How to Find Windows Product Key Using Command Prompt or from Registry Editor

You can find the Windows product key or the license key from your currently installed Windows using Command Prompt or from the Registry Editor. Finding the product key is easy just follow the given steps below and get the Windows key. If the command prompt doesn’t return the Windows key then go for the Registry method.

Find Windows Product Key using Command Prompt

1. First, you need to open up the Command Prompt with administrative rights. So, press the Windows key from the keyboard, this will open up the Start menu.Now, type cmd or command prompt from the keyboard. This will instantly search for the Windows Command Prompt.
   In the search results right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. If you see a User Account Control window asking for permission then Click the Yes button.

2. Check the Windows License Status

   You just opened the cmd window with administrator rights. Make sure you see the word Administrator in the title of this window (Administrator: Command Prompt). Before we start looking for the Windows license or product key you should check the current license status of your Windows. So, type slmgr /dli command and hit Enter from the keyboard.
   

3. This will show you a new popup window, where you can see the Windows Name, Description, Partial Product key, and License Status: licensed. As you can see my Windows is Licensed, click OK to close the message. In the next step, we will find the Windows Product key.
   
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   You can use this command slmgr /dlv to get some more information about your Windows on your computer.

4. Command to find Windows Key

   To find Windows Product Key, you need to type the following command: wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKeyand hit the Enter key to execute it. Due to some reason this command didn’t work on one of my computers. But, I tried on another one it was working fine. In case it’s not showing the license key on your computer as well then continue reading and follow the next registry method.
   

Find Product Key from the registry using a command

1. Instead of opening the Windows registry and looking for the key deep inside different registry folders, I created a command that lookup up the Windows product key in the registry automatically and returns it in a second.
   You need to type the following command:
   Reg Query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform" /v BackupProductKeyDefault
   Command Explained:
   Reg is the command name
   Query is the operation
   In double quotesHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\... is a path for a specific folder in the registry
   /v to get the value of a specific key name
   BackupProductKeyDefault is the key name that contains the windows license key

View Windows Product Key in Registry Editor

1. If you are not comfortable with the command line then you can browse the Windows registry manually and look for the key. Make sure while looking for the key inside Windows Registry you don’t modify anything, this may result in an unwanted Windows behavior.
   So, press the Windows+R keyboard shortcut and then type regedit in the Run window and press the OK button.

   

2. This will open up the Registry Editor. Now on the left side of the registry window navigate to the following path, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   Expand Microsoft folder
   Open Windows NT folder
   Now, open CurrentVersion folder
   Select the SoftwareProtectionPlatform folder.
   
3. Once, you select this folder, this will show you all the keys of this folder on the right side. Where you can see a key with the name BackupProductKeyDefautl, which contains the product key or Windows that you installed.
   

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