Not to mention that different conditions apply for non-OEM retail keys, as well as those given to people who upgraded to Windows 10 for free. There may be other scenarios where you may still want to manually find a Windows key stored in your UEFI/BIOS, or prevent this key from automatically being applied during installation. We will explain that in better detail in a minute.

So, if you have a newer Windows PC or you already log in using your Microsoft account, you generally shouldn't have to search for your original Windows 10 key. This means your Windows 10 license now ties Windows keys to Microsoft accounts, letting you activate a copy of the operating system simply by logging in with valid online credentials. But because your hardware can significantly change if you upgrade your hardware, this entitlement was expanded to become a 'Digital License' when 2016's Anniversary Update (1607) arrived. Windows 10 introduced a 'Digital Entitlement' element to Microsoft's license which links your Windows key to an ID generated based on your PC's hardware. We'll cover all you need to know in this article, from old school ways to retrieve keys, to the more modern approaches to make good use of your licenses and what restrictions may apply depending on your type of license.

Microsoft has been changing and improving the way it handles Windows licenses. In other instances, for example if you built and installed your OS, your key is associated with your Microsoft account, so there is no way to 'lose it' anymore. But in recent years manufacturers started storing this license within the machine's UEFI/BIOS and the information is automatically retrieved and applied when reinstalling the operating system. In same cases, serial number is found under the laptop battery and you need to remove the battery of a laptop to find the same.In brief For the longest time Windows PCs came with a product key sticker that was placed outside of the machine or with your computer's manuals. If you are using a laptop you can flip the laptop to the bottom side and you will find that either the serial number is directly printed on the body or a sticker with S/No. On a branded desktop PC, you can find the serial number on the sticker pasted on the backside of the computer. In the main settings, you will be able to find the serial number of the system.įind Serial number of PC by visual inspection

After you press Enter, you will be able to see the serial number.ĭepending on the system brand, you can enter the bios settings by pressing F1, F2, F10 or Del button on the keyboard after restarting or just turning On the PC or laptop.

Type the command “ gwmi win32_bios | fl SerialNumber”.

You can now see the serial number of your PC/laptopįind serial number of PC/Laptop in windows PowerShell.

In windows 10, right click on start button and open Command prompt(Admin).

How to find windows 10 serial key