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cant view Windows Product Key with the WMIC command

Anonymous
2019-12-27T22:10:54+00:00

I wanted to check on my windows product key and I used the well known 02 methods:

  1. wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
  2. powershell "(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey"

However, the commands aren't retrieving any product key and no error messages are being shown.

Background: I have the product key printed on the CD and from the Activation settings, I can see that the product is activated. Re-entering the same product key is not an issue and reaffirms to me that the product is activated. However, when I try to check on the product key in CMD or PowerShell, i am getting nothing (screenshot).

Is there something wrong with how I am approaching this? Why cant I see the product key in this machine while I can able to do so in my other machine?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Licensing and activation

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-12-27T22:21:54+00:00

    Check your activation settings. Does is stay : Windows is activated with a digital license?  If so, your OS is activated without a product key, so there is no key stored on the system to retrieve. This information is covered here: Activate Windows 10

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-12-27T23:14:35+00:00

    Hi, I'm David an independent advisor and user just like you. I'll do my best to help you with this.

    The computer which IS returning a Product Key will have that key stored in the BIOS settings in the hardware - whereas the one which isn't showing a key won't.

    Regards,

    David

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-02-01T19:01:18+00:00

    "  If so, your OS is activated without a product key, so there is no key stored on the system to retrieve. This information is covered here: Activate Window 10 "

    Mine is activated via Certificate of Authority and yet I can see the product that command.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-12-27T22:37:58+00:00

    Check your activation settings. Does is stay : Windows is activated with a digital license?  If so, your OS is activated without a product key, so there is no key stored on the system to retrieve. This information is covered here: Activate Windows 10

    Thanks TechFreak. Just checked and I can confirm that for both my machines Windows was activated using a digital license. However, on the second machine, the WMIC is producing a key while the other one is not showing anything.

    whats the reason?

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-02-01T18:59:13+00:00

    Yes, this will be the case. I can view my product key even though it is activaved via digital certificate (CoA).

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