- How To Get Windows 10 Activation Key From Computer
- How To Find Your Windows Activation Key
- How To View Your Windows Product Key
- Get Windows Serial Key From Installed Windows
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May 17, 2017 To transfer Windows 8.1, we need to remove it completely from the old PC after we get the product key e.g. By installing a Linux distribution. If we have two Windows installations on two separate PCs simultaneously, with the same product key, we violate Microsoft's license agreement. To transfer Windows 8.1, we need to remove it completely from the old PC after we get the product key e.g. By installing a Linux distribution. If we have two Windows installations on two separate PCs simultaneously, with the same product key, we violate Microsoft's license agreement.
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Laptops with preinstalled Windows 7 usually have a sticker with the product key under the laptop. Laptops with preinstalled Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, however, never have such a sticker. The reason is that the Windows 8.1 product key is embedded into the BIOS or UEFI. Here's how to get the product key, in case we cant to install Windows 8 on a different PC.
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How To Get Windows 10 Activation Key From Computer
Table of Contents
- How to get the Windows 8.1 product key from inside Windows
When do I need the Windows 8.1 product key?
On a laptop that came with Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 preinstalled, we never need to enter the Windows 8.1 product key manually.
If we reinstall the proper version of Windows 8.1 (Home, Professional, or Windows with Bing), the installation process reads the product key automatically from the BIOS; we don't even get the product key prompt.
The only reason to get the Windows 8.1 product key is if we want to transfer Windows to another PC. After transferring Windows 8, we can also upgrade to Windows 10 on the second PC.
How to get the Windows 8.1 product key from inside Windows
In this scenario, the laptop that came with preinstalled Windows 8 has a fully functional Windows operating system. It doesn't need to be Windows 8; it could have Windows 7.
After we boot in Windows, we download NeoSmart's Oem Product Key Tool. Download microsoft office professional 2007 full version with serial key.
We don't need to enter a name or an email; we just click on the Download! button.
After that, we just run the OpenKey application, and we will get the Windows 8.1 product key from BIOS / UEFI.
No installation is needed; it's simple as that.
Alternative way to get the Windows 8.1 product key
If the Oem Product Key Tool doesn't work on our PC, we can use RWEverything.
We just download the latest portable version for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows.
After the download, we extract the .zip contents..
..and run the RW application.
There, we select ACPI, then click on the MSDM tab, and we will find the Windows 8.1 product key.
Get the Windows 8.1 product key without Windows
Let's say we can't run Windows on the old laptop anymore. Maybe there is something wrong, and Windows won't boot. Or we installed Linux, and the above applications won't work through WINE.
So, now what?
There are a couple of applications that can create a bootable environment that can detect the Windows 8.1 product key. For this guide, we will use Lazesoft Recover My Password Home Edition.
The installation is safe; it doesn't hide any toolbars or adware.
After we run the program, we click on 'Burn Bootable CD/USB Disk Now!'.
We leave the default 'DO NOT Specify the Windows version'.
We can either prepare the bootable environment on DVD, USB or create an ISO image for later use.
The program will first download the WinPE components from Microsoft..
..then format the USB drive (make sure you don't have any important data on it because it will be deleted)..
..and begin writing the information on the drive. On a USB 2.0 drive, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.
![How to get windows 7 serial number from pc How to get windows 7 serial number from pc](https://www.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/coa-sticker.jpg)
After the disk is ready..
..we make sure to remove it safely, to avoid the chance of any data corruption.
Then we setup the BIOS/UEFI or the boot menu of the laptop from which we want to get the Window 8.1 product key.
We boot from the Lazesoft recovery media and select the Lazesoft Live CD or USB option.
At the recovery environment, we select the 'Find Windows Product Key' option.
We confirm that we are using the free version for non-commercial reasons..
..and this is it. We get the Windows 8.1 product key, either through Windows or from the BIOS / UEFI.
How To Find Your Windows Activation Key
Can I use the Windows 8.1 product key to activate Windows on another PC?
The OEM product keys are tied to the particular motherboard of the first PC they are activated on, and won't automatically activate through the Internet on another PC.
There is, however, a workaround for this: we can activate by phone.
After the installation, we press the Windows Key + Pause/Break to open the system properties and click on 'Activate Windows
Then, we select 'Activate by phone'. Don't bother with the 'Activate Windows online' option, it won't work.
