Product Key Number for Windows 7 - Find and See

How to Find and See the Windows 7 Product Key Number​

   Information

The Windows 7 product key number is a sequence of 25 letters and numbers divided into 5 groups of 5 characters each (ex: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) that is used to activate either the 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 edition that you purchased and installed.

This will show you how to find and see your product key number in Windows 7 or on the retail or OEM product license key Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker.

   Note

• A Windows 7 product key number can only be used to activate the same edition of Windows 7 that it was for, and cannot be used to activate a different edition of Windows 7.
• A Family Pack Windows 7 product key number can be used to activate the Family Pack Windows 7 copy on up to 3 computers at any one time.
• A OEM Windows 7 product key number can only be used to activate a OEM Windows 7 copy on the same computer that it was first activated on, and no other computer.
• A retail Windows 7 product key number can be used to activate a retail Windows 7 copy on any computer, but only on up to one computer at any one time.

For more information on the license terms of Windows 7, see: License Terms

For more information about the product key number authenticity, see: How to Tell

   Tip

A Product Key and Product ID are two completely different things, despite the similarity of the terms.

The 20 character Product ID is created during the installation process and is prominently displayed under the Windows activation section at the bottom of the Control Panel (icons view) -> System window. It is used to obtain/qualify for technical support from Microsoft; it is of no use during the installation process.

The 25 character Product Key is used to "prove" ownership of a legitimate license and is required to perform the installation to activate Windows with.

OPTION ONE

Find Windows 7 Product Key Number on Product Key Sticker

1. For a OEM Product Key on COA Sticker
NOTE: These will be store bought computers that came with Windows 7 preinstalled on them. The product key sticker will usually be on the back of a desktop, and on the bottom or under the battery of a laptop and notebook. The sticker key number may be different than the key number reported in one of the programs below. If so, the key number on the sticker is the one that's unique to your computer, and that's the one you'll need to input should you ever clean install Windows. The different extracted key is just a master key used at the OEM factory.






2. For a Retail Product Key on COA Sticker
NOTE: These will be computers that a retail copy of Windows 7 has been installed on. The product key sticker will be in the included paperwork in the retail Windows 7 box.

OPTION TWO

To Use "ShowKeyPlus" to See Product Key Number in Windows 7

   Note

Installed Key = This is the product key that Windows is currently activated with.

OEM Key = This is the key stored in the UEFI firmware chip on the motherboard. This key will not always be the same as the installed key. For example, when the PC came with Windows 8.1 originally installed.

1. Download and run ShowKeyPlus. See: "ShowKeyPlus" Information and Download Page

OPTION THREE

To Use "Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder" to See Product Key Number in Windows 7

   Note

This option shows you how to use the free program Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to see what the product key number is from within a Windows 7 that it has already been entered in (ex: activated). Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder will not show the product key number for Windows 7 Enterprise though.

1. Download and run the free Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinderprogram towards the bottom of the link.

2. In the left pane, click on Windows 7 (your edition). You will see CD Key in the right pane displaying the Windows 7 product key number.

OPTION FOUR

To Use "Speccy" to See Product Key Number in Windows 7

   Note

This option shows you how to use the free program Speccy to see what the product key number is from within a Windows 7 that it has already been entered in (ex: activated). Speccy will not show the product key number for Windows 7 Enterprise though.

1. Download, install, and run the free Speccy program.

2. In the left pane, click on Operating System. In the right pane, you will see the product key number to the right of Serial Number.

OPTION FIVE

To Use "ProduKey" to See Product Key Number in Windows 7

   Note

This option shows you how to use the free program ProduKey to see what the product key number is from within a Windows 7 that it has already been entered in (ex: activated). ProduKey will not show the product key number for Windows 7 Enterprise though.

1. Download, extract, and run the free ProduKey program.

2. You will now see Windows product key listed.

OPTION SIX

To Use a VBS Download to See Product Key Number in Windows 7

   Note

This option was provided by our member Konst at this link.

