How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key? — 7 Easy Methods

This guide is directed to help Windows users understand why they need the Windows 11 product key and how to find one for their device. So, let’s scroll down to find your Windows 11 product key.

What’s Exactly a Windows 11 Product Key?

A product is a unique 25-character code by Microsoft that you can use to activate your Windows 11 operating system. Since Microsoft has restricted customization and a couple of other features in the free version; thus, it is important for you to buy the product key to unlock all Windows 11 features.

However, if you purchased a machine loaded with Windows OS, it already has an activated product key. The product key will look something like this:

PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

However, if you are customizing your PC, you have to buy a product key for Windows 11. You can buy the retail product key that you can reuse over time. On the contrary, the product key that comes with Windows laptops is linked to its motherboard. These product keys are OEM license keys that can only be used on a device.

Is It Possible to Install Windows 11 Without a Product Key?

Yes!

Microsoft allows users to download Windows 11 without a license key. By simply visiting the Windows 11 official website, you can download the Media Creation Tool located under the Create Windows 11 Installation Media section to create a bootable drive with Windows 11.

Once you have installed the Windows 11 installation media, you can download it on your device following the setup wizard instructions.

When the wizard asks you to Activate Windows, click on the option “I don’t have a product key” at the bottom. After that, Microsoft will not ask for the Windows 11 product key during the installation.

Why Find The Windows 11 Product Key?

You must be wondering when Windows 11 can be easily installed without a product key; why should I need one?

Well, Windows users, you have simply installed Windows 11 without a product key, but it is not activated yet. Microsoft lets you use Windows 11 for free forever. However, you are restricted to limited features only. You can not access many Windows 11 features, such as:

• You will not get Personalization options from the Settings until you activate your Windows 11 user license.
• Whenever you open the Settings app, you will get unobtrusive notifications saying that your Windows 11 is not activated, and it’s recommended to purchase a Windows 11 product key.
• In addition, Windows 11 will start showing an Activate Windows watermark at the bottom. It can be a big hindrance on your screen.

How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key?

Don’t want to settle with limited Windows 11? If so, it is essential for you to find a Windows 11 product key to activate your operating system.

Before exploring methods to find your Windows 11 product key, let’s first understand how to check if your laptop or PC has an activated OS or not.

To do so, head over to the Settings app by pressing Windows and the I key. Next, go to System > Activation and check whether your Windows 11 computer is in the activation state or not.

If not, use these methods to find your Windows 11 product key:

Method 1. Find Windows 11 Product Key using Command Prompt

With the Command Prompt, you can easily navigate your Windows product key as follows:

Step 1. Press the Windows key to search for the Command Prompt. After that, click on the Run as Administrator from the right pane.

Step 2. Copy and paste the following command in the Command window. After that, press the Enter button.

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

Step 3. This way, you will instantly see your Windows 11 product key to activate your operating system.

Method 2. Find Windows 11 Product Key using a VBS Script

You can find your Windows 11 product key using the Visual Basic script. It is an advanced method, so follow these steps carefully:

Step 1. Open the Notepad app and paste the following script—

Set WshShell = CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)

MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead(“HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId”))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)

Const KeyOffset = 52

i = 28

Chars = “BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789”

Do

Cur = 0

x = 14

Do

Cur = Cur * 256

Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur

Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255

Cur = Cur Mod 24

x = x -1

Loop While x >= 0

i = i -1

KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput

If (((29 – i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then

i = i -1

KeyOutput = “-” & KeyOutput

End If

Loop While i >= 0

ConvertToKey = KeyOutput

End Function

Step 2. After that, click on the File > Save As, and you can name your file “productkey.vbs” or something similar.

Step 3. Once you run the VBS script, you will get an instant pop-up window with your license key.

Method 3. Find Windows 11 Product Key using PowerShell

You can also use PowerShell to find your Windows product keys. The process is similar to the Command Prompt with different commands. Here’s how the PowerShell method works:

Step 1. Type “powershell” in the search field and click on the Run as Administrator option.

Step 2. Once the PowerShell prompt is executed, paste this command and hit the Enter button.

powershell “(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey”

Step 3. Your original Windows 11 product key will appear on the PowerShell prompt screen.

Method 4. Find Windows 11 Product Key using the Registry Editor

Are you a technical Windows user? If so, you can directly find a Windows product key in the Registry File. However, always be extra careful while tweaking around the Registry Editor, as one wrong move and you might end up corrupting your entire Windows system.

So, exactly follow these steps to retrieve your Windows 11 product key from the Registry File:

Step 1. Type “regedit” in the Windows search tool and select the Registry Editor application.

Step 2. Click on the Run as Administrator option and type this command in the left-hand windowpane in the editor—

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

Step 3. Now, the BackupProductKeyDefault key will reveal a valid Windows 11 product key.

Method 5. Find Windows 11 Product Key using the License Sticker

If you have a Windows laptop, the product key sticker is mostly glued to the bottom of your device. Just turn your laptop upside-down, and you can find a 25-character product key. If you have purchased a Windows 10, 8, or even older laptop, your product key will seamlessly work to upgrade to the Windows 11 OS.

However, if you ordered a product key online, check your email or invoice slip to find the product key. Besides this, you can find a product key on the retail package or disc.

Method 6. Find Windows 11 Product Key: Contacting System Administrator

If you are using Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise managed by your organization, it is not possible to retrieve the license key on your own. You have to contact your system administrator who has installed the OS on your computer.

You can also reach out to your company’s IT department to find the product key. Most company laptops use MSDN Volume Licensing, which only an administrator can access.

Method 7. Find Windows 11 Product Key using the Third-party Tools

If none of the above methods worked, you could download the third-party tools to find your system’s product key. On the Microsoft Store, you can find multiple tools to find product keys, even on OEM machines.

For this guide, we will show how to find the Windows 11 product key using ShowKeyPlus:

Step 1. Go to the Microsoft Store and search for ShowKeyPlus. After that, install it on your computer.

Step 2. Launch the software, and under the Home tab, you can see the installed key and OEM key.

Let’s Activate Windows 11!

There is no fun in using Windows 11 without a product key, as you can not customize settings, and the Windows Activate watermark will constantly annoy you.

So, just find your Windows 11 product key and enjoy all the awesome features that Windows 11 has to offer. Plus, if you have already purchased a Windows laptop, you don’t even have to purchase a product key. Just add your Windows product key, and you are done.

We hope you find this post helpful! Do check our other posts to know more about Windows 11.