How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key
If you need to transfer your Windows 11 product key or just need it for a clean OS install, here's how to find it easily.
How to find your Windows 11 product key
One of the easier ways to find your product key is to use the command prompt. Launch Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard and tap: cmd. CChoose the best result from the search list. You can also use the newer Windows PowerShell to find your Windows 11 product key.
Next, copy and paste the following path into Command Prompt and press Enter:
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKeyThis will bring up the original product key that came with your computer, like in the example below - I've redacted parts of it for obvious reasons.
Check email and receipt
Another method to find your Windows 11 product key is to search emails or receipts from Microsoft or Best Buy. If you purchase Windows 11 through either company, you can find your key in the "Orders" or "Purchases" section of the online store. If you bought your digital license from Amazon, you should see your key in your personal Amazon games and software library.
Check retail package with disc
If (or when) Microsoft starts selling physical copies of its new operating system on disc, you should be able to find the key in the product box. For example, the Windows 10 product key was printed on the back of a business card in the overall box.
Use a third-party utility
Another option you have is to use a third party utility like ShowKeyPlus to find your Windows 11 product key. Running the utility will display your product key and other license information, including:- product name
- Product ID
- The currently installed key is the generic product key used by Windows 10, depending on the edition installed.
- The original product key. This can be your retail or OEM pre-upgrade Windows 7 or Windows 8 product key. This is the product key you want when you encounter product activation issues on Windows 10.
- OEM Key OR Retail: ShowKeyPlus will check if there is an OEM tag; This is how well-known vendors activate multiple computers in the factory running Windows.
Once you have your product key, keep it in a safe place where it is easy to access. Microsoft grants a one-time transfer right.
Find stickers on the computer case
You can also look for your key on a sticker that some OEMs put on the computer case. You can usually find it on the bottom of your laptop or on the back of your desktop PC's case. Just make sure you back up your key (take a picture of it) and you should be ready if something goes wrong and you need to do a clean install of Windows 11.
It's also worth noting that this method will only allow you to activate Windows 11 on the PC it was installed on unless you transfer the license.
You can also just install the version that came with the PC. For example, if it came with Windows 11 Home, that version will be installed. If you have a PC that came with Windows 11 Pro, it will install Pro and not Home.
Use the Volume Licensing Service Center
If you're running Windows 11 in a business environment with a volume license for editions like Pro or Enterprise, licensing works a little differently. Administrators set up Key Management Service (KMS) servers to monitor and manage bulk licensing. KMS servers are designed to help manage connectivity with Microsoft for license activation. As an administrator, you can log in to the Volume License Service Center portal using your work credentials. From there, navigate to Licenses > Keys to find the product key.
Create a VBS file to find the product key
If you are an advanced user, you can create a VBS file by copying and pasting the following script into Notepad. Note that there is quite a lot to copy and paste. Just make sure you get all the code:Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionDigitalProductId"))
Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function
Once you've pasted the code into your Notepad file, click Save As > All Files and name it something like "FindProductKey.vbs" or something similar so you know what it's for.
It's important to use them .VBS format to make it work. Save it in a place that you can easily access, e.g. B. on your desktop.
After saving the file, double click on the VBS file - your product key will be displayed. You can use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + C when it appears to copy the key to your clipboard.
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