4PY-FDWYH-7TP9F – ACER/GATEWAY/PACKARD
4CFBX-7HQ6R-3JYWF-72GXP-4MV6W – ALIENWARE
2WCJK-R8B4Y-CWRF2-TRJKB-PV9HW – ASUS
6BJ27-DVBFF-VKQC8-7JPQP-TJKYY – DEALIN
32KD2-K9CTF-M3DJT-4J3WC-733WD – DELL
PT9YK-BC2J9-WWYF9-R9DCR-QB9CK – FUJITSU
2QTV2-3CMPP-FQBYK-GRD62-D7XMW – HCL
74T2M-DKDBC-788W3-H689G-6P6GT – HP
32HPJ-4XRDR-424C8-DYQM9-GM768 – KRAFTWAY
237XB-GDJ7B-MV8MH-98QJM-24367 – LENOVO/IBM
2QGXM-V9W9W-6Q7MR-64C4X-R26CV – LG ?
2WGY7-J3JQT-78CF9-J6DHQ-DJTQW – MECER
2W3CX-YD4YJ-DF9B2-V27M6-77GMF – MSI
GMJQF-JC7VC-76HMH-M4RKY-V4HX6 – SAMSUNG
H9M26-6BXJP-XXFCY-7BR4V-24X8J – SONY
7RQGM-4BJBD-GM2YY-R2KTT-43HG8 – STEG
2V8P2-QKJWM-4THM3-74PDB-4P2KH – TOSHIBA
W2PMW-T7DBH-YHKRM-DXXF6-KP4KT – TOSHIBA
6JKVQ-WJTWW-JVPRB-77TGD-2DV7M – WORTMANN
BV4Y4-DVXDT-3FC64-X2QR7-DW82M – ?????
6FWJ7-TDRCV-BYTP3-JWB98-9J64J – ?????
862R9-99CD6-DD6WM-GHDG2-Y8M37 – ?????
7QY32-TQCBJ-G7MC8-Y4PGF-7TGB8 – ?????
36KXM-JVMP6-88WMK-YCCGV-YFDVX – ?????
CRYGF-JG347-QPJKH-BR82M-3MQP3 – ?????
7MB39-TFBVT-9KJKK-6G7H4-66Y7W – ?????

Key for Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL E (OEM-8992671)
P42PH-HYD6B-Y3DHY-B79JH-CT8YK – HP/COMPAQ

Keys for Windows 7 HOME BASIC (OEM-8992752)
MB4HF-2Q8V3-W88WR-K7287-2H4CP – ACER/GATEWAY/PACKARD
89G97-VYHYT-Y6G8H-PJXV6-77GQM – ASUS
6M78P-JJRQP-9C4RX-RPK7G-3VTH3 – DEALIN
36T88-RT7C6-R38TQ-RV8M9-WWTCY – DELL
7WGMV-QFYXX-64DCG-HQFWM-DWGKY – FOUNDER
8W3JQ-BP2HY-F47QX-6CQ94-2BKQB – FUJITSU
2Q4QP-8P4MD-47YBP-7TXX9-FKDRM – HCL
DX8R9-BVCGB-PPKRR-8J7T4-TJHTH – HP
82P6X-KGH24-FCPXC-XQKC9-74KC8 – KSystems
22MFQ-HDH7V-RBV79-QMVK9-PTMXQ – LENOVO/IBM
2TY7W-H4DD4-MB62F-BD9C3-88TM6 – MSI
2P6PB-G7YVY-W46VJ-BXJ36-PGGTG – SAMSUNG
YV7QQ-RCXQ9-KTBHC-YX3FG-FKRW8 – SONY
9DBMT-GXRWM-6Q9Y3-WMYM8-FJCBW – TONGFANG
9H4FH-VD69Y-TGBD2-4PM4K-DRMMH – TOSHIBA

