How to retrieve Office key from external disc.

Question

My laptop died with a motherboard fault, but the SSD was fine. I had Office 2013 installed but don't know the product key. Bought another PC and can access the old SSD using a caddy. So how do I reinstall Office 2013 (don't have the installation discs) and find the Key which must be somewhere on the old SSD?

Answer 1

To retrieve your Office 2013 product key from your old SSD, you can follow these steps:

1. Access the Old SSD: Since you can access your old SSD using a caddy, connect it to your new PC.
2. Use a Key Finder Utility: You can use third-party key-finder utilities that can read the registry hive from your old drive. These tools can extract the product key from the Windows registry where it is stored.
3. Command Prompt Method: If you prefer not to use third-party software, you can also retrieve the product key by running a command in an elevated Command Prompt while booted into the old installation. However, since you are using a new PC, this might not be applicable unless you can boot from the old SSD.
4. Reinstall Office 2013: Once you have retrieved the product key, you can download Office 2013 from the official Microsoft website and use the key to activate it on your new PC. If you encounter any issues, ensure that you have the correct version that matches your product key.

If your Office was previously activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, signing in with that same account on the new installation should automatically reactivate Office without needing to manually enter the key.

I hope this helps you recover your Office product key and get Office 2013 installed on your new PC!

Answer 2

All confirms what I thought - need to spend money. Over and out.

thanks to you contributors

Answer 3

Hello Big Al,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how stressful it is when your old PC dies and you need the Office 2013 key but can’t access the SSD.

For Office 2013, the full 25‑character key is not stored in plain text anywhere on the drive. Windows only keeps a partially‑masked, non‑usable version, so even if you connect the SSD externally, no tool can recover the original key from it.

Here are the realistic options:

1. Check the Microsoft account previously used with Office 2013
   • If the product was ever redeemed, it would be linked to a Microsoft account. Sign in here: https://account.microsoft.com/services
   • If Office 2013 appears, you can reinstall from that page, no key required.
2. Check for the original purchase source
   • Retail box > key printed on card inside
   • Email purchase > key in the confirmation email
   • OEM license > key provided by PC manufacturer (cannot be retrieved from Windows)
3. About the old SSD password prompt
   • If the SSD is encrypted with BitLocker and you don’t have the recovery key or password, the data on it cannot be accessed. Without access, no recovery tool can scan the drive.
4. If the key cannot be found
   • Office 2013 is end‑of‑support, and Microsoft cannot issue replacement keys. In that case, the only option is to purchase a current Microsoft 365 or Office license.

Hope this helps

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Answer 4

I can't boot from old SSD - it asks for a password to allow access (can't remember the exact words) which I haven't a clue of what it could be. I see there are apps to retrieve keys but how would I point them to the remote disc and not the new boot disc.