There you can see that the encrypted key is stored in registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId
at Offset = 52

And that the key only includes this letters and numbers
BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789
And no "AEILNOSUZ015 allowed.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
See_Windows_Product_Key.vbs


Download


2. Save the VBS file to your desktop, run it, and approve running it.
NOTE: The .vbs file does not install anything on your computer. You can also right click on the .vbs file and click on Edit to see what the script contains.

3. You will now get a pop-up dialog box displaying the product key number used to activate your current Windows installation. Click on OK to close the pop-up when ready. (see screenshot below)

OPTION SEVEN

Find Windows 7 Product Key with "Belarc Advisor"

   Note

You must be signed in as an administrator to run this program. This program will not find the product key of Windows 7 Enterprise since it's a volume license.

1. If you have not already, download and install the free Belarc Advisor program.

2. Run the program. When it displays the results in your default web browser, scroll down until you see your Windows 8 product key like below.




That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Product Key Number in Windows 7
• How to Activate Windows 7 Online
• How to Activate Windows 7 by Phone
• How to Uninstall the Product Key Number and Deactivate Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
• Windows Genuine and Activation Issue Posting Instructions

 

[jeffseven]

I just changed to a SSD in our laptop at home over the weekend. I had to discover the license number using this utility since the manufacturer put the COA on the bottom of the laptop and all the numbers were worn off. Brilliant location. I converted from a 5,500 RPM HD I believe. The laptop is so much faster now I can't believe it.

I also made a boot USB with instructions I found here in the forums. Here is the one I used for that process. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

Anyway, thanks to all who contribute information on the forums. I have learned a ton by reading these forums.

Jeff

BTW, I used Jelly Bean.

 

[cottonball]

Would appreciate some help...

Tried three of the programs on the tutorial, and they all give the same Product Key. Howver, the COA Product ID label on the back of an Asus Netbook has a sequence of 25 numerr/letters that do not match.

Any clues?

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Would appreciate some help...

Tried three of the programs on the tutorial, and they all give the same Product Key. Howver, the COA Product ID label on the back of an Asus Netbook has a sequence of 25 numerr/letters that do not match.

Any clues?

Thanks!

Hey Cotton,

The programs are most likely showing you the SLP key used by ASUS.

The key on the COA sticker would be the one that you want to use to activate with.

 

[cottonball]

Thanks, Brink!

The Product Key on the Asus Netbook is partly erased from wear...guess the owner is out of luck for a new install? Would need to buy a Product Key?

Would think the Product Key on the COA would be somewhere in the Registry, or, is that not the case?

 

[SIW2]

COA key won't be on the machine anywhere else.

He will have the slp key and cert on the machine already.

 

[Brink]

Cotton,

He could try to contact the manufacturer to possibly get the key if they may have it on file for that serial number.

 

[cottonball]

Thanks for the suggestion, Brink.

Already inquired, and they cannot help. The owner lost the receipt for the machine. It has been a while...

The last 2 letters of the last series of numbers/letters are faded. Going to get a 10X magnifying glass from a friend, and see if the numbers/letters can be figured out. I hope so.

 

[SIW2]

Can you boot into windows ? I assume so, as you used the product key finder.

What is the reason for reinstall?

Nit sure if you can do this on an oem machine, but it is worth a try.

You already found the slp key. Try a repair install.

 

[cottonball]

Thanks for the suggestions, SIW2!

Have a thread going here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/browsers-mail/357585-ie-gone-missing.html

Can you boot into windows ? Yes

What is the reason for reinstall? IE missing, etc., see thread above.

Not sure if you can do this on an oem machine, but it is worth a try. What is worth a try, a clean install?

You already found the slp key. Try a repair install. It is my understanding that I can't do anything with the SLP key??!!??

 

[coldy]

I like this it help me out big time. thank you and all the reading was interesting..

