A product key is used to identify the rightful owner of a piece of software. By having the serial number or license number at hand, Microsoft can verify that you actually purchased the program. Although software can be copied, the product key remains unique and can only be used for a single matching version of the software. This holds true for Windows 8 and many other operating systems and software. If you purchase a physical version of your operating system, the license product key is usually located on the back of the box. However, if you lose the product key, finding it may prove a challenge.
How to recover windows 8 product key
As of the release of Windows 8, it is no longer absolutely necessary to be able to find your product key, especially if you bought your computer or laptop from an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) with a preinstalled operating system. In this case, the product key is stored on the hardware and automatically unlocks your operating system as soon as you reinstall it.
LicenseCrawler is free for private users. However, companies must purchase a license. This small program scans the entire system and then lists the serial numbers for all applications. The tool allows you to find the product keys for other programs too. Its output is in the form of a simple text file which can be directly encrypted to protect sensitive information.
This key finder published by Sterjo Software gets surprisingly fast results. The software will find the Windows 8 product key within a few seconds of the program being started up. This key finder can also display the license product keys for other programs. Using this key finder, you can get your Windows product key even if the operating system can no longer be booted up.
If you do not want to download additional software and can work without a graphical interface, you should use the tools that are provided with the operating system. You can use cmd.exe or PowerShell to find your Windows 8 license product key. To do so, follow the steps below:
Where is Windows product key stored? On previous Windows, you can find a sticker with printed Windows product key on a sticker on the side of your desktop computer or on the back your laptop. Also, after the Windows is registered, the Windows product key is stored in the registry file. However, on Windows 8/8.1 laptop, you maybe cannot find the sticker with Windows product key. Even, the Windows product key is not stored in the Windows registry file. The OEM Windows 8/8.1 product key may be stored on the BIOS.
To get Windows 8/8.1 product key from Windows registry files, most of product key finder freeware can do it. But, if the Windows product key is stored in the BIOS, you need Lazesoft Windows Key Finder or Lazesoft Recovery Suite to help you to recover Windows 8/8.1 OEM product key from BIOS.
Depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11, you'll need either a 25-character product key or a digital license to activate it. A digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10, Version 1511) is a method of activation in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that doesn't require you to enter a product key. Without one of these, you won't be able to activate your device.
The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.
The product key is in the confirmation email you received after buying your digital copy of Windows. Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you purchased from the Microsoft online store. You can find out if you purchased from Microsoft in your Microsoft account Order history.
If you bought Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro upgrade in the Microsoft Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key in the confirmation email that was sent to confirm the purchase. That email address (MSA) will contain the digital license. You can use the digital license for activation.
So now, I want to install windows 7. I know that product keys from windows (7, 8 & 10) are used interchangeably. Since my Microsoft account is linked to my product key, I can install windows 10, but to install windows 7, I need the key itself.
It is not necessary to recover your Windows 8 license key. The Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 installation environment will automatically detect the license key. While tools exist to display this information, they are not required at any point, to activated Windows 8.x.
This wikiHow teaches you how to find your 25-character Windows 8 product key in a variety of ways. If you can boot into Windows, you can find the key using the command prompt, Windows PowerShell, or a free app called ProduKey. If the PC won't boot, you may find the key on a sticker somewhere on the hardware, the DVD packaging (if you purchased Windows separately), or in your email (if you purchased Windows online through Microsoft). If you're unable to retrieve the key with any of these methods, you can purchase a replacement key for only $10 through Microsoft.
Even though this is a good way to combat piracy, and in most cases, Windows 8/8.1 setup automatically reads the product key while reinstalling the operating system, PC users who need the product key to download Windows ISO from Microsoft to reinstall the OS or for other reasons need to recover the product key from the firmware first.
Windows 8 Product Key Viewer is a little tool developed to recover Windows 8/8.1 product key from BIOS/UEFI as well as hard drive. In short, you can use this tool to retrieve Windows product key on a PC preinstalled with Windows 8/8.1, and also, if you have installed Windows 8/8.1 on a newly assembled computer.
My new laptop came preinstalled with Windows 8. Naively, as I am, I just formatted the harddrive and installed fine old Ubuntu. Now I want to install Windows 8 for dual boot again, but I have no DVD and do download the ISO one needs a product key. That key is not on the back of the laptop anymore but somewhere on the mainboard.
It should be noted, however, that I used this method to try to install Win8 in a VM using my own product key, but it automatically deactivated saying that the product key was in use. So, it's of little use in all reality. Since Win8 OEM keys are designed to be tied to that specific computer, you'll hit a brick wall if you ask Microsoft to unregister the key so you can use it in a VM, let alone another computer.
It is known that Windows 8 is different from previous Windows operational system. There is no sticker available on computer listing product license key. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 computer, product keys are saved in the registry and evaluated each time you load a Windows update.
4. Right-click the ProductId key and select Modify. View the number displayed. This is your product key for Windows. Press the "Cancel" button to avoid making changes to the value.
If the above couldn't help you, we need to ask for Windows 8 replacement product key from Microsoft. But at first you have to make sure Windows 8 version you are using. Is it Windows OEM version? If it is, you have to call the support department of your PC vendor first.
Surely, above two ways work sometimes. But whether there is another way more easily and effectively to find Windows 8 product key? The answer is yes. iSunshare Product Key Finder is such third-party software used to find forgotten or lost product keys for installed software programs, including Windows, Office, SQL Server, IE, Adobe etc.
If you want to recover a key from a dead computer, you can hook up the hard drive to a working PC, and then run ProduKey and use File > Select Source to point to the external Windows directory. You can then grab the keys from that computer easily.
I am asking this for a female friend of mine. She owns a Dell Inspiron 3520 laptop computer with a Seagate ATA 500GB hard drive. It came with windows 8 preinstalled. I'm not sure why but she allowed someone to install Linux 14 nadia on her computer. Instead of doing a dual boot with both operating systems he erased the hard drive and reformatted it with the Linux operating system. She now wants the computer returned to the windows 8 operating system but has no back up recovery disk and no product key. It is my understanding that her product key may be embedded in the motherboard. Is it possible to wipe the hard drive clean for the second time, format it and reinstall windows 8. Will the install recover the product key from the mother board or will she need to purchase a new licensed copy of windows 8. Will the hard drive stand another erase and reinstall of a windows operating system or does she need a new hard drive. Thank you in advance!
You can re-install Windows 8 using a Dell OEM disk and it will get activated using the product key embedded on the motherboard. Please visit the following link to place a request for the Windows back-up disk:
That was my plans eventually! My problem right now is that the person that installed Ubuntu/Linux 14 nadia on her computer has it password protected and so I'm having trouble running any type installation disk. Is there any type software that will just override this OS and clean the hard drive without using a password. Might I add he renamed the hard drive system files. Does not have a dual boot system with windows 8 and Linux OS
There are several different types of passwords and workarounds are difficult to execute without proof of ownership. What you should know is that if a system lock / BIOS Admin lock is in place your only recourse is to provide proof of ownership to Customer Service at Dell. Be aware that if the HDD Lock from BIOS Security is active Dell support may or may not be able to help you. Be prepared for both. Normally when One is in place, so is the other. If your problem is simply an Operating System User Account Password, A clean installation will get you where you're going. The link provided in the above post "dellwindowsreinstallationguide" was posted by it's Author. It is Extraordinarily comprehensive and following it closely will afford you a clean installation of Windows and Dell related software as well as drivers. The Disk Images (.iso files) are also linked in that guide so you should...with a few hours and a little patience...be able to help your female friend get back to using her Dell equipment. GOOD LUCK and Happy Hunting! 2ff7e9595c
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