The Windows 11 license key is the key to fully enjoying the operating system. If you have lost it or need to recover it, follow these steps carefully to unlock everything this system can offer you.
Every legal copy of Windows 11 is associated with a product key, which is a 25-character code used for the sole purpose of checking the copy of the operating system itself and verifying it in order to have all the services offered by Microsoft .
You may need to find this key at some point. Whether you’re considering reinstalling Windows or simply need to activate a newly installed copy, knowing how to find this key can save you time and effort .
There may be some kind of error with this service or any situation where you need to know what that code is, but you don’t have it written down and we have no idea what characters it consists of. For example, when you are installing Windows and you don’t put in that code, you will lose a good number of key system functions and it will even not update under any circumstances .
Knowing the key using the Command Prompt
The first option you have available is to use the Command Prompt to recover the key with which you activated Windows 11.
It should be noted that this tool is a command line interpreter, authorizing certain tasks to be executed through scripts and batch files , which perform slightly advanced functions or even, on certain occasions, solve problems with the operating system itself.
There are many people who confuse the Command Prompt, or as it is officially called, the Windows Command Processor , with an MS-DOS that is within the system, and that is not the case, although it looks similar and shares certain commands.
To get the Command Prompt to tell you what the Windows key is, just follow these steps:
- Open the Start menu and then type cmd in the dedicated field at the top and when you see it just click on it.
- You have another way like pressing Win + R keys , typing cmd in the empty field and then pressing Enter to launch Command Prompt.
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- Once inside you must write the following code: wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey.
- Once you press Enter you will see your Windows operating system key appear on the screen right on the next line.
View the key using PowerShell
Another tool that can help you identify your product key is Windows PowerShell . While it may look like Command Prompt, this tool is actually a cross-platform task solution that consists of a command line shell , scripting language , and configuration management.
We can call it, with all due respect, a kind of much more modern Command Prompt with special features such as being able to not only accept text, but also accept and return .NET objects.
- If you want to enter PowerShell, you must click the magnifying glass on the Windows taskbar and then type PowerShell .
- Once it appears on the screen, click on Run as administrator .
- Now you need to put the following command: powershell “(Get-WmiObject-query ‘select*from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey”.
- As soon as you press Enter, the Windows 11 key number will appear at the bottom so you can write it down and avoid any more mishaps.
Find Windows 11 Key Using ShowKeyPlus
There is a third option, which is to use a third-party tool that you can easily download from the Microsoft Store and is called ShowKeyPlus .
This is the fastest way of all to get the key , since as soon as you open the tool you will see all the data you need at once and without having to enter any folder or press any button.
It automatically shows you the name of the product you have installed, the product ID, the build version, the installed key, as well as the OEM key.
From the Windows Registry
Another option to find out the license key of your Windows 11 PC is through the Windows Registry . A tool that, although not entirely intuitive because it only shows folders and numbers with letters, is perfect for finding what you are looking for.
The first step is to run the regedit command via the Run window , which is opened by pressing the Win + R keys at the same time from the keyboard. Now, the next step is to navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform .
Inside SoftwareProtectionPlatform , you will see a string value called BackupProductKeyDefault , which when clicked will show you all the important information about your PC, including your Windows 11 license.
How do I copy my product key back to Windows 11?
If you need to copy your product key again to resolve the problem with Windows 11 or you have had to get another one for whatever reason, the way is extremely simple and you will only have to follow a few steps.
To have the key active or replace it with another one, you must do what we indicate right now. First of all, click on the Windows start menu , then go to Settings (icon with a gear).
- After that, in the menu on the left side of the screen, you need to tap on System , the first option that appears.
- Once inside you have to scroll down and you will see that there is a place where it says Information , which you must click on.
- In the next window we go down again to see where it says Product key and activation .
- Once inside, click on Update Windows Edition and you will see how a drop-down menu will automatically open with an option that says Change the product key . Click on Change (on the right side of the option) and then enter the characters you have at hand.
From here you have your Windows 11 operating system key changed to one that actually works or to the same one if there has been some kind of error when recognizing it.
As you can see, both knowing what password you have on your computer and entering it again if you need to, for whatever reason, are extremely simple and very easy processes to perform .
If you have tried the Windows product key recovery systems we have shared with you, tell us on our social networks which one convinced you the most and why. We would love to hear your opinion on this topic.