If the Windows activation key is not on the bottom of the laptop, if the licensed installation DVD is lost, where the key is indicated on the box, and also in any other cases of loss of the latter, you need to find out and save it. Moreover, there is no point in putting this matter off for a long time. Before the planned reinstallation of Windows, of course, the activation key can be found as part of the general preparatory process. But, alas, reinstalling an operating system is a process that cannot always be carefully planned in advance. The need to reinstall the OS may arise at any time - after unsuccessful experiments with system settings and third-party software, after a virus has penetrated, in case of a conflict between replaced hardware components, etc. Plus, Windows activation may simply fail. This is not only a natural consequence of replacing the motherboard to which the Windows product key is associated. Activation may fail, for example, after installing an unsuccessful system update.
The activation key for installed Windows can be seen in various programs for diagnosing system and hardware resources of the computer. For example, in the popular AIDA64 program, the Windows product key is indicated in the “Operating System” section, in a subsection with the same name.
In another similar program, PC-Wizard can be viewed in the “Configuration” section, in the “Operating System” subsection. When you click on the serial number at the top of the program window, below we get a display of the activation key of the installed Windows.
But if these programs are not installed on your computer, there is no point in bothering with their installation just to obtain a Windows activation key. It is much easier to use the small ProduKey program for these purposes. It does not require installation. ProduKey can be downloaded for free from its official website.
What ProduKey does is display the activation key data of installed Microsoft products. It doesn't have any other functions.
After unpacking the archive and running the EXE file in the program window, we will see, in particular, the activation key of the installed Windows. Click on the line with this key, call up the context menu and select “Copy Product Key”.
The Windows activation key copied to the clipboard must then be saved, for example in a TXT file or in web notes.
Windows 10 allows you to defer key entry and activation during the operating system installation process. Whereas earlier versions of the system will not want to be installed without entering the product key. Therefore, just in case of an emergency, it is better to write down the activation key for this system somewhere in a paper notebook.
Have a great day!
It is not at all necessary to know the license code that was used to activate the operating system in Windows 10. OS activation, in most cases, is automatic. Despite this, for some reason many users want to find out how to find out the Windows 10 product key. This is an urgent task for users who were lucky enough to purchase a new device based on the “Ten”.
This article is a guide that provides information collected across the global network that will help you find out the license key used to activate Windows 10.
The instructions discuss all options for achieving the goal: both through tools integrated into the operating system (extended command line - PowerShell, a ready-made VBScrit script created to decrypt registry files in order to extract from there the key with which Windows 10 was activated), and using utilities from third-party developers (the ProduKey utility, developed by the creator of several dozen tiny information applications). It would be appropriate to mention such things as:
- the reason why seemingly similar applications display different data;
- a method for visualizing an OEM key in UEFI (applicable only for Windows 10 that was initially installed).
Users who acquired Windows 10 by upgrading from a licensed “seven” or “eight” do not need to know the licensed operating system - it activates independently upon first startup, if there is Internet access, or immediately after a connection to the global information network appears. In the case of a clean installation of the OS from bootable media, at the stage of entering the license code, you should click “I don’t have a product key,” which Microsoft writes in the text block.
Activation is automatically and irrevocably linked to the user's computer based on a unique identifier based on the hardware configuration of the equipment and linked to a Microsoft account. The password entry form is required to be filled out only for people who decide to purchase the Retail edition of the operating system. Owners of licensed versions of “seven” and “eight” should refer to the key that was used to activate these editions of Windows.
Let's start with an option to solve the problem without resorting to downloading third-party software. It involves using a tool integrated into the Windows 10 environment called PowerShell. There is no special command for extracting the activation code from registry files in encrypted form, but one of the enthusiasts wrote a script that runs in the Vbasic environment to solve this problem.
1. Download the finished script.
2. Using the search bar, call PowerShell with administrator privileges.
In the extended command line text field, execute “Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned”.
We confirm the launch of the command by clicking on the “Y” and “Enter” buttons.
We import the downloaded file by executing the line “Import-Module prodect_key.ps1”.
prodect_key.ps1 - here before the file name we write the full path to it.
We call the “Get-WindowsKey” command to export the key with its subsequent visualization if it is not prompted to save the key in a text file.
