Find your Windows product key

The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.

The product key is on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. For more info, contact the retailer that sold you Windows 10 or Windows 11. How to tell your software is genuine.

Find your product key in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website.

The product key is in the confirmation email you received after buying your digital copy of Windows. Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you purchased from the Microsoft online store. You can find out if you purchased from Microsoft in your Microsoft account Order history.

If you upgraded to Windows 11 for free from Windows 10, or upgraded to Windows 10 for free from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you should have a digital license instead of a product key.

If you bought Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro upgrade in the Microsoft Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key in the confirmation email that was sent to confirm the purchase. That email address (MSA) will contain the digital license. You can use the digital license for activation.

For more information about digital licenses and product keys in Windows 10 and Windows 11, see the “Methods of Activation” section in Activate Windows.

Your product key is available through the web portal for your program.  For more information, see Volume Activation for Windows 10.

For info about how to tell if your copy of Windows is genuine Microsoft software, see the How to tell page.

For more Windows 11 download info, see Download Windows 11.

For more Windows 10 download info, see Download Windows 10.

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.

If you’re reinstalling Windows, you might not need a Windows product key. See Activation in Windows for more info.

If you're reinstalling Windows 10 or Windows 11 due to a motherboard problem or some other hardware issue, see Reactivating Windows 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