 

[Tiredtrying]

I'll try to be brief. I purchased a replacement hard drive with win7 pro32 bit preloded for my panasonic cf-30. it worked fine and activated. The cf-30 died and i purchased a replacement computer that came with win64pro on it. I ended up upgrading to win 10 with the 64 bit hard drive. When I put the 32 bit hard drive in it it wanted to reactivate and told me it expired. I accidentally changed the product key in the 32 bit version to the product key from the 64 bit version that had already been upgraded to win10. I've tried various key retrieval methods but all give the key that I accidentally changed to. Is there a way to revert to the original installed 32bit product key I had, or is there a way to retrieve the original key from the 32 bit version. I'd like to keep the 2 separate hard drives with the 2 different activations, product keys. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Tiredtrying, and welcome to Seven Forums.

A product key can be used to activate both the 32-bit or 64-bit version of a Windows edition.

 

[Tiredtrying]

Hello thanks for the response. I realize it can be used to activate 32 and 64 win 7. I was under the understanding the 64 bit version that I upgraded to win10 is related to the win7 activation. I had worries that MS would remove the activation for the win7 product key because of the upgrade to win10. The product key was valid on the win7 32bit before, and it was a different product key than the win64. So basically I used to have 2 product keys on 2 different hard drives for the same computer. I would like to recover the product key that was on the 32 bit hard drive before I accidentally changed it. Is there any way to recover that product key? Is the previous product key stored somewhere on the hard drive? or is there a way to tell windows to use the original product key before I changed it?

 

[Brink]

OK, I see.

If you didn't delete the Windows.old folder after upgrading, you may be able to go back to the 32-bit Windows 7 to then be able to hopefully find the key afterwards.

Windows 10 - Go Back to Previous Windows - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/153626-product-key-number-windows-7-find-see.html

 

[Tiredtrying]

Unfortunately, It was not the 32bit that I upgraded. It was the 64bit i moved to win10. The 64bit version had many problems with my laptop but the 32 bit worked fine. The 64bit win10 activated and seems to work quite well.
I think it asked me to re-activate the 32 bit because i had replaced the laptop with a same version laptop. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I changed the product key. I did not need to do that but that was the mistake. I accidentally changed the product key. I want to try to find the original product key attached to the 32bit hard drive.

I looked in windows32 bit drive but could not find windows.old. Likely because i did not change or update anything on this drive but the product key.
Is there anywhere or any way to get the key that was originally used to install win7 32 bit on to the drive?

Thanks again.

 

[Brink]

If this is the same 32-bit Windows 7 that came preinstalled on the OEM laptop, then you might look on the bottom of the laptop or under the battery to see if you may have a COA sticker with the key still on it.

 

[rossomike1966]

Hello Tiredtrying, and welcome to Seven Forums.

A product key can be used to activate both the 32-bit or 64-bit version of a Windows edition.

Hello to everyone..
Windows edition of the same family?
i mean .....from W7 Enterprise SP 1 ITA from 32b to 64b or also from W7 Enterprise SP 1 ITA 32b to W7 ultimate SP1 EN 64b and so on..

and the last....:
how and where can I find the exactly 64-bit version of my Windows 7 32-bit; how can i check and where can i find it?
Thank you

 

[Brink]

Hello Mike, and welcome to Seven Forums.

A Windows edition would be like for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows Ultimate. A key for Enterprise would not activate Ultimate.

Currently, the Microsoft link below is the only official location to get a Windows 7 ISO.

Microsoft Software Recovery

 

[rossomike1966]

Hello Mike, and welcome to Seven Forums.


Currently, the Microsoft link below is the only official location to get a Windows 7 ISO.

Microsoft Software Recovery

Thank you for your contribute..

Why my product key is not recognised in this site? (my W7 is genuine)

 

[Brink]

Unfortunately, that link at Microsoft doesn't work so great all the time for a Windows 7 ISO.