If you want to know your Windows 11 product key, then you are in the right place. Here we are going to discuss how we can find the Windows 11 product key. Note that each edition of Windows uses its own unique product key. So, if you have a license for the Windows Home edition, you cannot use it to activate Windows Pro or other editions. Moreover, there are different types of Windows license keys.
Since Windows 11 uses a digital license method for the activation, you don’t need to manually enter the key each time you upgrade or clean install the Windows OS. However, if you are getting an activation error or error related to the product key, you can manually enter the product key to activate your Windows 11.
What is the Product Key?
A Windows product key is a 25-character code that you can use to activate your copy of Windows. If you want to move your Windows 11 key to a new computer, you can manually enter this 25-character to activate your Windows operating system.
When you enter the product key, Microsoft checks the key against its records, if the key matches, then only it will activate your Windows operating system, or else you will get an invalid key error.
Mainly there are two types of product keys- OEM and Retail keys. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Key, these keys are traditionally used by the company that builds Windows computers. Alternatively, the retail keys are available for enthusiasts who build their own PCs or purchase different versions of Windows 11.
How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key
You can easily find out your Windows 11 license key using these three methods.
These methods will only work if you purchased a license in either physical or digital form from Microsoft or if the computer you purchased came with the preinstalled Windows 11 operating system.
1. Using Command Prompt
If you’re looking for your Windows 11 product key, you can find it by entering a quick command in the Command Prompt. Here’s how
1. On the new Windows 11 we get a centered taskbar, click on the Windows icon to open the Start Menu. Here, search for the Command Prompt and run it as administrator.
2. Type the following command to determine the product key and press Enter:
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
3. Now on the Command Prompt, you will find your Windows 11 product key.
Note
If you are using a trial version of Windows 11, then you have an expiration date. To know, check out our guide on – how to check when the Windows 11 build is expiring.
2. Using Windows PowerShell
You can even find out your Windows 11 product key using PowerShell. Just follow these steps:
1. Click on the Windows icon to open the Start Menu.
2. Search for Windows PowerShell, and run it as administrator.
3. Type the following command to determine the product key and press Enter:
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
3. Using ShowKeyPlus
You can also use third-party software like ShowKeyPlus. ShowKeyPlus is highly rated and a very popular solution for people if the PowerShell method does not work.
It works for Windows 11 and Windows 10 and finds keys for both manually purchased and computer-embedded licenses. You can also find the product key of other software.
1. Search for the Microsoft Store on the search bar and open it. Alternatively, on your Windows 11 PC, click the Microsoft Store icon on the taskbar to access the storefront.
2. Now on the search option, search for ShowKeyPlus and press Enter.
3. From the given results, select ShowKeyPlus. Now to install it, click on Get and wait for the installation process to be completed.
4. After the installation process is complete, click on Open to launch the ShowKeyPlus app. Alternatively, you can search for the ShowKeyPlus application on the search option.
5. Now launch ShowKeyPlus, and it will show information related to the Windows license installed on your PC.
6. Click the Save button to save the product details in a text file.
Conclusion
That’s it; this is how you can find your Windows 11 Product Key. If you want to transfer the key to another computer, you can uninstall it from the current system and install it on the new one. If you want to know how to transfer a Windows License to another computer, you can follow the linked guide.
