How to Locate Your Windows 11 Product Key

This article explains how to find your Windows 11 product (activation) key.

Microsoft uses a product key to verify the authenticity of a Windows license. To abide by Microsoft Windows’ licensing terms, a complete (retail) version of Windows should only be installed and used on one computer.

The activation (product) key ensures that Windows is not installed simultaneously on multiple computers. That’s why every time you install Windows, you’ll be asked for a product key to activate it. If the product key is being used on other computers, you may be allowed to activate it, and Windows will not work until activated.

You can transfer your full (retail) license to another computer and will still be able to get support from Microsoft. Still, you will have to deactivate and uninstall the product key on other computers before you’re allowed to reuse it.

Find Windows 11 product key via the command prompt

You can use the command prompt to find your Windows 11 product key. Run the command prompt as an administrator from the Start menu.

Then, run the commands below to display your product key.

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

How to find Windows 11 product key via PowerShell

If you prefer PowerShell, search and open PowerShell as an administrator from the Start menu.

Then, run the commands below to view your product key.

powershell "(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey"

Or run the commands below if the one above doesn’t work.

Get-Wmiobject SoftwareLicensingService | Select OA3xOriginalProductKey

How to find Windows 11 product key via the registry editor

You can also view your Windows product key via the Windows registry. Search and open the Registry Editor app from the Start menu.

When the registry editor opens, navigate to the path below. Or copy and paste it into the navigation path.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

You should see the BackupProductKeyDefault item with the product key shown.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Finding your Windows 11 product key is essential for activation and support.
• You can access your product key using Command Prompt, PowerShell, or the Registry Editor.
• Always keep your product key secure and easily accessible for future use.
• Remember to deactivate and uninstall the key from other devices if transferring your license.
• For any issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for assistance.