Keys for Windows 7 HOME PREMIUM (OEM-8992687)
VQB3X-Q3KP8-WJ2H8-R6B6D-7QJB7 – ACER/GATEWAY/PACKARD
38JTJ-VBPFW-XFQDR-PJ794-8447M – ADVENT
V3Y2W-CMF9W-PGT9C-777KD-32W74 – ALIENWARE
2QDBX-9T8HR-2QWT6-HCQXJ-9YQTR – ASUS
7JQWQ-K6KWQ-BJD6C-K3YVH-DVQJG – ASUS (Eee PC)
8YDX9-B7MMG-82XD9-V88G9-MR92T – DEALIN
6RBBT-F8VPQ-QCPVQ-KHRB8-RMV82 – DELL
83K3W-QH8JT-T7KBY-9FQB6-V9R8H – DELL
C6MHH-TRRPT-74TDC-FHRMV-XB88W – FUJITSU
3743C-T6892-B4PHM-JHFKY-4BB7W – GIGABYTE
39QDH-D7MHH-WDMTD-TM2R9-KM7DB – HCL
4FG99-BC3HD-73CQT-WMF7J-3Q6C9 – HP
27GBM-Y4QQC-JKHXW-D9W83-FJQKD – LENOVO/IBM
38GRR-KMG3D-BTP99-TC9G4-BBDJJ – LG
2P2P9-CM3F8-FTV6P-PC7CX-8TFF7 – MEDION
4G3GR-J6JDJ-D96PV-T9B9D-M8X2Q – MSI
CQBVJ-9J697-PWB9R-4K7W4-2BT4J – SAMSUNG
C3V4C-6Y6WM-DGRM9-QJG82-8K3FP – SHUTTLE
HWDFB-YVFG4-3TJ7F-Q3WMT-7B6PH – SIRAGON
H4JWX-WHKWT-VGV87-C7XPK-CGKHQ – SONY
6B88K-KCCWY-4F8HK-M4P73-W8DQG – TOSHIBA
6GF36-P4HWR-BFF84-6GFC2-BWX77 – TOSHIBA
C23T3-9F2T2-FPWBM-XYMW2-272J9 – VIEWSONIC
2XPWB-Q64BJ-W8CT3-WJTWT-4DQ99 – ?????
TTJQ7-4PFJC-6JFJ8-B22VD-VXW88 – ?????
GFDW7-7T4B9-VB8W7-TTHRM-JG2KB – ?????
CPF7K-XP3YV-JVHHF-YMMRD-Y4Y9K – ?????
7K377-DVP2Q-YGWJG-3M3G7-RBCDP – ?????
BVQFP-FKQGV-J82F3-2JTVV-733D2 – ?????
76QPJ-99DMC-MW43P-8JKHY-6YMRQ – ?????

Key for Windows 7 HOME PREMIUM E (OEM-8992687)
TD77M-HH38J-FBCB8-8QX7Y-P2QH3 – HP/COMPAQ

Keys for Windows 7 STARTER (OEM-8992752) (OEM-8992707)
RDJXR-3M32B-FJT32-QMPGB-GCFF6 – ACER/GATEWAY/PACKARD
6K6WB-X73TD-KG794-FJYHG-YCJVG – ASUS (Eee)
6PB94-MC2C6-4F37H-KTJ32-PF2PT – CASPERERA
BB2KM-PDWW3-99H7J-F7B9R-FXKF6 – COMPAQ/HP
36Q3Y-BBT84-MGJ3H-FT7VD-FG72J – DELL
BHP4B-MXP9G-RG7KQ-T8R84-CW3D3 – ECS
4FRH4-WQDGJ-M9HRY-K73D8-RGT3C – EXPER
BRFCY-XMXRV-28JHQ-F6D9B-BV73C – HANNSPREE
RH98C-M9PW4-6DHR7-X99PJ-3FGDB – HP/COMPAQ
PMXH9-M23P9-QJJMB-2FWRC-7CDKP – FUJITSU
273P4-GQ8V6-97YYM-9YTHF-DC2VP – LENOVO/IBM
22P26-HD8YH-RD96C-28R8J-DCT28 – LENOVO/IBM
2K8WH-JVQDM-C9HVC-YR2XC-8M76G – MEDION
2W4DJ-JFFJV-DMCPP-2C3X8-883DP – MSI
2YKPV-BFXFW-X8GJQ-9KQFF-KCXGD – MSI
2XGHP-9TQK2-8CF28-BM2P2-8FRX8 – NOKIA
344HQ-3YHDT-C7VCT-BDPBV-4KTR3 – OLIDATA
PV9BD-YBRX6-CTMG6-CCMJY-X8XG7 – SAMSUNG
32J2V-TGQCY-9QJXP-Q3FVT-X8BQ7 – SONY
TGBKB-9KBGJ-3Y3J6-K8M2F-J2HJQ – TOSHIBA
6TQ9G-QB2WK-FM2TB-CKBDP-9D6HM – VIEWSONIC
7W842-2HCPJ-BC3MJ-B79K6-TD2HQ – VILIV
6CYKC-TDDYQ-K4B6G-HQD89-CWDP3 – ?????
4HGWK-KHT8C-J2KCF-F3PVF-44PD4 – ?????
32TF3-PT6YV-V6GCK-RR8GM-VM4QG – ?????
6HKDD-HMKWQ-74YC4-2B8C3-MPG6R – ?????