Don't worry, you won't need to talk to anyone at Microsoft. The Phone Activation system is automated.
We just enter the unique nine groups of numbers for our system through the phone keypad..
..and then the automated system will provide with eight groups of numbers for the activation.
Should this fail for any reason, stay on the line and you will be connected to a Microsoft support representative.
What will happen if two PCs have the same product key?
To transfer Windows 8.1, we need to remove it completely from the old PC after we get the product key e.g. by installing a Linux distribution.
If we have two Windows installations on two separate PCs simultaneously, with the same product key, we violate Microsoft's license agreement.
It's a matter of time before Microsoft blacklists the product key, and we won't be able to use it to activate Windows anymore.
Did you have any trouble finding the Windows 8.1 product key?
If anything in the above guide didn't work as described, and you weren't able to find the Windows 8.1 product key, leave us a comment.
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There are many utilities that can find the lost Product Key of your live Windows installation, but what if the computer is completely dead and unbootable?
This post introduces some third-party utilities that can get the product keys offline (for Windows, Office and other products), by loading the
SOFTWARE
registry hive on a mounted hard disk or other sources.How to Recover Product Keys from the hard disk of an unbootable Windows computer
Before proceeding, please note that this article assumes you have a copy of your
SOFTWARE
registry hive from your dead Windows installation. You may either connect the old hard disk drive as a slave to another computer or copy only the SOFTWARE
hive to a USB drive.You need to run the following utilities as administrator. Otherwise, you’ll get the error A required privilege is not held by the client or similar when loading the hive.
Using KeyFinder
Keyfinder retrieves product keys from unbootable Windows installations. It also has a community-updated configuration file that retrieves product keys for many other applications.
From the Tools menu, click Load Hive… and select your offline Windows directory. The directory structure must be intact (
WindowsSystem32config
) as KeyFinder doesn’t allow you to choose the SOFTWARE
(registry hive) file directly.That lists your Product keys from the
SOFTWARE
registry hive.Using ProduKey
ProduKey is a utility from Nirsoft that displays Product Keys of MS-Office, Windows, Exchange Server, and SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or another operating system/computer – by using command-line options.
- Launch ProduKey.
- From the File menu, click Select Source
- Select Load the product keys from external Software Registry hive
- Click the Browse button and locate the SOFTWARE registry hive (of your unbootable Windows installation), which is present in the WindowsSystem32Config folder. Note that unlike KeyFinder, ProduKey allows you to select the SOFTWARE (registry hive) file directly, and you don’t need to have the WindowsSystem32Config folder structure.
- Click OK. The product keys that are available in the Software registry hive should be listed.
Using ShowKeyPlus
![How to get windows serial key from pc windows 10 How to get windows serial key from pc windows 10](https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/652x300ximage140.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.xv-6KFeRne.png)
ShowKeyPlus (via Microsoft Store) finds your Windows product key. With ShowKeyPlus, you can also load a
SOFTWARE
registry hive to retrieve the product key from it.- If you bought Windows from an authorized retailer, the product key would only show as the Installed key. This applies to OEM System Builder keys as well.
- If you upgraded Windows, the Original key would be the key installed before the upgrade. NB if you upgrade to Windows 10 for free, you’ll receive a unique ‘digital entitlement’ instead of a product key. The key displayed will be a generic key in that case.
- If you bought a new PC running Windows, the product key would be pre-installed on your PC and the key will be included in the firmware in the case of Windows 8 or 10 – or as an OEM marker, in the case of previous versions. The OEM key will display the key in the case of the former, or whether your PC was built for Windows Vista or Windows 7.
To retrieve the key offline, click on the Check Edition and browse to select the
The above utilities can be especially helpful after you upgrade to Windows 10 and need the Product key of your Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation to activate Windows under the free upgrade or digital entitlement scheme. In such cases, you can load the registry hive from the SOFTWARE
registry hive.C:Windows.oldWindowsSystem32config
How To View Your Windows Product Key
directory.Note that Windows.old folder would automatically deleted by Windows after 28-30 days after upgrading to Windows 10. You should get the Product keys well in advance from the Windows.old directory.
Get Windows Serial Key From Installed Windows
Hope the above tools helped you retrieve your Windows product keys from the hard drive of your unbootable Windows installation.
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About the author
Ramesh Srinivasan founded Winhelponline.com back in 2005. He is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for 10 consecutive years from 2003 to 2012.