Where is product key

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Also, be sure to check out our short video on our YouTube channel that walks you through the info we have written about in this article. Your Windows 10 product key is not locked to any sort of specific Windows 10 media. The key is simply a representation of your license. If Microsoft thinks you are abusing your license by installing Windows 10 to multiple machines at the same time, they may be unwilling to do this. If you have a Microsoft Account and have previously linked it to your Windows 10 product key, all you have to do on a new install is log in with your account details.

Check out this article on how to link your product key to see how it works. If you are trying to activate a copy of Windows, simply change your account from local to Microsoft and it should work. The same applies if you upgraded a copy of Windows 7 or 8, for which you would have needed a Microsoft Account.

Simply log into Windows with your account credentials, since there is no product key involved here either. This is very obvious, we know. Still it should be mentioned since, if you bought a boxed retail Windows 10 copy, this is the simplest way to find the Windows 10 product key. It should be inside the box printed on something.

If you have a product key, it will be displayed here. If you have a digital license instead, it will simply say so. If you bought Windows 10 Home, Professional, or Upgrade to Pro in the Windows 10 Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key. You can use the digital license for activation.

If your product key is scratched, blurred, or otherwise unusable, contact the retailer who sold you the product. If you aren't able to get help from your retailer or have already tried and couldn't get a working key, call Microsoft Support. A product key is usually required when uninstalling or reinstalling Windows 7 or Windows 8. Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in.

If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. To ensure your product key is genuine, see How to tell your software is genuine and How to tell your hardware is genuine.

For info about how to tell if your copy of Windows is genuine Microsoft software, see the How to tell page. For more Windows 10 download info, see Download Windows If you need installation media to install or reinstall Windows, see Create installation media for Windows to learn how to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

If you need more help with activation, see Activate Windows If you're getting an activation error, see Get help with Windows activation errors. See Activation in Windows 10 for more info. If you're reinstalling Windows 10 due to a motherboard problem or some other hardware issue, see Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change.

If you're looking for product keys for Office, apps, games, and more, see Find your Microsoft downloads and product keys.