How to Find Your Original Windows 10 Product Key
- Thread starter Julio Franco
- Start date
So, here's the situation: I "won" a retired laptop (Dell E7450, originally delivered with Windows 8.1 Pro) from work. So, the ownership has changed from my company to me. So, I took it home and started it up. The laptop now has Windows 10 Pro installed but not activated. Was able to find the Windows UEFI/BIOS key using the above script (wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey) - worked great! Thanks! Now, since I was curious, I clicked "Troubleshoot" in the activation screen and after a bit, it was activated- to my surprise. Now, I was able to determine what type of license it had: Volume KMS Client license. I'm not sure of the exact path of the activation, but my thinking is that it's not going to fly with my company that I activated on their volume license. The plan was to buy a retail (used) copy of Windows 8.1 and install it. Is that possible after using the slmgr uninstall commands above??
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
If you are going to buy a copy. Go ahead and buy Windows 10. Chances are you would have to pay for the upgrade to 10 now anyway.
Thanks cliffordcooley for the response. Personal preference: I won't ever move to Windows 10 on my systems. My ultimate OS installs will be Linux running a retail version of Windows 8.1 Pro in a VM.
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
I must have misunderstood then. It looked as if you tried to upgrade to Windows 10. And when you did, you noticed it was a volume license for your company.
If Windows 8.1 is all you want. Did the Notebook come preinstalled with 8.1? Or was 8.1 a volume license as well? If the Notebook had its own independent license you should be able to get that license activated again. If not you will need to find another license.
Does the Notebook have an OEM sticker on the bottom? Sometimes it will be located in the battery compartment.
If all else fails. You might can get a resolution by calling Dell Help Support.
If Windows 8.1 is all you want. Did the Notebook come preinstalled with 8.1? Or was 8.1 a volume license as well? If the Notebook had its own independent license you should be able to get that license activated again. If not you will need to find another license.
Does the Notebook have an OEM sticker on the bottom? Sometimes it will be located in the battery compartment.
If all else fails. You might can get a resolution by calling Dell Help Support.
p51d007
Posts: 3,930 +3,880
I didn't. I was quite SURPRISED how easy it was. My lappy, under warranty had go back, and they replaced the motherboard. It came back, with windows home. I had paid for the upgrade.
With the machine still "fresh out of the box", nothing of mine was installed, went to the MS site, got online with a "chat agent", and after allowing him to remote in, I had pro back in about 20 minutes.
After disconnecting, I dumped the remote program, cleaned out the registry and checked to make sure there wasn't anything left. But, the chat agent even sent me an email with the key for this pro update that will work with my laptop, just in case I need to install it again.
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
So you can expect to be blacklisted and deactivated at any time.
Bullwinkle M
Posts: 911 +817
So what?
You don't need to activate with any key (good or bad) in order to use Spyware Platform 10
Microsoft would not be able to violate your privacy with mass deactivations
"You" are the product!
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
Then again using Windows is not the topic of this article. Finding your key, where you can stay activated is. If you don't care about activation this thread is not for you.
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
Just tried both, they do not work.
captaincranky
Posts: 19,684 +8,825
I just keep the original Windows boxes, with the product key still on them. Each box and disc, are keyed to the machines on which they are installed.
Have I been going about this all wrong?
Oh wait, I don't have anything later than Windows 7. My bad.
Is the Win 10 download still burnable as an ISO file? If so, not my bad.
This tool "SIW" (once free, now unfortunately only free to try), used to easily pickup the Windows license key. https://www.techspot.com/downloads/155-siw-system-info.html
Have I been going about this all wrong?
Oh wait, I don't have anything later than Windows 7. My bad.
Is the Win 10 download still burnable as an ISO file? If so, not my bad.
This tool "SIW" (once free, now unfortunately only free to try), used to easily pickup the Windows license key. https://www.techspot.com/downloads/155-siw-system-info.html
Last edited:
Nirsoft ProduKey ?
Chrome warning:
" produkey.zip is dangerous, so Chrome has blocked it "
Learn more:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/6261569
Probably a false possitive, given it's Nirsoft, but ya never know.
Chrome warning:
" produkey.zip is dangerous, so Chrome has blocked it "
Learn more:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/6261569
Probably a false possitive, given it's Nirsoft, but ya never know.
Me too, like what are you actually asking?
And what did you use to check that there was no product key?
Seems unlikely. Unless someone installed some kind of spyware blocker, but even then MS has myriad ways of checking authentication. Be interesting to know more details.
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
Is that the 32-bit or 64-bit?
I've had Windows defender completely delete ProduKey 32-bit. The 64-bit version is not effected by Windows Defender.
Bullwinkle M
Posts: 911 +817
I was asking why anybody in their right mind would pay to activate a Spyware Platform
If you really want spyware and malware, Windows 10 works without activation
None of the methods described in the section titled "Find your key from inside Windows" work for my Windows 10 installation. They all yield the result: BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB!
This whole activation paradigm is as clear as mud and this article does nothing to clear it up.
This whole activation paradigm is as clear as mud and this article does nothing to clear it up.
D
DelJo63
HaHaHa! Another fail! That software is not as magical as you think. And, BTW, I detest SW vendors who bait you as those guys do.
D
DelJo63
Hmm; Sorry to hear that, but it works well on Win/7. If your failure is on Win/10 ... you can thank Microsoft.
cliffordcooley
Posts: 13,141 +6,441
If you are having issues extracting the Activation Key with ALL the above mentioned methods. I would question the validity of your installed operating system.
D
DelJo63
I was thinking the same thing -- are the Microsoft.NET Framework NGEN services installed and enabled? You need v4.0.30319
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