To find Windows 11 product key While Windows 11 comes as a free upgrade for Windows 10 users, users still want to find the product key in case they lose activation after moving to Windows 11. So to make it easier for you, we have compiled this handy guide on how to find your Windows 11 product key in a jiffy. No matter if you have a digital license linked to your Microsoft account or an OEM license tied to your laptop, you can easily find the product key on Windows 11. So without any delay, let’s check out the different methods.
Find Your Windows 11 Product Key (2021)
There are four distinct ways to locate the Windows 11 product key on your PC, which we have included. You can view the product key by navigating to any of the methods listed in the table below. Prior to that, we clarified what a Windows product key is and how to identify one.
What is a Product Key for Windows?
A product key is basically a 25-character code that you can use to activate the Windows operating system. As we know, Windows is not an entirely free operating system, and you need to buy the product key to take advantage of many features. But, if you buy a laptop preloaded with Windows OS, it will come activated with a product key. This is the Windows product key format:
PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
However, you will need to purchase the retail product key for Windows if you are constructing a bespoke computer. Remember that you can continue to use this retail key even after you upgrade your hardware. The product key that is included with Windows laptops, on the other hand, is connected to the motherboard and can only be used on that specific laptop. OEM licence keys are the name given to these product keys. That’s a quick explanation of what a Windows product key is.
How to Check If My Windows 11 Computer is Activated?
To check whether your Windows 11 laptop or PC is activated or not, you simply need to head to the Setting app. You can open the Settings app using the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Windows + I”. After that, move to System -> Activation. And here, you can check if your Windows 11 computer is activated or not.
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The “Activation state” should be “Active” for you to be able to find your product key in Windows 11. If not, you can follow our guide to get cheap Windows 10 keys legally and activate your computer. Then, you can follow this step-by-step guide to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10.
Three Methods to Find Windows 11 Product Key
Method 1: Find Windows 11 Product Key with Command Prompt
- First, press the Windows key once and search for Command Prompt. Then, click on “Run as Administrator” on the right pane of the Command Prompt search results.
- In the Command window, copy and paste the below command. After that, hit Enter.
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
- You will instantly see your product key in the Command Prompt window. This is the easiest method to find your product key in Windows 11.
Method 2: Find Windows 11 Product Key Using Third-Party App
- Another easy way to find your Windows 11 product key is using a third-party utility called ShowKeyPlus. Go ahead and download ShowKeyPlus (Free) from Microsoft Store.
Method 3: Find Product Key on Windows 11 with a VBS Script
If the above methods didn’t work for some reason, fret not. You can also use a Visual Basic script to find your Windows 11 product key. Now, this is an advanced method as you will need to create a VBS script file yourself. To do that, follow the instructions below:
- First, copy and paste the following code into a new Notepad file. Make sure to copy the entire script else it won’t work.
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))
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 have pasted the script in Notepad, select File -> Save As and name it “productkey.vbs” or something similar.
- Run the VBS script, and you will immediately get a pop-up window with your Windows 11 license key. That’s it.
These are the five methods you can use to locate your computer’s Windows 11 product key. Running the command in the CMD window for me worked well. If you were unsuccessful with that, the third-party tool is a great backup plan. Not to mention, the VBS script that instantly displays your license key is still available to you. That’s all we have to say, though. Check out our detailed comparison to understand the differences between Windows 11 Home and Pro. Visit our linked post to purchase a Windows license key legally and more affordably. Also, let us know in the comments section below if you have any queries.