The required information will appear in the last line of the command line.
Viewing keys in the ShowKeyPlus application window
The utility is notable for the fact that it displays the key of the operating system currently used on the PC, separately shows the UEFI key and can retrieve information about the license of any previous version of Windows, even if its files are located in the Windows.old folder. The program functions without installation into the system; it is downloaded from the resource at: github.com/Superfly-Inc/ShowKeyPlus/releases.
Using ShowKeyPlus is a pleasure: we launch the executable file and get all the necessary information.
- Installed Key - license key for running Windows 10.
- OEM Key - shows the pre-installed Windows key, if there was one, or a message that the OEM key is not provided.
This information can be exported to one of the supported text formats for archiving purposes. This is done using the Save button.
Here lies the secret of the fact that different programs display different information about the Windows 10 key: some read it from the registry (the key of the currently functioning operating system, while others export it from UEFI.
ProduKey app
Producey is a similar program to the previous one, the only task of which is to export and display the Product Key of the current Windows. You can download it from www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html. The utility works without installation; you can run it directly from the archive. After launch, the window displays the product ID, its key and name. The program is applicable not only to operating systems from Microsoft, but also to office suites and other software products of the same corporation.
Extracting OEM code from UEFI
Regardless of which OS currently controls your computer, if Windows 10 was installed on it when you purchased the device, the OEM key for it was embedded in the UEFI of the laptop or motherboard. To extract it, you need to call the command line and execute the line: “wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey”.
If such a code is not present in UEFI, an empty line will appear on the screen, and if it is present, the OEM character sequence may differ from the activation key used in the current Windows 10. The OEM key can also be used to return the originally installed version of the operating system.
To solve the problem, there are several more common ones (for example, Speccy) and an equally large number of specialized programs, but the methods discussed are sufficient for any user.
Immediately after the release of the new OS, everyone began to wonder how to find out the key of the installed Windows 10, although in most cases it is not required. Nevertheless, the task is already relevant, and with the release of computers and laptops with pre-installed Windows 10, I think it will be even more in demand.
This guide describes easy ways to find your Windows 10 product key using the Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, and third-party programs. At the same time, I’ll mention why different programs show different data, how to separately view the OEM key in UEFI (for the OS that was originally on the computer) and the key of the currently installed system.
Where it is possible to do without third-party programs, I prefer to do without them. Viewing your Windows 10 product key is one such task. If you find it easier to use a free program for this, scroll through the guide below. (By the way, some programs for viewing keys send them to interested parties)
There is no simple PowerShell or command line command to find out the key of the currently installed system (there is such a command that shows the key from UEFI, I will show it below. But usually the key of the current system, different from the pre-installed one, is required). But you can use a ready-made PowerShell script that displays the necessary information (script author Jakob Bindslet).
Here's what you need to do. First of all, launch Notepad and copy the code below into it.
#Main function Function GetWin10Key ( $Hklm = 2147483650 $Target = $env:COMPUTERNAME $regPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" $DigitalID = "DigitalProductId" $wmi = "\\$Target\root\default:stdRegProv " #Get registry value $Object = $wmi.GetBinaryValue($hklm,$regPath,$DigitalID) $DigitalIDvalue = $Object.uValue #If get successed If($DigitalIDvalue) ( #Get product name and product ID $ProductName = ( Get-itemproperty -Path "HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" -Name "ProductName").ProductName $ProductID = (Get-itemproperty -Path "HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" -Name "ProductId ").ProductId #Convert binary value to serial number $Result = ConvertTokey $DigitalIDvalue $OSInfo = (Get-WmiObject "Win32_OperatingSystem" | select