Lost your Windows or Office Product Key? Here’s how to find them

Are you having trouble reinstalling your Microsoft Office? In all likelihood, you’ve forgotten your Windows Product Key. It’s difficult to find, so you might be panicking while trying to remember the lost activation code.

The best way to recover a lost product key for Windows or an Office program is to use a third-party program, like Nirsoft’s Produkey or ShowKeyPlus. You may also have a sticker attached to your PC or disk box with a product key written on it.

If you’re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but can’t find your product key, you’re in luck because it’s stored in the Windows Registry. It’s just not easy to find, and it’s impossible to read without some help. Luckily, we’re here to help.

Product keys are stored in the registry but are in a binary format that can’t be read by humans unless you are some sort of Cylon. You aren’t, are you?

Also Read: How to find your Windows 10 Product Key using CMD Prompt

We’re not really sure why Microsoft went to great lengths to make it difficult to see the product keys for their software, especially since they are stored right in there in the registry and can be read by software, if not by humans. We can only assume that they don’t want anybody to re-use a key from an old computer.

The great thing is that you can even recover a key, even from a computer that won’t boot anymore. All you need is access to the disk drive from a working computer. Keep reading for more.

Where Can You Find Your Windows Product Key?

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

• Stored in software on your PC: When you (or your PC manufacturer) installs Windows, Windows stores its product key in the registry. You can extract this product key, and — often — enter it when reinstalling Windows on your PC. Crucially, you’ll need to grab it from your operating system before you begin reinstalling Windows or it could be deleted if you format your hard drive.
• Printed on a sticker: Some PCs use a technology called “System Locked Pre-installation,” or SLP. If your PC uses this, the product key on your PC — the one stored in the registry, and the one key-viewer applications display — will be different from the actual key your PC needs. The actual key is on a certificate of authenticity (COA) sticker on your PC or its power supply. The one in the registry and key-viewer application is a red herring. This system was common for Windows 7 PCs.
• Embedded in your PC’s UEFI firmware: Many newer PCs that come with Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11 use a new method. The key for the version of Windows the PC comes with is stored in the computer’s UEFI firmware or BIOS. You don’t even need to know it —assuming you’re installing the same edition of Windows the PC came with, it should automatically activate and work without you needing to enter a key. It’ll all happen automatically.

How to use ProduKey to find Windows 10 or Windows 11 Product Key

The easiest way to get access to your product key is with a third-party utility, and there’s nobody better at those than NirSoft.

1. All you have to do is download ProduKey
2. Extract the ProduKey Zip File
   • Locate the downloaded ProduKey zip file, and then right-click on it.
   • Select “Extract All” to unzip the contents of the file to a folder of your choice.
3. Run ProduKey
   • Open the folder where you extracted the ProduKey files.
   • Double-click on the “ProduKey.exe” file to launch the program.
4. View Your Windows Product Key
   • Once ProduKey is running, it will scan your system and display a list of product keys for various software, including your Windows operating system.
   • Look for the “Product Name” and “Product Key” columns to find your Windows product key. The “Product Name” column will indicate that it’s your Windows operating system, and the “Product Key” column will display the alphanumeric code, which is your Windows product key.
   • Note down your Windows product key for future reference or activation purposes.

How to use ShowKeyPlus to retrieve Product Key on Windows 10 or Windows 11

Nirsoft’s program works — but it might trigger a warning in your antivirus, or even your browser. If you don’t want to deal with that, ShowKeyPlus is a good alternative. ShowKeyPlus is available directly from the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

1. Open up the Microsoft Store, find ShowKeyPlus, then click the “Install” button and wait while it downloads and installs. 
2. Run ShowKeyPlus
   • Open the folder where you extracted the ShowKeyPlus files.
   • Double-click on the “ShowKeyPlus.exe” file to launch the program. You may need to right-click and choose “Run as administrator” to ensure it has the necessary permissions.
3. Retrieve Your Windows Product Key
   • Once ShowKeyPlus is running, it will display your Windows product key on the program’s main interface.
   • You will see various tabs at the top, such as “Keys,” “Check,” and “Tools.” The “Keys” tab should display your Windows product key.
   • Note down your Windows product key for future reference or activation purposes.

It is important to note that there might be both an installed key and an OEM key. OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer, keys are tied to the hardware of the device. If you’re using a prebuilt desktop PC or a laptop, the OEM key and the installed key will be the same unless you separately purchased a different Windows license.

If you did purchase and install a separate Windows license for a prebuilt laptop (or for a computer you built yourself) make sure you grab the installed key, not the OEM key. OEM keys are subject to more restrictions than retail keys, so you don’t want to accidentally use the wrong one.

Also Read: How to fix Windows Update errors in Windows 10

Source: How-to Geek