Have you lost or misplaced your Windows 10 product key? Bought a new PC with Windows 10 preinstalled but with product key sticker missing? Don't worry! Depending on how you got a genuine copy of Windows 10, here are different ways to find Windows 10 product key.
Are a licence key and a product key the same for Windows? Mahjonng Oct 14. Will Windows 10 recognize the OEM licence key? Solved difference between windows 10 dvd and licence key. Serial number of the computer is for the hardware. Product key for the software is the number you type in to activate the software. It should be on a label on the back of desktops and the bottom of laptops.
Method 1: Check COA Sticker or Email
If you bought a physical copy of Windows 10, the product key should either be on a card inside the box, or a sticker on the DVD sleeve. It should look a lot like the image you see here.
If you purchased a digital copy of Windows 10 directly from Microsoft or Amazon with no disc or packaging, your product key will be within the confirmation email that came when you placed the order. Try searching your email for your order history, and you might find the key.
If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free from Windows 8 / 7, you should have a digital license instead of a product key. Just open the Settings app and head to Update & Security ->Activation, you should see 'Windows is activated with a digital license' or 'Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.'
You can link a Microsoft account with the digital license by clicking 'Add a Microsoft Account' on the bottom of the same Activation page. So after re-installing Windows 10, sign-in with the same Microsoft account. Windows will get activated automatically without a code.
Method 2: Find Windows 10 Product Key with CMD or PowerShell
If you purchased a new computer with Windows 10 preinstalled, you will no longer see a sticker on the back or top of the machine. Instead, the product key has been embedded into your PC's UEFI firmware. To retrieve the product key, open the Command Prompt and run this command:
Or open Windows PowerShell and type this following:
Method 3: Recover Windows 10 Product Key with KeyFinder Plus
Still couldn't locate your Windows 10 product key using the above methods? Try the KeyFinder Plus program which can recover both UEFI-embedded OEM key as well as the retail product key from your activated copy of Windows 10 system.
After launching KeyFinder Plus, click on the Start Recovery button and it will give you options to recover product keys from local machine, external hard drive or network PC. Just select the first option and the program will quickly delve into the registry / UEFI firmware, and come up with the product keys for Windows, Office and other software that you have installed.
Conclusion
Losing Windows 10 product key does not mean you have to purchase the license again, as most of the time you can recover it using the above methods. If you know other ways of quickly finding lost Windows 10 product key, do not hesitate to share them with us.
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Windows Forums member, grr, asked the following question in our suggestion box:
Windows Product Key Serial Number
There are 10 or more different types of keys for Microsoft products. example, VLM, KLM, abc, xyz, oem, etc. I have to admit that still till date I’m not having a proper and reasonable understanding of all these different keys. It would be great if a post could be made on the blog explaining the difference for these keys.
In this post, we’ll explain the difference between product keys for Microsoft products.
Microsoft Product Key Types
CUS – This custom key requires special actions to activate or install.
MAK – This volume license key (MAK) allows multiple activations.
RTL – This retail key allows multiple activations.
STA – This setup key bypasses activation.
VL1 – This is a VA 1.0 key.
OEM – This is an Original Equipment Manufacturer key that allows multiple activations.
AAA – This retail key is for AA* programs and allows one activation. These keys are issued in batches.
AAL – This lab use key is for AA programs and allows multiple activations.
AAM – This is a multiple activation key for AA program customers.
AV1 – This volume license key (VA 1.0) is for AA programs and allows multiple installations.
AV2 – This volume license key (KMS) is for Academic Alliance programs.
*AA = Academic Alliance
Windows 7 Product Keys
There are 4 types of retail consumer keys for Windows 7:
Free Serials And Product Keys
Retail key: This key comes with a retail box or download copy of Windows 7, and can be used for a clean install or upgrade.
Retail Upgrade key: This key comes with a reduced-price upgrade only version of Windows 7 & can be used for upgrade only.
OEM COA Non-SLP key: This is the regular OEM key without the special BIOS check. This type of key is provided with copies of Windows marked for purchase with a new PC only.
OEM SLP key: This key is used for OEM computers that use BIOS-locked activation, used by large PC manufacturers.
I hope this clears up some questions about the different types of keys available for Microsoft products.
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About Rich
Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.