Caption).Caption If($OSInfo -match "Windows 10") ( if($Result) ( $value ="ProductName: $ProductName `r`n" ` + "ProductID: $ProductID `r`n" ` + "Installed Key: $Result" $value #Save Windows info to a file $Choice = GetChoice If($Choice -eq 0) { $txtpath = "C:\Users\"+$env:USERNAME+"\Desktop" New-Item -Path $txtpath -Name "WindowsKeyInfo.txt" -Value $value -ItemType File -Force | Out-Null } Elseif($Choice -eq 1) { Exit } } Else { Write-Warning "Запускайте скрипт в Windows 10" } } Else { Write-Warning "Запускайте скрипт в Windows 10" } } Else { Write-Warning "Возникла ошибка, не удалось получить ключ" } } #Get user choice Function GetChoice { $yes = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Yes","" $no = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&No","" $choices = ($yes,$no) $caption = "Подтверждение" $message = "Сохранить ключ в текстовый файл?" $result = $Host.UI.PromptForChoice($caption,$message,$choices,0) $result } #Convert binary to serial number Function ConvertToKey($Key) { $Keyoffset = 52 $isWin10 = ($Key/6) -band 1 $HF7 = 0xF7 $Key = ($Key -band $HF7) -bOr (($isWin10 -band 2) * 4) $i = 24 $Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789" do { $Cur = 0 $X = 14 Do { $Cur = $Cur * 256 $Cur = $Key[$X + $Keyoffset] + $Cur $Key[$X + $Keyoffset] = ::Floor(($Cur/24)) $Cur = $Cur % 24 $X = $X - 1 }while($X -ge 0) $i = $i- 1 $KeyOutput = $Chars.SubString($Cur,1) + $KeyOutput $last = $Cur }while($i -ge 0) $Keypart1 = $KeyOutput.SubString(1,$last) $Keypart2 = $KeyOutput.Substring(1,$KeyOutput.length-1) if($last -eq 0) { $KeyOutput = "N" + $Keypart2 } else { $KeyOutput = $Keypart2.Insert($Keypart2.IndexOf($Keypart1)+$Keypart1.length,"N") } $a = $KeyOutput.Substring(0,5) $b = $KeyOutput.substring(5,5) $c = $KeyOutput.substring(10,5) $d = $KeyOutput.substring(15,5) $e = $KeyOutput.substring(20,5) $keyproduct = $a + "-" + $b + "-"+ $c + "-"+ $d + "-"+ $e $keyproduct } GetWin10Key !}
Save the file with the extension .ps1. To do this in Notepad, when saving, specify “All files” instead of “Text documents” in the “File type” field. You can save it, for example, under the name win10key.ps1
After this, run Windows PowerShell as Administrator. To do this, you can start typing PowerShell in the search field, then right-click on it and select the appropriate item.
In PowerShell, enter the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned and confirm its execution (enter Y and press Enter when prompted).
Next step, enter the command: C:\win10key.ps1(this command specifies the path to the saved file with the script).
As a result of executing the command, you will see information about the key of installed Windows 10 (in the Installed Key item) and a proposal to save it to a text file. Once you know your product key, you can reset the PowerShell script execution policy to the default value using the command Set-ExecutionPolicy restricted
How to find out the OEM key from UEFI
If your computer or laptop came pre-installed with Windows 10 and you need to view the OEM key (which is stored in the UEFI of the motherboard), you can use a simple command that you need to run in the Command Prompt as an administrator.
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
As a result, you will receive a pre-installed system key if it is available on the system (it may differ from the key that is used by the current OS, but it can be used to return the original version of Windows).
Another version of the same command, but for Windows PowerShell
(Get-WmiObject -query "select * from SoftwareLicensingService").OA3xOriginalProductKey
How to view the key of installed Windows 10 using a VBS script
And one more script, no longer for PowerShell, but in VBS (Visual Basic Script) format, which displays the product key of Windows 10 installed on a computer or laptop and is perhaps more convenient to use.
Copy the lines below into Notepad.
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 = "ID product:" & wshshchell.regread (regkey & "Productid") & vbnewline win10productky = converter DUCTID) ProductkeyLabel = "Windows 10:" & 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
It should look like the screenshot below.
After this, save the document with the .vbs extension (to do this, in the save dialog, in the “File type” field, select “All files”.
Go to the folder where the file was saved and run it - after execution you will see a window in which the product key and version of Windows 10 installed will be displayed.
As I already noted, there are many programs for viewing the key - both in Producey and Speccy, as well as other utilities for viewing computer characteristics, you can find out this information. But I am sure that the methods described here will be sufficient in almost any situation.
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.
