How to view your product key in Windows 10: activation keys don’t exist after upgrading

For most people, Windows 10 is either a free upgrade, or it came on a new PC or laptop. If you’re ever asked for a product key – during a clean install for example – here’s what to do.

windows 10 home activation key Microsoft appears to be doing away with product keys for Windows, and that’s a good thing. While some people will have to buy a copy of Windows 10 (which will come with a product key to activate) the vast majority of PCs won’t have – or need – one. It’s a welcome change, and one less thing to worry about.

If you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8, Windows 10 will have activated automatically after connecting to Microsoft’s servers online. You didn’t need to enter a product key as you were entitled to Windows 10 by virtue of having a genuine consumer copy of Windows 7 or 8.windows 10 pro key buy

It’s only after doing an upgrade that you can wipe your hard drive and perform a fresh install, and we explain step by step how to clean install Windows 10 here.
You don’t need a product key to clean install Windows 10

Since Microsoft has your computer’s ‘digital signature’ from the initial upgrade it recognises the combination of components when you do a clean install and automatically activates Windows. This means you can safely skip the screen which asks for a product key at the start of the installation process.

It’s just frustrating that there’s no message to tell you this: the screen is only for those installing a version of Windows 10 they’ve purchased and which therefore still requires a key.windows 10 activation key
Windows 10 should activate as long as you haven’t made any major changes to your PC. Upgrading from a hard disk to an SSD won’t affect anything, nor will changing your graphics card. However, upgrading your motherboard and processor will probably count as ‘significant’ and you’ll have to ring Microsoft’s support line if you find that Windows is no longer activated, or you’re reinstalling it.
How to find your Windows 10 product key

If you’ve tried to extract the key using a utility such as Belarc Advisor or Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder, you might well think you have your key. But it’s just a generic key used for a particular build of Windows 10 rather than a key specific to your PC.

In short, then, if you upgraded to Windows 10 then it doesn’t have a product key, and you shouldn’t ever need one.
If you bought a PC, laptop or tablet running Windows 10 then it should have a sticker or Certificate of Authenticity which contains the product key, or be included somewhere with the packaging or documentation that came with it.

However, this isn't always the case. One reader told us that, according to HP, it does not put product key on laptops or PCs for security reasons. As with the digital entitlement, the product key is stored "somewhere in the computer" and will activate automatically if needed. This will work even if the the hard drive fails.window 10 pro product key

He said that the product key was semi-visible on the System screen in Windows: most is redacted with only the last 5 of the digits shown.
If you've purchased a boxed copy of Windows 10, it will be on a label in the box.

product key windows 10 If you bought a digital copy of Windows 10 online from Microsoft, you should have received the product key in an email.
How to check if Windows 10 is activated

You can right-click on the Start button and choose System from the menu that appears. Under Windows Activation, you should see “Windows is activated”.
Similarly, if you click on Settings on the Start Menu, then Update and Security you will see a section called Activation.buy windows 10 cd key. Click or tap on that, and you’ll see the edition your computer is running and the activation status.