If it's a desktop, look on the side of the desktop's case. It may even be stuck to the laptop's charger brick. If there's some sort of compartment you can open, it might be in there.

If your laptop has a removable battery, it may be under the battery. On a laptop, it may be on the bottom of the laptop. You'll need that product key to reinstall Windows - and, if the manufacturer used System Locked Pre-installation, that key is different from the one your PC came with in software.Įxamine your computer to find the key. The COA sticker verifies that the computer came with an authentic copy of Windows, and that sticker has a product key printed on it. To check, you'll need to look for a certificate of authenticity sticker on your computer. If you try, you'll get error messages about the key being invalid. Thanks to 'System Locked Pre-installation,' you're not allowed to use that key to install Windows. If you have a Windows 7-era PC, there's a good chance the PC's key is a single key the manufacturer uses for all their PCs. Read the Key From the Certificate of Authenticity Sticker You don't even need to know it-assuming you're installing the same edition of Windows the PC came with, it should automatically activate and work without you needing to enter a key.

The key for the version of Windows the PC comes with is stored in the computer's UEFI firmware or BIOS. Embedded in your PC's UEFI firmware: Many newer PCs that come with Windows 8 or 10 use a new method.This system was common for Windows 7 PCs. The one in the registry and key-viewer application is a red herring. The actual key is on a certificate of authenticity (COA) sticker on your PC or its power supply. If your PC uses this, the product key on your PC-the one stored in the registry, and the one key-viewer applications display-will be different from the actual key your PC needs. Printed on a sticker: Some PCs use a technology called 'System Locked Pre-installation,' or SLP.Crucially, you'll need to grab it from your operating system before you begin reinstalling Windows or it could be deleted if you format your hard drive. You can extract this product key, and-often-enter it when reinstalling Windows on your PC. Stored in software on your PC: When you (or your PC manufacturer) installs Windows, Windows stores its product key in the registry.The key you need will be in one of three places:

Related: Where to Download Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 ISOs Legally

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