Where can I get the activation key for windows?

ezrajoy

Where can I get the activation key for windows?  

I activated Microsoft office and it somehow affected windows and I reinstalled but now I need an activation key.

thelinenhouse

Hi @ezrajoy

Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. If you've lost or can't find the product key, contact the manufacturer.

Best Regard:

thelinenhouse

thelinenhouse

@ezrajoy

1. Command prompt

The most direct method for finding your Windows 10 product key is from the command line. Type “cmd” into the Windows 10 desktop search box and then right-click the command line result and select “run as administrator” from the context menu. Type this command at the prompt:

wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

As you can see in Figure A, the command will display your current Windows 10 product key.

Figure A

2. PowerShell

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

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

Figure B

3. Registry File

As you might imagine, the product key is stored in the Windows 10 Registry File, so it is possible to find the code there if you know the right key. Type “regedit” into the Windows 10 desktop search and select the appropriate item in the results. Navigate to this key:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatform

As you can see in Figure C, the BackupProductKeyDefault key will reveal a valid Windows 10 product key.

Figure C

Best Regard

The Linen House

Commodore_1995#

I download a program called productkey.

billsey

In any case the key is embedded in the BIOS for any systems since Windows 8, so you don't need to type anything in. Likely you changed your login when you registered Office.