Reinstall windows 10 - product key needed?

Hi Thomas

I am Dave, I will help you with this.

You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time, you will not need a product key, activation is automatic, and it will not cost you anything!

Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

The Windows 10 OS was installed with a digital licence. When you reinstall it even fresh, you will not be required to enter the key. For the sake of safety, you should copy your authentic Windows 10 key. You can do so in these ways:

1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-windows-product-key-aaa2bf69-7b2b-9f13-f581-a806abf0a886
2. Run command prompt or power shell as administrator, and enter this command:

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

3. You can use a free tool known as WinKeyFinder: https://www.winkeyfinder.com/. Or, you can use this one: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product\_cd\_key\_viewer.html

Just read this:

Windows 10 Upgrades

If you upgraded from an earlier version of Windows, your product key will be “YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7.” This is a generic key assigned to all upgraded systems. It’s tied to your motherboard, so moving it to a new system is almost impossible. If you have a full retail copy of Windows 10, though, you should be able to transfer it just fine.

from: https://www.maketecheasier.com/recover-windows-product-key/

This should apply to my case since I have upgraded from Windows 7.

Do I then need to enter “YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7” during a fresh installation onto the old hardware?