How to find the Windows 11 product key

If you want to know how to find Windows 11 Product Key, there are many ways to get it and all of them are really easy.

Since Windows 10, the product key is tied to the system hardware. As a result, there is no need to remember the product key when updating or performing a clean installation. However, this also means that you usually don't have access to your Windows 11 product key right away.

That said, there are cases where knowing the license key for your copy of Windows can help. Fortunately, finding the Windows 11 product key is easy, and here we show you how.

What is a Windows Product Key

A Windows product key is a 25-character code that you can use to activate your copy of Windows. Since Windows 11 uses a digital licensing method for activation, there is no need to manually enter the key every time you upgrade or perform a clean installation of the Windows operating system.

However, if you encounter an activation error, you may be asked to enter your 25-character product key to successfully activate your copy of Windows. So, if you don't know the product key, here's how to extract it from your Windows 11 system.

Note that each edition of Windows uses its own unique product key. So, if you have a license for the Windows Home edition, you can't use it to activate Windows 10 Pro or other editions.

How to find the Windows 11 product key using the command prompt

You can use the always reliable command prompt to find the product key for your copy of Windows. It goes without saying that you need to have a Windows-activated computer to retrieve the code. Here's how to do it.

• Awards Win + WILL on the keyboard to open Windows Search.
• Type cmd and then click Run as administrator from the search result.
• In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and hit enter to run:

  wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

• The original product key will be displayed on the screen. Copy and save the key in a safe place like your Dropbox or Google Drive account for future use.

How to recover Windows 11 product key using PowerShell

If you prefer PowerShell at the command prompt or if the first method didn't work, you can use this task automation tool to recover your Windows 11 product key. Here's how to do it.

• Awards Win and type powershell .
• Right-click on PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
• In the PowerShell window, type the following command and hit enter:

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

• It may take a few seconds for the command to run. When it's done, you'll see the product key for your copy of Windows.

Note that this also requires that you have an activated version of Windows.

Use a third-party tool to find the Windows 11 product key

If you'd rather avoid the hassle of typing commands or running scripts, third-party tools like ShowKeyPlus can help you find your Windows activation code with just a few clicks.

ShowKeyPlus is a third-party app and is available in the Microsoft Store. All you need to do is download and run the app to retrieve the Windows product information. Here's how to do it.

1. Visit the Microsoft Store page for and install the app.
2. Launch ShowKeyPlus and it will show information about the Windows license installed on your PC.
3. Click the button Save to save the product details in a text file.

Also, you can use this tool to check the Windows edition using the product key and also recover a key from a backup.