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For nigh users, particularly with Microsoft Windows ten, the terminal operating system you volition ever need, there has been no need for production keys because there has been no "new" version of Windows. When this article was first published in August 2021, Windows 11 was a pending release – now that it's available, we take tips on how to find your product primal in Windows 11. However, some users may still need to know their Windows x product key.

See: Checklist: Securing Windows 10 systems (TechRepublic Premium)

Your Windows 10 production key should be listed on a sticker located on your calculator hardware somewhere—typically in the most inaccessible spot possible. But before you go crawling behind your desk-bound looking for a 25-digit alphanumeric code printed in fine impress on the behind of your PC, there are less strenuous ways to rail down your Windows 10 product key.

This how-to tutorial shows y'all how to find your Windows 10 production key using the power of the operating system itself.

How to find your Windows ten production primal

Before nosotros brainstorm, note that the success of any of these methods is largely dependent on how your PC was activated. If you activated Windows 10 by upgrading from a valid Windows 7 or 8 installation or with the estimator'south recent purchase, you are likely to discover the product key with most of these methods. However, if your PC was activated equally part of an organization's licensing agreement, finding a product key may exist more than problematic.

SEE: 83 Excel tips every user should master (TechRepublic)

i. Command prompt

The about direct method for finding your Windows 10 product fundamental is from the command line. Type "cmd" into the Windows ten desktop search box and then right-click the command line event and select "run every bit administrator" from the context carte. Type this control at the prompt:

wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

As y'all can run into in Figure A, the control volition display your current Windows 10 production key.

Figure A

2. PowerShell

If you are using Windows 10 PowerShell, the process is similar. Right-click the Outset Menu button and so select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the context carte. Type this command at the prompt to reveal the product cardinal as shown in Figure B.

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

Figure B

iii. Registry File

As you might imagine, the product key is stored in the Windows 10 Registry File, then information technology is possible to find the code in that location if you know the right cardinal. Type "regedit" into the Windows 10 desktop search and select the appropriate item in the results. Navigate to this primal:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatform

As you lot tin run into in Figure C, the BackupProductKeyDefault primal will reveal a valid Windows ten product primal.

Effigy C

Annotation: In my case, the Windows x production fundamental displayed by both the command prompt and PowerShell methods are the same. In the registry case, however, the product keys is different. The all-time explanation I tin can suggest is that because I upgraded from Habitation to Pro on the example PC, the product key displayed is for the upgrade to Pro (or vice versa). If y'all have a amend solution, please let the states know in the give-and-take.

There are tertiary-political party vendors offering applications that can locate and display your Windows 10 production key as well, but they essentially do the same thing we did here without involving someone else's programming and potential security issues. Also, continue in heed that if you bought Windows ten from the Microsoft Store, your business relationship club history would accept product key data available.