How to find your Windows 10 product key or digital license
- Your Windows 10 product key serves as proof that you actually own Windows 10.
- You can find your Windows 10 product key through the Command Prompt, or by checking the packaging.
- You might need to provide your product key when upgrading Windows or troubleshooting.
Windows 10 is installed thousands of times a day on computers both new and old. But without a receipt, how do you prove that you actually own Windows?
That's where your product key comes in. Your Windows 10 product key is a special receipt that shows you have an "activated" copy of Windows. Every Windows computer has its own unique 25-character product key, and it's formatted like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.
Your product key is important for a few reasons. If you ever need to reinstall Windows, you might need to enter it. Same goes for major updates, like upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Note: You can still use Windows without the key, but it'll have some annoying DRM features.
Here's how to find your product key - as well as see if you have a digital license.
Windows 10 product key vs. digital license
Every PC has a product key. But if you got Windows 10 by upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.1, or by buying it through the Windows Store app, you also have a "digital license."
This digital license serves all the same purposes as the product key. Even better, it's built into the OS - this means that if you need to reinstall or upgrade Windows, you won't need to enter it.
If you have a digital license, when Windows asks you for the product key, click Do this later to skip the step. As long as you connect to the internet at some point later, you won't be asked for it again.
To check if you have a digital license:
- Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- Click Update & Security, and then Activation in the left sidebar.
- If you have a digital license, next to Activation it'll say Windows is activated with a digital license or Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.
If you bought a digital copy of Windows 10 from the Microsoft online store - not the Windows Store app - your product key will be included in the confirmation email you received after paying.
How to find your Windows 10 product key using the Command Prompt or PowerShell
The easiest way to find your product key is using the Command Prompt or the PowerShell app.
1. Right-click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen, and in the menu that appears, click Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. In the pop-up that appears asking if the app is allowed to make changes to your device, click Yes.
3. Now you'll need to enter a code. Type or copy in this (it's case sensitive) and press Enter:
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKeyThe 25-character code that appears is your product key.
How to find your Windows 10 product key on the physical packaging
If you bought your PC or copy of Windows 10 in a store, you'll find your product key on the packaging.
You can find it in a few possible places.
- Your computer case might have a "Certificate of Authenticity" sticker with the product key printed on it. Not all PC manufacturers put a sticker on the computer, though.
- The packaging that came with the computer might have a Certificate of Authenticity sticker with the product key as well.
- If you just bought Windows 10, the product key should be printed on a card or label inside the Windows 10 packaging.
If you can't find your product key, contact the computer manufacturer for help.
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