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

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Shawn I have a new laptop that I got the code from the original disk and then swapped out the spinner for a SSD.
Now I installed the ISO for 7 Pro (that I saved when it was still available from Heidoc.com) to the SSD using the key that the Magic Jelly Bean gave me. The machine has been running for two months now without a hitch and out of the blue is now telling me this is not a genuine copy of Windows.

This also happened on a friends computer but not on my main laptop. I have tried option 5 but it comes up with nothing.
So is it possible that Microsoft are now blocking any of those ISO's I saved which we can reinstall form? because it is almost impossible to get the actual and unique code from the sellers. Speccy picks up the sellers code but it is nothing like the MJB one.

Any thoughts mate??

 

[derekimo]

Hello Shawn I have a new laptop that I got the code from the original disk and then swapped out the spinner for a SSD.
Now I installed the ISO for 7 Pro (that I saved when it was still available from Heidoc.com) to the SSD using the key that the Magic Jelly Bean gave me. The machine has been running for two months now without a hitch and out of the blue is now telling me this is not a genuine copy of Windows.

This also happened on a friends computer but not on my main laptop. I have tried option 5 but it comes up with nothing.
So is it possible that Microsoft are now blocking any of those ISO's I saved which we can reinstall form? because it is almost impossible to get the actual and unique code from the sellers. Speccy picks up the sellers code but it is nothing like the MJB one.

Any thoughts mate??

It's not the ISO's John, it's because the key you used is the one the factory does their installation with, you can't use that key on a clean install, it's the OEM SLP, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Locked_Pre-installation

SLP installations require a master product key issued by each OEM maker, which is unique to the specific edition of Windows, such as Home (XP), Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, Server, etc. This SLP key is different from the product key printed on the Certificate of Authenticity affixed to an OEM assembled PC; COA product key is used in cases when Windows license stored is invalidated for some reason and re-activation is required.

That key is only good for the factory to use, you need the one on the COA to activate.



That's the problem with some key finders, they will see that factory key, and people think they can install with it.

They can't see the key on the COA sticker, (The one you need) unless it was previously used to do an install with.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yep I knew about that Derek I am just mystified as to why my main laptop is genuine and yet not my new one.
It is very irritating that sellers will not give us the unique key as part of the deal I know the machine can be RMA during the warranty period but what after that goes away.? Pretty unfair when one doesn't get a disk or at least code for the copy they have sold you. Apart from that means buying Windows all over again - pretty ordinary treatment of the consumer. Just another reason for me looking elsewhere for an OS because I think Windows is going troppo right now.

I suppose the only other option I can try is to clone the spinner to the SSD and then scrub it clean of Asus bloat and rubbish software.

 

[Brink]

Hello John,

See if "ShowKeyPlus" below can help show your OEM COA key.

Product Key - View in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok mate I'll try that one because evry key finder whether it is MJB or what comes up with very same code.

Now I swapped out the SSD and put the original spinner in tonight and it came up with that same code.

I have now cloned the spinner to the SSD for some speed and have made the five partitions as small as I can to make way for the bulk of data that I ma now going to have to reload onto the SSD plus I am going to remove a lot of Asus bloat.

But do you think maybe like I do that Microsoft has looked for those old Heidoc.com ISO's I saved when Gregs tutorial was the way to go and seen them being used and put a block on activating them??

Look honestly I am pretty darn miffed that you and the others have put so much work into 7 8 and now 10 that the systems are in what I can only see as some sort of disarray. Sorry for being so pessimistic but you have always been a great help to me (and others of course) and I do feel that you are the meat in sandwich having to put up with problems that are being caused in my mind by Microsoft.

 

[Brink]

As long as the ISO is for the same language and Windows edition as what the key was for from the laptop, it should activate.

