On the other hand, you might need your product key for some OS downgrade / upgrade projects you have planned. On one hand, this makes it easy to reinstall Windows from scratch – there is no need to hunt around for and type in a 25-digit alphanumeric product key as it is remembered by Microsoft’s activation servers.

Since that time, Microsoft has been activating Windows with a digital licence, tied to your system’s hardware fingerprint. Microsoft and its systems partners stopped providing stickers and certificates with Windows product keys printed upon them starting with the introduction of Windows 8.1. Our guide is specifically for users of Windows 10, but the method and commands might work with, or be similar on, other Windows versions. In this guide, we will show you how to unearth this key. Moreover, among all the Device IDs, Product IDs, and so on in the ‘About your PC’ section of the system control panel, there is no information about your Windows product key.

If you have bought a new laptop or desktop PC in the last few years, it won’t have come with a product key on a sticker or certificate of authenticity (COA).