Key for Windows 7 STARTER E (OEM-8993706)
C3HY9-34XKR-6Y9Y9-RB7TR-84KWG – HP/COMPAQ

Previously, if a laptop came with a pre-installed Windows operating system, there was a sticker on the bottom side with a product key or so-called license key. Nowadays these stickers are not put on laptops and it is no longer possible to simply find out the product key for them.

But, if you use some tricks, you can still find out the Windows 10 product key. In this material we will look at several ways to do this.

It should be noted right away that different methods extract keys from different sources, so the resulting keys will differ. So, the key extracted from the operating system will be different from the key that is extracted from the UEFI motherboard.

How to view the product key in Windows 10 using third-party programs

If you want to find out the product key in Windows 10, then the easiest way is to use third-party programs. In this case, you won't have to deal with the Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell. All you need to do is install the program and run it.

The first program we'll look at is called ProduKey. This program is produced by NirSoft, a company known for its small utilities for Windows. You can download ProduKey.

The ProduKey program collects data about the keys installed in the operating system and displays this information in the form of a convenient table. Using ProduKey, you can find out not only the Windows 10 product key, but also keys for other Microsoft programs. For example, you can find out the license key for the Microsoft Office software package.

Also, the program ShowKeyPlus is often used to view license keys. It is an open source program.

A special feature of the ShowKeyPlus program is that it can retrieve a product key from several sources at once. Firstly, the program can extract a key from the Windows 10 operating system itself (in the program it’s Installed Key), secondly from the computer’s UEFI (in the program it’s OEM Key), and thirdly from a previous version of Windows, which is saved in the Windows folder .old.

How to view the Windows 10 license key without using third-party programs

If you don't want to use third-party programs and are willing to tinker a bit using the built-in tools in Windows 10, then you can resort to the following options.

To view the license key saved in the UEFI of your motherboard, you need to run the following command:

  • wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

This operation can also be performed using Windows PowerShell. To launch PowerShell, you can simply open the Start menu and search for “PowerShell.” You can also open the Run menu using Windows + R and enter the PowerShell command there. After PowerShell starts, you need to run the following command in it:

  • (Get-WmiObject -query "select * from SoftwareLicensingService").OA3xOriginalProductKey

After executing any of these commands, information about the license key that is stored in the UEFI of your motherboard will appear on the screen. If there are no keys saved in UEFI, then the commands will not give any result.

In addition, there is a script in VBS (Visual Basic Script) with which you can extract the product key from the Windows 10 operating system. In order to use this script, you need to open the Notepad program and paste the following code into it:

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
regKey = "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\"
DigitalProductId = WshShell.RegRead(regKey & "DigitalProductId")
Win10ProductName = "Windows 10 Version: " & WshShell.RegRead(regKey & "ProductName") & vbNewLine
Win10ProductID = "Product ID: " & WshShell.RegRead(regKey & "ProductID") & vbNewLine
Win10ProductKey = ConvertToKey(DigitalProductId)
ProductKeyLabel ="Windows 10 Key: " & Win10ProductKey
Win10ProductID = Win10ProductName & Win10ProductID & ProductKeyLabel
MsgBox(Win10ProductID)
Function ConvertToKey(regKey)
Const KeyOffset = 52
isWin10 = (regKey(66) \ 6) And 1
regKey(66) = (regKey(66) And &HF7) Or ((isWin10 And 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 (isWin10 = 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

As a result, the VBS script will be executed and information about the Windows 10 license key will appear on the screen.