The Windows 10 product key is a license key, also called a product license or activation code. This is a 25-character alphanumeric code that must be entered to install the Windows operating system on the computer. It is the only way to activate, install and use the operating system..
The product key is divided into several blocks, in turn made up of a combination of different letters and numbers. All license keys are unique and can only be used with purchased software. When it is entered, its authenticity is checked using a special procedure. The first operating system that had a product key was Windows 95. At that time, it was indicated on the installation CD sleeve. The introduction of the license key was justified as a means to prevent illegal use of unlicensed software.
Today, you can activate the operating system with the 25-character code or with a digital license. For the first option, you will have to start by seeing the Windows 10 key, since, in general, today it is not usually so visible..
In Windows 10, the product key has lost importance, since, since 2016, Microsoft has offered digital licenses . These allow you to install the operating system without the need for a boot drive and activate it through your Microsoft account. When the new installation starts, the system automatically recognizes that a license exists.
You will receive a digital license if:
If you have purchased a digital license, you will first be able to check out the Windows 10 license and then you will get the product key..
You may need to know the Windows 10 Product Key in the following situations:
Uninstalling or reinstalling other versions of Windows requires the Windows 7 product key or the Windows 8 product key. In this case, you will need to follow different steps to find the product key.
To read the installation key of your Windows 10, you have several options. On the one hand, you can get it through your device's BIOS or bootloader, but also through the command prompt . You can also use an external program to help you locate the Windows 10 key.
The easiest way to see the Windows 10 product key is by using a program. Since Microsoft does not have its own solution for this purpose, there are other companies , such as zebNet, that have developed appropriate tools for it. Windows Keyfinder reads your key both from the registry and from the BIOS. To find out the password with the help of the zebNet program, proceed as follows:
The command line, also called a command prompt or cmd, also allows you to obtain information about the Windows key. However, with standard Windows applications, you can only see the last five digits of the Windows 10 serial number. To do this, follow these steps:
Open the command prompt by typing command prompt or cmd in Finder . Click on the appropriate search result. You can also type cmd in the "Run" dialog box.
Next, type the command slmgr / dli and confirm the text by pressing the? Enter? Key.
After a few seconds a dialog box will automatically appear with the last five characters of the product key:
If your Windows key is saved in the BIOS , the boot manager of your computer, you will be able to see it quickly and easily thanks to the PowerShell program.
The first step to do this is to open Windows PowerShell by typing in the PowerShell browser . In the results, click the program with that name and Windows access this useful configuration interface:
Then enter the following command and confirm it by pressing the? Enter? Key.
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
If your Windows key is stored in the BIOS, it will show it to you.