How to Find Your Windows 10 OEM Product Key

Written by Eric Wyatt (last updated August 12, 2019)

5

The vast majority of Windows 10 users are using a computer purchased from a PC manufacturer such as Dell, HP, Asus, or others. Manufacturers ship the computer with the Windows operating system already installed. Every version of Windows is assigned what is referred to as a product key. The product key helps ensure the operating system has not been installed on multiple computers.

When manufacturers like Dell or HP ship a computer, the installed operating system has what is referred to as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) key. Your OEM key can help with registration and installations. To find the OEM key assigned to your computer, you can search through all the material(s) that was packaged with your computer, or the OEM key may have been emailed to you.

Rather than searching everywhere for the number you can dig it out quickly and easily using the Command Prompt. To find your OEM key using the Command Prompt follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows key and type (without quotes) "Command Prompt." When you press Enter, Windows opens a Command Prompt window.
  2. Type the following and press Enter. Command Prompt will then display the OEM key for your computer.
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey (See Figure 1.)

Now you can quickly view your OEM Key any time you need it, without having to sort through bags and papers that may have come with your computer.

Figure 1. The Command Prompt window showing the OEM Key.

 This tip (13661) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Eric Wyatt

Eric Wyatt is a swell guy (or so his friends tell him). He is a formally trained designer and branding expert, bringing a wide range of skills to his Tips.Net articles. ...

MORE FROM ERIC

Change the Default Appended Name for New Folders

By default in Windows 10, when a folder or file is copied or duplicated within the same folder as the original, the ...

Discover More

Introducing Microsoft Garage

Microsoft Garage is a way to test out new innovative programs or features that help developers looking to expand or test ...

Discover More

Listing Folder and Directory Content Using Command Prompt

Using Command Prompt to generate file listing the contents of a directory is quick and easy. Here's how to do it.

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Adjusting Speaker Volume

Adjusting your computer's speaker volume is a quick process. Windows gives you simple access to the overall volume level ...

Discover More

Understanding the Windows Experience Index

Sometimes it's good to know how powerful your system is. You may want to alleviate a hardware bottleneck or decide ...

Discover More

Creating a Selection Set

You may often need to work with many files at the same time. For example, you may wish to copy or delete a set of files. ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is nine minus 1?

2021-10-03 18:23:40

Emil Heshan

Thank you very much !!!!

2021-08-14 14:26:00

hillen mcdabra

thank you

2019-08-13 05:22:36

ErQC

Works on my Microsoft Surface Pro 4 but not on my (older) Windows 10 Pro desktop.
But this is normal, this command get the OEM product key stored in the BIOS and in older PCS it isn't present.

However you can get the product key with a small freeware tool 'Produkey.exe' (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html).
It will give you both the OEM BIOS and the installation product key.
(see Figure 1 below)



Figure 1. Produkey on a Surface Pro 4

2019-08-12 13:07:51

MIchael Armstrong

I upgraded whatever came with my Dell Latitude (Windows 7?) to Windows 10 Pro. Entering
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
returns
OA3xOriginalProductKey
followed by two blanks lines.

2019-08-12 09:27:07

PerranMan

wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey simply displays
OA3xOriginalProductKey

and nothing else.

WIn 10 Pro

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.