The Ultimate Guide to Easily Recovering Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys

Key Takeaways

To retrieve a misplaced product key for Windows or an Office program, it is recommended to utilize a third-party software such as Nirsoft's Produkey or ShowKeyPlus. Alternately, you might find a sticker affixed to your computer or disk box containing the product key.

If you're looking to reinstall Windows but unable to locate your product key, don't worry. Fortunately, the Windows Registry houses this valuable information, although uncovering it may require assistance. Thankfully, we are here to lend a helping hand.

Where Is Your Windows Product Key Stored in the Registry?

As depicted in the aforementioned screenshot, the product key is stored within the registry. However, it is encoded in a binary format that is indecipherable to humans, unless one possesses the characteristics of a Cylon. I trust that does not apply to you, does it?

It is unclear why Microsoft deliberately went to great efforts to obscure the visibility of product keys for their software. Surprisingly, these keys are easily accessible in the registry and can be read by software, if not by humans. Presumably, Microsoft intends to prevent key reuse from old computers.

The best part is that you can retrieve a key, even from a non-functional computer. All you require is the ability to access the disk drive from a properly functioning computer. Continue reading for further instructions.

Where Can You Find Your Windows Product Key?

The key you need will be in one of three places:

When Windows is installed on your PC, its product key is stored in the registry by either you or your PC manufacturer. This product key can be extracted and used when reinstalling Windows on your PC. However, it is important to retrieve this key from your operating system before beginning the reinstallation process, as it may be deleted if you format your hard drive.

For some PCs, they use a technology called "System Locked Pre-installation" (SLP), which means that the product key stored in the registry and displayed by key-viewer applications is different from the actual key required by the PC. The actual key can be found on a certificate of authenticity (COA) sticker attached to your PC or its power supply. The key stored in the registry and displayed by key-viewer applications is misleading in this case. This SLP system was commonly used for Windows 7 PCs.

Your PC's UEFI firmware contains an embedded feature. Nowadays, newer PCs equipped with Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11 utilize this novel approach. The product key associated with the specific Windows version on the PC is stored within the computer's UEFI firmware or BIOS. You don't even have to be aware of it - as long as you are installing the identical edition of Windows that the PC is bundled with, it will automatically activate and function without requiring you to input a key. The entire process will occur seamlessly.

To ensure a smooth installation, make sure to match the Windows version and edition that originally came with your computer. Essentially, if your computer came with Windows 11 Home Premium, you cannot install Windows 11 Professional.

Find Product Key Stored in the UEFI on Windows 10 or Windows 11

Here's the improved version:

On newer Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, the product key is securely stored within the computer's UEFI firmware or BIOS by the manufacturer. This ensures that the key cannot be easily erased like software-based storage or stolen from a sticker, eliminating the risk of unauthorized access to your computer's product key.

No need for any extra steps if you have this. Simply reinstall the original edition of Windows that came with your PC, and it should work seamlessly without requiring a key. (However, it is recommended to locate and write down the product key using one of the methods below, as a precaution, before reinstalling Windows.)

To easily find and record the UEFI-embedded key, follow these steps: Open the Start menu, type "powershell" into the search bar, and launch the corresponding Powershell application.

Then, enter the following command and press Enter:

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

You should be rewarded with your embedded license key. Write it down and store it in a safe place.

We obfuscated our product key with a green box. You'll see something like: A23BC-GHN23-NBK32-VNS98-JKLOL

Use NirSoft's ProduKey to Find Windows 10 or Windows 11 Product Key

Nirsoft's ProduKey is likely to trigger your antivirus due to its functionality and operation, even though it is not malicious. If you prefer an alternative for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that avoids antivirus interference, consider using ShowKeyPlus.

To easily obtain your product key, rely on NirSoft's exceptional third-party utility. Their utilities are consistently free of unwanted software and highly functional. However, it is worth noting that certain antivirus programs may falsely identify this specific utility due to its ability to detect potential product key theft by malware.

To proceed, simply download and extract the ProduKey tool, and promptly execute it to instantly access your complete list of product keys. It's as straightforward as that.

To retrieve a key from a non-functional computer, simply connect its hard drive to a functioning PC. Next, launch ProduKey and navigate to File > Select Source, pointing it towards the external Windows directory. From here, you can effortlessly extract the desired keys from the connected computer.

To transfer the Windows directory from the other computer onto a thumb drive, or to only retrieve the registry files, you can utilize a Linux live CD. In case you require assistance, our guide on salvaging data from an inoperative computer is available.

Use ShowKeyPlus to Retrieve Product Key on Windows 10 or Windows 11

While Nirsoft's program is effective, it may cause your antivirus or browser to issue a warning. If you prefer to avoid this inconvenience, consider using ShowKeyPlus as a reliable alternative. ShowKeyPlus can be conveniently downloaded from the Microsoft Store and is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Open the Microsoft Store and locate ShowKeyPlus. Proceed by clicking the "Install" button and patiently await its download and installation. Rest assured, this process shouldn't consume much time as ShowKeyPlus is a compact program.

Click "Open" after it has downloaded, and the product keys on your system will be displayed.

