Buying genuine Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store app. Digital license. Buying a copy of Windows 10 from an authorized retailer. Find it on a label inside the Windows 10 box. A digital license will be given to your device for Windows 10 based on the valid product key you entered. The fact that you have a Windows CD handy doesn't prove to Microsoft that you've paid for the right to use it. That's why you're required to enter your Product ID (PID, also sometimes called the.
This article introduces how to validate the OEM activation key in Windows 10.
Original product version: Windows 10 - all editions
Original KB number: 4346763
Background
Starting at Windows 10 Creators Update (build 1703), Windows activation behavior has changed. The unique OA3 Digital Product Key (DPK) isn't always presented as the currently installed key in the device. Instead, the system behaves as follows:
Windows 10 (including all versions starting at Windows 10 Creators Update) is deployed to a device by having the appropriate default product key. You can run
slmgr /dliorslmgr /dlvto show the partial default product key instead of the OA3 DPK as the current license in the firmware. The product ID displayed on the Settings > System > About page isn't unique for the Windows 10 key that's being used.A device that's running any Windows 10 OEM client edition, such as Windows Home or Windows Professional, and is activated by using the OA3 DPK in the firmware is upgraded to a newer version. For example, it's upgraded from build 1703 to build 1709. However, sometimes running
slmgr /dliorslmgr /dlvdoesn't show the OA3 DPK as the current license. Instead, these commands show the default product key.
The behavior is by design. The activation and user experience aren't affected. But OA validation in the factory may be affected as follows:
- The Windows 7 product key forms the basis for the product ID that is created when Windows 7 is installed. Each licensed instance of Windows 7 has a unique Product ID. The Product ID has 20 characters arranged like this: 12345-1-12345. It is listed in the properties for My Computer and is randomly generated.
- View Windows 10 Product Key Method 1: Using WMI command-line or PowerShell. Use the following WMI command-line to fix the product key of your Windows installation. Wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey. This method retrieves the activation key stored in the UEFI/BIOS of your computer.
- The output of the
slmgr /dlvorslmgr /dlicommand isn't necessarily the last five (5) digits of the injected DPK. So you can no longer rely upon these commands to return the expected results.
A channel ID or site code that identifies how the Windows product was originally obtained For example, a channel ID or site code identifies whether the product was originally purchased from a retail store, obtained as an evaluation copy, obtained through a volume licensing program, or preinstalled by a computer manufacturer.
Recommendations for validating the product ID against the product key ID of OA3 DPK
Every OEM has a different manufacturing process that has been adopted through years of experience. Specifically, to validate the DPK against the installed Windows 10 edition, we recommend that you don't rely on the output of slmgr /dlv or slmgr/dli. Instead, use the latest OA3Tool as follows:
How To Find Windows 10 Product Key
OA3TOOL /Validate
It runs a validation pass to make sure that:
- the MSDM table exists.
- the MSDM table header includes all the required fields.
- the MSDM table entries exist and comply with the correct formats.
OA3TOOL /CheckEdition
Does a cross-check between the injected DPK and the target Windows edition if they match.
Can Microsoft ensure that the system will always activate if I do the recommended steps
The Windows activation system is designed to use the product key that's injected into the firmware of the computer during manufacturing. It automatically activates the device when the device first comes online. This operation is used daily on thousands of devices. As an extra check, OEMs are encouraged to run the complete end-to-end validation process, including activation on a subset of the devices, to validate the user experience with their PCs. If you experience any issues, engage with us through the usual channels.
Why did Microsoft remove the ability to check the last five digits of the product by using slmgr
SLMGR is a legacy tool. Although we haven't updated slmgr, and because of updates in successive system builds, the last five digits of the product key that are shown by slmgr /dlv or /dli don't match the product key injected into the system BIOS. It's by design. We have no intentions of validating SLMGR for every Windows 10 release or making any other changes. We are very open to feedback regarding the OA3 tool and more capabilities we can add to it to improve the manufacturing flow.
Windows Product Key is embedded in the computer’s BIOS/UEFI firmware and cannot be easily seen or accessed. You will find below different methods to find Windows 10 Product Key.
Find Windows 10 Product Key
Windows Product Key, also known as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Key is a 25 character long code used by Microsoft to prevent unauthorized use of its software.
The 25-character Windows Product Key contains letters and numbers, divided into 5 groups that are separated by a hyphen “-” and written in the following format:
Windows Product Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
The method to find Windows Product key varies, depending on whether Windows 10 was purchased from Microsoft, came pre-installed on your computer or was obtained by switching to Windows 10 from an earlier version of Windows.
1. Find Windows 10 Product Key Using Command Prompt
In case of new computers, Windows 10 Product Key is embedded right into the UEFI/BIOS firmware and won’t be available on the packaging or stickers attached to the computer.
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.
2. In Run Command window, type wmic path softwarelicencingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey and press the Enter key on the keyboard of your computer.
3. Once the command is executed, it will display Windows 10 Product Key on the Command prompt window.
2. Find Windows 10 Product Key Using Registry Editor
While it is easy to locate the Registry entry containing the Product Key, you will need a third party software to convert Registry entries in to 25 Digit Windows 10 Product Key.
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.
2. In Run Command window, type regedit and click on OK.
3. On Registry Editor screen, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftNTCurrentVersion.
4. Open CurrentVersion Folder and click on DigitalProductId entry in the right-pane to find Windows 10 Product ID.
Windows 10 Product Id Vs Product Key
As mentioned above, you will be needing a third part service to convert the coded registry entries in to 25 digit Windows 10 Product ID.
3. Use ShowKeyPlus for Windows 10
ShowKeyPlus is a free to use Open Source Software Program that can find Windows 10 Product Key on your computer.
You can Download ShowKeyPlus from GitHUB directly on your computer or download the program to a USB drive and Run the program from there.
The ShowKeyPlus Program for Windows 10 has a very simple user interface, most users should find it easy to use this program.
You can easily save the Product Key and other information displayed by this program to a text file by just clicking on the Save button.
4. Check Confirmation Email from Microsoft
If you bought a digital copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft, you will find Windows 10 product key in the confirmation email received from Microsoft.
If you do not have the confirmation email, you should be able to find the Product Key by logging in to your Microsoft Account and checking your order history.
Note: Only Microsoft and Amazon are authorized to sell digital copies of Windows 10. Other retailers selling Windows 10 product keys are not legitimate or genuine.
5. Check Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
If your computer came with Windows 7 or earlier versions of Windows operating system, Windows Product key will be available on COA sticker attached to your computer.
On Laptops, the sticker is usually placed at the bottom or at the lower right corner of the keyboard.
In case of Desktop computers, the sticker is fixed on the sides, at the back or inside the casing.