Find the original remote windows keys. How to find out the activation key installed on a Windows computer
Most commercial software comes with special protection against unauthorized copying and installation. And although manufacturers use different methods to solve this problem, almost all of them prompt the user to enter a product key or serial number - at least this is the case with Microsoft Windows and Office.
The string, consisting of letters and numbers, is an individual identifier that proves the legality of your copy. This data is required to authorize the installation of the software, as well as to receive support, so it can be important to know where the key is and how to get it.
Below are some easy ways to help you find your serial number for Windows and Office.
Find product key
Try to remember how you purchased your Microsoft software, as this will determine where to look for your product key.
If you bought a copy of Microsoft Windows or Office on disk, then first of all you should examine its box. Retail Microsoft product keys are usually located on a bright sticker located inside the CD/DVD cover or on the back. The key consists of 25 characters, usually divided into 5 groups of 5 characters.
If your computer came with Microsoft Windows pre-installed, the product key is usually printed on a colored sticker placed directly on the PC case. For Microsoft Office, the serial number sticker should be on the installation disc that came with your computer. If you don't find it anywhere in the listed places, then you need to contact Microsoft to request a replacement for your lost key.
You can usually find your Microsoft Windows serial number on a sticker attached to your PC.
Windows 10
With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a new way to authenticate the operating system called digital authorization, but it doesn't work on all Windows 10 PCs.
In fact, you definitely have a digital resolution if you upgraded the OS on your PC from Windows 7 or 8.1 for free. You also get a digital pass if you paid to upgrade to Windows 10 from the Windows Store or installed a fresh copy of the OS and then paid for it in the same Windows Store.
However, if you received Windows 10 either bundled with a new PC, or purchased a Windows 10 installation DVD from a store, or bought a digital copy of Windows 10, but not from the Windows Store, but from another online store, then you will have a traditional product key , not digital resolution.
What is digital resolution
If your PC has a digital resolution, Microsoft records your right to run Windows 10 on its servers. The upside is that you simply don't have a product key to lose. And if you need to reinstall the system, for example from a USB drive, you don't even have to activate your PC. Instead, after reinstalling Windows, activation will take place in the background for a few hours (or, in extreme cases, a few days).
But keep in mind that your digital resolution is based on your system configuration. If you change too many components at once and then try to reinstall Windows 10, you may encounter a problem.
From the point of view of the new control system, it would be better, for example, to first replace the HDD or SSD, then reinstall Windows 10, and update other components after activation. Otherwise, you may have to call Microsoft's hotline for automatic activation. This doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.
However, major updates, such as replacing the motherboard, will definitely require a call to Microsoft.
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Retrieving a key from Microsoft Windows or Office
If you cannot find your product key, but the program is already installed, you can use special programs, in particular Magical Jelly Bean Key Finder. This utility will quickly find the key for Windows (as well as keys for many other installed programs) and display it on the screen.
1. Download Magical Jelly Bean and follow the instructions to install the software on your computer.
2. Launch the program. You can find it in the Start menu - start typing keyfinder and click.
3. The program will scan your installed software and find product keys for supported programs, including various versions of Windows and Office.
4. When the scan is complete, you will see a window with a panel on the left side that will list any installed versions of Windows and Office.
5. Click on your version of Microsoft Windows and you will receive the key as well as other installation information. The serial number itself will be located in the ‘CD Key’ section on the right side of the window. Write this information down in case you may need it in the future. Make sure that you have rewritten all the symbols correctly, otherwise the key simply will not work. And don’t pay attention to the ‘Product ID’ section - we don’t need it.
6. Click on your version of Microsoft Office to get your product key and other installation information. In the case of Office, everything happens exactly the same - your key will be located in the ‘CD Key’ section on the right side of the window. Make sure that you have rewritten all the symbols correctly, otherwise the key simply will not work. You can also use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to extract the keys of any software that is installed on your PC.
Instructions
To enter the product key, go to the appropriate section of the operating system. To do this, open the “Start” menu and right-click on the “Computer” item. In the list that appears, select the “Properties” attribute.
In a new window you will see information about your computer and the version of the operating system you are using. To go to the product activation section, at the bottom of the “Windows Activation” menu, click on the “Activate Windows Now” link.
In the window that appears, you will be asked to choose one of the methods of activating the system - directly via the Internet or by phone. The first point is considered the most convenient activation option. The second option should only be selected if you do not have a working network connection.
After selecting “Activate Windows online,” enter the product key that is printed on the box with the license disc. If the combination is entered correctly, you will see a message about the successful activation procedure.
To receive a code by phone, select “Show other activation methods.” After that, enter your product key indicated on the Windows 7 disc box. After that, click on the “Use an automatic telephone system” link. In the next window, select your country of residence and call the number indicated on the screen.
To activate, follow the instructions from the answering machine. The automatic program will ask you to enter the product code, which will be indicated on the screen. You must enter using your phone's keyboard. If the operation is completed correctly, you will be notified of an activation code, which you will need to write down or immediately enter in the activation program window. If you can't enter the code correctly, stay on the line to speak with a Microsoft support specialist.