Please note that there may be both an installed key and an OEM key. OEM keys, also known as Original Equipment Manufacturer keys, are linked to the hardware of the device. If you are using a prebuilt desktop PC or a laptop, the OEM key and the installed key will be the same unless you have purchased a different Windows license separately.

If you have purchased and installed a separate Windows license for a prebuilt PC, laptop, or a computer that you assembled yourself, ensure that you use the installed key instead of the OEM key. Retail keys have fewer restrictions than OEM keys, so it is important to avoid using the incorrect one by mistake.

Use a Script to Recover Your Windows 10 or Windows 11 Product Key

If you don't want to use a third-party utility to find your product key, you can always use a visual basic script (VBS).

Copy and paste the following script into Notepad. Then, navigate to File > Save As, choose "All File" as the file type, name the script as "Product Key Script.vbs", and save it.

Option Explicit

Dim objshell, path, DigitalID, ResultSet

objshell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

'Set registry key path

Path = "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\"

'Registry key value

DigitalID = objshell.RegRead(Path & "DigitalProductId")

Dim ProductName, ProductID, ProductKey, ProductData

'Get ProductName, ProductID, ProductKey

ProductName = "Product Name: " & objshell.RegRead(Path & "ProductName")

ProductID = "Product ID: " & objshell.RegRead(Path & "ProductID")

ProductKey = "Installed Key: " & ConvertToKey(DigitalID)

ProductData = ProductName & vbNewLine & ProductID & vbNewLine & ProductKey

'Show message box if save to a file

If vbYes = MsgBox(ProductData & vblf & vblf & "Save to a file?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "BackUp Windows Key Information") then

Save ProductData

End If

'Convert binary to chars

Function ConvertToKey(Key)

Const KeyOffset = 52

Dim isWin8, Maps, i, j, Current, KeyOutput, Last, keypart1, insert

'Check if OS is Windows 8

isWin8 = (Key(66) \ 6) And 1

Key(66) = (Key(66) And &HF7) Or ((isWin8 And 2) * 4)

i = 24

Maps = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"

Do

Current = 0

j = 14

Do

Current = Current * 256

Current = Key(j + KeyOffset) + Current

Key(j + KeyOffset) = (Current \ 24)

Current = Current Mod 24

j = j - 1

Loop While j >= 0

i = i - 1

KeyOutput = Mid(Maps, Current + 1, 1) & KeyOutput

Last = Current

Loop While i >= 0

If (isWin8 = 1) Then

keypart1 = Mid(KeyOutput, 2, Last)

insert = "N"

KeyOutput = Replace(KeyOutput, keypart1, keypart1 & insert, 2, 1, 0)

If Last = 0 Then

KeyOutput = insert & KeyOutput

End If

End If

ConvertToKey = Mid(KeyOutput, 1, 5) & "-" & Mid(KeyOutput, 6, 5) & "-" & Mid(KeyOutput, 11, 5) & "-" & Mid(KeyOutput, 16, 5) & "-" & Mid(KeyOutput, 21, 5)

End Function

'Save data to a file

Function Save(Data)

Dim fso, fName, txt, objshell, UserName

Set objshell = CreateObject("wscript.shell")

'Get current user name

UserName = objshell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%UserName%")

'Create a text file on desktop

fName = "C:\Users\" & UserName & "\Desktop\WindowsKeyInfo.txt"

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Set txt = fso.CreateTextFile(fName)

txt.Writeline Data

txt.Close

End Function

When you double-click the VBS script, a small popup will be displayed showing your Windows product key. It also provides the option to save it as a text file for later reference.

Read the Product Key From the Certificate of Authenticity Sticker

If you own a PC from the Windows 7 era, it is highly likely that the manufacturer has assigned a single key for all their computers. However, due to the "System Locked Pre-installation" feature, you cannot use this key to install Windows. Attempting to do so will result in error messages indicating that the key is invalid.

To verify this, you should search for a certificate of authenticity sticker on your computer. This sticker serves as proof that your computer is equipped with a genuine copy of Windows, and it contains a product key. This product key is essential for reinstalling Windows. It is important to note that if the manufacturer employed System Locked Pre-installation, this product key will differ from the one that came with your PC's software.

Examine your computer to locate the key. On a laptop, it can generally be found on the underside of the laptop. In case your laptop has a removable battery, it might be positioned beneath it. If there is any accessible compartment, it is likely to be found within. There is even a possibility that it is affixed to the charger brick of the laptop. If it is a desktop computer, inspect the side of the computer case. If it is not found there, then thoroughly check the top, back, bottom, and any other potential locations.

If the sticker has faded and the key is no longer visible, there are limited options available. You could try contacting the manufacturer of your computer and explaining the situation, but there is no guarantee that they will provide assistance. Alternatively, Microsoft is always willing to sell you another product key if needed.

Understanding the product key system can be complex because Microsoft doesn't particularly encourage typical Windows users to reinstall Windows on their computers. Instead, they prefer users to utilize the recovery media provided by their computer manufacturers. However, this recovery media usually contains unnecessary software that clutters your PC, which is why many tech-savvy individuals often choose to reinstall Windows on their new PCs.