If the laptop came with Windows 7 preinstalled, then there should be a COA sticker on the bottom or under the battery with the product key.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks Shawn that is what I was thinking too and yes I did make sure the ISO's were English(US) and the problem these days the last two pre installed laptops which I paid considerable amounts of money for did not have the sticker hence me relying on the MJB, Belarc etc to find to key.

Sticker wise the only sticker that came with a machine was that Windows 8 one on my main laptop ( a slightly blue one - in pic) which of course tells you nothing - but it was after much harassing the seller that I got the key for that machine (the 7 downgrade)- which again was verified by MJB as I didn't know about it at the time.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. The product key for a preinstalled Windows 8 Pro will be embedded in the UEFI firmware chip on the motherboard of the PC.

That's not going to help you with Windows 7, but you can activate Windows 10 Pro with the W8 Pro key.

Is Windows 7 activated when trying to see what the key is on it?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Is Windows 7 activated when trying to see what the key is on it?

Yes mate it was then after two months and out of the blue it came back as non genuine, and no matter of entering the key given by MJB would change that.

I have like I said swapped out the SSD I had in it (and working) put the original spinner back in found the key is just what I activated the ISO with so am therefore guessing the firm has blocked any saved ISO's from Heidoc it seems the only logical explanation.

Anyway I have cleaned the SSD and cloned the spinner to it and resized the original partitions (5 the ISO install was just 2) to make main data partition as large as I can. All I have to do is now put back all my data pics docs etc oh and get rid a lot of the Asus bloat which of course the ISO install did not have. Boot time has accordingly slowed down though fairly quick (15 secs to 30 secs).

 

[torchwood]

WAT

Looks like the WAT 90 day check kicked in and decided it didnt like you
KB971033.

Roy

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Could be Roy anyways I have swapped out the SSD for the original and although the bloody thing won't let me install and now activate from the ISO I have and I did it on the day I installed the ISO. Anyhow I have most of my speed back after tweaking the cloned drive.

So wretched annoying though because the key was the exact one the original spinner - I made sure before trying the ISO. Mine is not an isolated case either a friend used an ISO from me and it has gone south too.

 

[torchwood]

ssd

multiple swapping of hard drives in and out sends a message to MS, and they then tend to require phone activation.

Roy

 

[Brink]

You'll most likely need to activate by phone.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok well seems a bit draconian but if that what it takes and makes me wonder why it has been tightened up so much now cos I have done it a few times in the past only once can I remember phoning when a mobo went south.

I also wonder why what the fuss is about as they are pushing to get rid of everything but 10. Certainly isn't the Microsoft one used to trust and really put above all else eh? Plus I don't know about anyone else but phoning them usually ends in some call centre from hell where they cannot understand you properly - I don't know about the US or UK but it's usually the Philippines for us and while I have no feelings about race I do wish they could at least speak English with some smattering of clarity.

 

[Brink]

I'd have to say it was due to what Roy posted. Since the key is used to activate both, swapping drives could have tripped a red flag thinking you have the key activated on multiple installations at the same time.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep you don't want to have a internet connection doing that

 

[Benteke]

I still have (and can read) the sticker on the bottom of my laptop but I'm having some difficulty identifying one of the characters. The best way I can describe it is it kinda looks like a combination of the top portion of the letter R with the bottom portion of the letter X.

Any ideas?

 

[derekimo]

I still have (and can read) the sticker on the bottom of my laptop but I'm having some difficulty identifying one of the characters. The best way I can describe it is it kinda looks like a combination of the top portion of the letter R with the bottom portion of the letter X.

Any ideas?

Try taking a picture of it, you can zoom in on it and that may clear up what it is.

I had to do that on my laptop recently, B & 8 look too much alike.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I still have (and can read) the sticker on the bottom of my laptop but I'm having some difficulty identifying one of the characters.

Mate try the Magic Jelly Bean software from within this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/153626-product-key-number-windows-7-find-see.html

If the result comes up with the majority of the rest of the code then it will ID the letter you cannot quite see.

 

[derekimo]

How does that read a COA sticker John?