Helpful advice
OS activation is necessary to prevent the use of unlicensed software and serves as a means of combating pirated copies of Windows.
Before using the installed OS, you must activate it. This procedure guarantees the use of a licensed copy of the product on a specific computer, and is also intended to reduce the level of illegal copying and installation of pirated versions of the OS. To activate the installed operating system, you can use one of three available methods.
Instructions
Activation via the Internet.
1. Open the “Windows Activation” window by left-clicking on the corresponding tray icon or using the “Start” menu.
2. Click the “Yes, activate Windows online” button.
3. Click Windows Activation Privacy Statement, then the Back and Next buttons.
4. In the window that opens, you must perform one of the following actions:
To activate and register a copy of Windows at the same time, click Yes, Register and Activate Windows and the Windows Registration Privacy Agreement, then click the Back and Next buttons. Fill out the registration form and click “Next”;
To simply activate Windows (without registering it), click "No, don't register, just activate Windows," then click the "Next" button.
5. Once activation is complete, click OK.
Often when reinstalling Windows a problem arises: finding/finding/restoring its original Product Key(aka serial number, product key, activation key, license) is no longer possible. Either the sticker with this key is lost, or it is so worn out that you can no longer make out anything. I really don’t want to install a pirated version, use all sorts of cracks, keygens and TV series when the license has been paid for. The fact that native Windows no longer loads adds a little more bitterness. In this article we will tell you how to get out of this situation without losses.
The registration key is stored in the OS registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ binary parameter DigitalProductID in encrypted form:
The serial number is stored in the registry in encrypted form
1. Getting access to information
If your computer still starts, go straight to step 2. If not, then you need to either boot from the so-called LiveCD (an operating system that boots from removable media: CD, flash drive), or connect the hard drive to a working computer.
2. Connect to the registry and decrypt the Windows activation key
Despite the fact that the title sounds very intimidating, there is nothing complicated about it. There are many programs that will do this difficult work for us. Among all this variety, we chose the program for ourselves ProduKey from NirSoft.
It has such advantages as: it does not need to be installed, it works from any media, there is a 64-bit version and, most importantly, it can easily read serial numbers from a “fallen” Windows without the need to download it yourself.
2.1. Launch the program
2.2. Selecting the target Windows folder
To do this you need to either go to the menu File -> Select Source, or press the key on the keyboard F9 and select the Windows folder from which we want to extract our license number:
Now, knowing exactly the version of the operating system and its Product Key, you can, with a calm heart, a clear conscience before Bill Gates and an untouched wallet, begin to reinstall Windows and, for example, automate cafes and restaurants:
P.S.
To prevent such cases, do not forget to provide important information in advance!
Manufacturers of modern laptops and computers are actively abandoning disk drives, since any program or game can be downloaded from the Internet, and the presence of a drive only makes the PC more expensive for the end buyer. At the same time, users who are accustomed to receiving a disk with Windows and a license key included with their computer find it difficult to reinstall the operating system. While Windows itself can be installed from a flash drive, you will still need a license key for it. In this case, users have a question: how to find out the Windows product key that was preinstalled on a laptop (desktop computer), or was installed later from a disk that is not currently available? This can be done using both Windows and third-party programs.
When asking yourself the question of determining the license key of the operating system running on your computer, you should understand such concepts as Installed Key and OEM Key. Essentially, they are both Windows license keys, but there are some differences between them. The way they are determined also differs.
Installed Key is the installation key of the operating system running on the computer. It can be detected on those laptops and desktop computers on which Windows was installed by users themselves from a disk or as a digital copy purchased via the Internet and activated.
The OEM Key is the license key for the version of Windows that was originally installed on the computer. The OEM key information is hardwired into the motherboard of your laptop or desktop computer and cannot be changed.
Thus, if the computer was installed with the Windows 8 operating system at the time of purchase, which was later updated to Windows 10, the information about the OEM and Installed keys will be different. At the same time, if you want to install Windows 8 on a new computer, you will need to enter the OEM key - only it will work with this version of the operating system. Installed Key is suitable if you want to install Windows 10.
Attention: You can use an existing OEM or Installed key only for the version of the operating system that is installed on the computer. You cannot enter a key from the Basic version of Windows 10 for the Professional build.
How to find out the Windows 10 key using the operating system?
On any computer, with administrator rights, you can find out the Windows 10 license key without third-party programs and applications. However, the procedures are different in the case of determining OEM and Installed keys.
Finding out the license key of the operating system that is “hardwired” into the computer’s motherboard is very simple if you know the command that is specifically provided for this in Windows 10. To determine the OEM key, do the following:
The OEM-issued key can be used to reinstall the version of the operating system that was originally installed on the computer.
Using one command, it is not possible to determine the Installed Key, and it is hidden a little deeper in the Windows operating system. But if you wish, you can get information about the Windows license key without installing third-party applications on your computer. To do this you need to do the following:
- Launch an empty standard Windows notepad, which can be found at the following path: “Start” - “All applications” - “Windows Accessories” - “Notepad”.
