How to Recover Lost Product Key on Windows

Recover Lost Product Key for your Windows can be essential if you need to reinstall or activate Windows. Here are five methods to retrieve it:

1. Check the Sticker on Your Device

• Older laptops and desktops (especially those running Windows 7 or earlier) often have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker on the bottom, back, or inside the battery compartment.
• Some prebuilt PCs with Windows 10/11 may have the key embedded in the firmware (see Method 2).

2. Recover Lost Product Key from BIOS/UEFI

If your device came preinstalled with Windows 8, 10, or 11, the product key is stored in the UEFI firmware. You can retrieve it using the Command Prompt:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Enter the following command: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
3. Your Windows product key will be displayed.

3. Use Windows Registry (Limited Success)

If Windows was activated using a retail key, it might be stored in the registry. However, this method often does not work for OEM and digital licenses.

1. Open Notepad and paste the following script: Set WshShell = CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”) MsgBox WshShell.RegRead(“HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId”)
2. Save the file as productkey.vbs.
3. Run the script to display your product key.

4. Use a Third-Party Tool

If other methods don’t work, you can use a trusted key finder tool, such as:

• ProduKey (by NirSoft) – https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
• ShowKeyPlus (available in the Microsoft Store)
• Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder

5. Check Your Microsoft Account or Purchase Confirmation

• If you purchased Windows digitally, your product key may be linked to your Microsoft account:
  1. Go to Microsoft Account Devices.
  2. Check if your Windows license is listed.
• If you bought Windows from the Microsoft Store, your key might be in your email receipt.

Bonus Tip:

Find Your Windows Activation Type

To check if your Windows license is a digital entitlement:

1. Open Settings → Update & Security → **Activation.
2. If it says “Windows is activated with a digital license”, you don’t need a product key for reinstalling Windows on the same hardware.

Recover Lost Product Key with VBS Editor Script

VBS script extracts the Windows product key from the registry and displays it in a message box.

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

How to Use:

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the script above.
3. Save the file as WindowsKey.vbs (Make sure to select All Files as the file type).
4. Change file extension from .txt to .vbs.
5. Double-click the saved .vbs file to run it.
6. A message box will display your Windows product key.

Would you like help with activation or reinstalling Windows? 🚀

Tags

#Windows #ProductKey #Windows10 #Windows11 #TechTips #WindowsActivation #UEFI #RegistryHacks #PCRepair #Software