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Cannot find my Windows 10 key

Michael Huskey 0 Reputation points
2026-02-08T14:37:26.5133333+00:00

I have had my PC for a year and a half. I had to put it in the shop and the Main harddrive died. The PC came with Windows 10, and I cannot find the key for it.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Recovery and backup
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  1. Van S 23,250 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-02-08T15:17:53.55+00:00

    Hi, I am Van. I'll be glad to assist you today.

    Please try the methods below to verify the license installed on your device.

    Method 1.

    1. Open the command prompt and run it with administrator rights.
    2. Type or copy-paste the command below, and then press enter.

    wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

    1. The license key, which has 25 characters, should appear.
    2. If the license key does not appear, kindly proceed to method 2.

    Method 2.

    1. Go to the Microsoft Store and then search for the ShowKeyPlus app
    2. Download and install the app.
    3. Once done, run the app to display the license key installed.

    Please feel free to reach out if you require any further assistance. I'm here to help.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-02-08T14:37:35.6233333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If your PC came with Windows 10 pre-installed, the product key is typically embedded in the firmware (BIOS/UEFI) of the device. Since you mentioned that the main hard drive died and you cannot find the key, here are a few steps you can take to retrieve it:

    1. Check the System Registry: If you have access to the old hard drive, you can retrieve the product key by using a command in an elevated Command Prompt. You can run commands like slmgr /dli or slmgr /dlv to view the product key.
    2. Third-Party Key Finder: There are third-party utilities that can read the registry hive from the old drive to extract the product key.
    3. Microsoft Account: If your Windows 10 was activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, signing in with that same account on the new installation may automatically reactivate Windows without needing to enter the key manually.

    If none of these methods work, you may need to contact Microsoft support for assistance in recovering your product key or reactivating your Windows installation.

    References:

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