- Copy the following code into an open text editor program:
Please note that the Installed Key is displayed in the “Product Key” item. Also, following the steps described above allows you to find out some details about the operating system used on the computer.
How to find out Windows keys using third-party programs?
From the instructions above you can see that finding out the OEM Key Windows is very simple, but “getting” to the Installed Key is much more difficult, and the procedure for detecting it using Windows tools takes a lot of time. If you don’t want to do this, you can install a third-party application that will independently detect information about the OEM Key and Installed Key on the computer, and then give it to the PC administrator.
ShowKeyPlus is considered one of the simplest and most convenient programs for determining the Windows key. It can be downloaded from the official website of the developers absolutely free of charge. At the same time, the program not only shows information about the license keys of the version of Windows used, but also allows users to save the received information in a txt document. 
Have you ever lost your keys? A strange question, of course, but meanwhile, if you somehow “lost” the Windows activation key, then you also lost the license, and therefore the money you paid for it. In addition, it is not possible to prove the legality of using Windows without an activation key.
However, there is good news. You can find out the key yourself. Even if it is lost, it can be restored. Now we'll tell you how to do this. So, in order.
What is a Windows activation key?
A Windows activation key, or otherwise a license key, is one of the tools that is used to license the Microsoft product you purchased. This is a license. The key is a 25-character code. This is a combination of Latin characters in different registers with numbers. The code is written as a sequence of five five-character “words” separated by a dash. It looks like this:
DNAW6-WCRBM-TFBYC-TLVD8-2GV66t
The license key is confirmation of the legality of your use of the product. No other methods or means can be used for this purpose. For example, a sales receipt from the store where you bought the computer, or a cash receipt or other payment document.
What is a license key for?
You will need a Windows key for:
- system reinstallation
- installing a new version, for example 10th
- updating Windows to the next version
- confirmation of the legality of the purchased product
- receiving regular operating system updates
What types of keys are there?
Windows license keys come in several types and have different designations: Installed Key, Product Key and OEM Key.
Product Key and OEM Key are essentially the same thing, just different names were used on different stickers, the design of which was constantly “improved”.
An OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or Product Key is a key for the operating system preinstalled on your computer or laptop by the manufacturer. Every computer or laptop with the Windows operating system installed has Microsoft branded stickers. The computer manufacturer independently purchased and installed the operating system on your computer. The advantage is that you do not have to pay additionally for a Windows license, the disadvantage is that the key is “tied” to this device. It is not possible to transfer the system to another computer. The key is written in the BIOS. But it is almost impossible to lose it.
Installed Key is a “free” activation key. You receive it when you purchase a “boxed” version of Windows for self-installation on your computer. It is also printed on a sticker that is placed on the shipping box.
How can I find out the license key of my system?
The easiest way is to read it from the sticker. But there are a few “buts”. Stickers sometimes tend to get lost or simply wear off to such an extent that it is impossible to read the key on them. In addition, Microsoft periodically changed the design of the stickers. The changes ranged from minor to radical. For example, here is the sticker with which Asus was purchased with Windows 8.1 pre-installed on it
Windows 8 activation key
The sticker on the laptop case does not contain a license key. It's built into the BIOS. This method is used to activate Windows 8/8.1
Therefore, the surest way remains is to extract information about the activation key from Windows itself.
Microsoft offers its own option on how to Find out the Windows activation key.
However, this method does not always work, oddly enough. It happens when this script still “does not see” the activation key of the operating system, but produces the following line: ВВВВВ-ВВВВВ-ВВВВВ-ВВВВВ-ВВВВВ. Also, this script only shows the Installed Key (ending 6F4BT) and does not give information about the OEM Key.
Therefore, you can use various programs. For example, ProduKey. The result of the key definition looks like this:
The picture shows that there are two keys: Installed Key (end 6F4BT) and OEM Key (end 2GV33). Installed Key appeared in this case, after a “clean” installation of Windows 10 on a laptop on which the manufacturer had installed Windows 8.1 with an OEM Key (end 2GV33).
How can I lose my activation key?
Very simple. One user, convinced of the advantages of Windows 10 compared to his 7, finally decided to switch to 10. Moreover, Microsoft again announced the closure of the free transition option from January 1, 2018.
There are two ways to go - update and clean installation. The difference is that when updating, the data on your computer's drives remains safe, and most installed programs will remain installed. In fact, there are always risks, so many people prefer to do a clean installation, having first saved the data in cloud storage or on an external drive. During the clean installation process, the user formatted the disk on the computer and... almost lost the last opportunity to upgrade to 10 legally. During formatting, along with the deleted 7, the key was also lost (if it was 8, the key would simply be taken from the BIOS). When he tried to read the key from the sticker, he saw that it had simply been erased to the point of being unreadable.
Why “almost lost” because, fortunately, there was a backup copy of Windows, from which, using ShowKeyPlus, the key was extracted.
What are the ways to recover the key?
With 8 everything is simpler; this is exactly the case when you don’t need to restore anything, because it’s almost impossible to lose. The OEM key is stored in the BIOS. You can view it in the BIOS using the program