Often, before installing software on a computer or laptop, you should first download its demo version. This will allow you to find out the performance of the program and select its optimal configuration. Then you can activate the full version, gaining access to it in the form of a serial key number. The key can be issued for a certain period, after which the program will again require activation. This requires you to obtain a new product key.
Instructions
There are several ways to obtain a new software product key. The first way is to buy a product via the Internet. If the program is free and does not require financial investments to extend its use, then to register via the Internet you only need to have an email address and the ability to access the website of the computer software manufacturer. As a rule, after registering on such a site, you receive an email with an activation code or an offer to follow a link within a certain period of time to extend the period of use of the program. If the use of the program involves periodic payment for an extension of the validity period, then activating it through the network requires the presence of a bank card or personal account from which money will be debited to pay for it. When entering contact information, you will be required to provide an invoice number and confirm payment.
The second method involves paying for the product via SMS message. Information about this possibility is usually indicated on the website of the program manufacturer. This is very convenient if you are unable to make a payment. An SMS message to a specific number will activate the use of the program, or after the payment amount is withdrawn from your mobile phone account, you will receive a unique digital code to renew your use.
The third way to get it is by purchasing a license disc or a special scratch card containing an activation code. The PC disk will require installation and will automatically extend the period of use of the software. The scratch card contains a unique digital code that will need to be entered directly in the designated window of the already installed program. Both the disk and the scratch card can be purchased in specialized online stores and computer stores in your city.
WebMoney is used to create a virtual wallet on the Internet for paying for services and purchases in online stores, as well as for sending money over the network. With this application you can easily manage your web savings, issue, pay bills and exchange currency.
You will need
- - Internet.
Instructions
To get your own registration code, go to start.webmoney.ru. Find the “Registration” item - it is located in the top menu of the page. Click on the inscription to begin the registration procedure. Enter your mobile phone number, which you use constantly, since if you lose access to your wallet, one of the recovery methods is through your mobile phone. Please enter your phone number carefully, as you will receive a message asking for activation.
Click on the “Continue” button and fill out all the fields, entering your real data. To confirm your identity, you will need to provide a copy of your passport, and without this, the registration procedure will be incomplete. You don’t have to post copies of your documents right away, but only after you make a personal certificate.
Check your entries on the next page. If everything is correct, click Continue. Open your mailbox and check your mail - a letter with a registration code should be sent to the mailbox specified in step 1. If you do not activate your WebMoney account using the link in the email within 10 days, your registration will be cancelled.
Install the WM Keeper Classic program on your operating system and connect your registration data to the program to activate your wallet. After confirmation of your identity by the site administration, you can use the wallet.
If you still have not received an email with a registration code, check the Spam folder of your mailbox - sometimes due to incorrect anti-spam settings, the email ends up there. Go through the registration procedure again if the letter is not there. It is also worth noting that for more reliable use of the wallet you need to enable licensed anti-virus software.
Video on the topic
Using the Internet you can pay for purchases, services and much more. An electronic wallet helps with this. And to create it, you can use WebMoney. After registering in this system, you will be assigned a registration code to work with the virtual wallet.
Instructions
Go to the website start.webmoney.ru to get your own registration code. Find the item called “Registration”, which is located in the top menu. To begin the registration procedure, click on the inscription. Indicate your mobile number that you use regularly. This is necessary so that if you lose access to your wallet, you can perform the recovery procedure in this way. Also to confirm the various operations being performed. Enter the number very carefully, as an SMS message with an activation code will be sent to it.
Click on the “continue” button, fill in all fields (enter only your valid data). You will have to provide a copy of your passport and TIN to confirm your . If you do not do this, the registration procedure will not be completed. You may not immediately post copies of documents; first make a personal certificate.
On the next page, check the entered data. Click "Continue" if everything is correct. Check your email - you should receive a letter with a registration code to the email address you specified in the first step. If you do not activate your account within ten days, your registration will be cancelled.
Download WM Keeper Classic and install this program. To activate your wallet, connect your registration data to it. You will be able to use the wallet after your identity is confirmed by the site administration.
If you have not received an email with a registration code, check the Spam folder in your email inbox. Due to incorrect settings of the antispam filter, the letter may end up there. Go through the registration procedure again if the letter is not there.
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.
