Windows 8, like any other version of the Microsoft OS, should be activated using a product key in order to make use of its premium features. You might have already done that. But you lose the key somehow and no longer have the OS installed. In this scenario, you should recover the product key in order to start enjoying the full benefits of your Windows 8 license again. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the easiest methods you can follow to get your product key back.
1. Manually check for the Key
This might sound silly, but there might be people who are not aware that Windows 8 product keys will be displayed in several places. For example, are you aware that some of the laptop manufacturers note down the product key in the form of a sticker at the bottom of the product? If not, look under. Mainly there are three places you can look for the windows 8 product key.
- A sticker on your laptop or PC: With certain laptops and PCs, you may find the product key of your operating system in the form of a sticker somewhere on the product especially underneath. So search for it, if you were able to find it, you can save a ton of time.
- The Windows 8 installation media: If you used an installation media to install the product, you might have also received a label or paper with installation instructions and your product key.
- Microsoft order history: If you purchased the Windows 8 license digitally, be sure to check the order history on the Microsoft website. There are chances that you may be able to recover the key that way.
2. Recover Windows 8 Product Key with CMD
Time needed: 30 minutes.
CMD can be used for a lot of things. To recover your product key as well. Just carefully do the steps mentioned here. Follow these steps to recover Windows 8 product key using CMD.
- Open CMD
CMD allows us to recover the Windows 8 product keys using the commands. You can open it from the Start menu by searching CMD and choosing the Command Prompt option. You can also open CMD by pressing Win + R keys together and typing in “CMD” in the Run prompt, then pressing Enter.
- Enter the command
Once CMD is opened, type the following command in the console and press Enter.
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey - Copy the product key
Once you enter the above command, it will show you the product key of your Windows 8 installation if it has one. Just copy it by selecting the product key, then right-click on it, and choosing “copy” from the context menu.
3. Use a Third-Party tool
There are several third-party tools that allow recovering Windows 8 product key. You can simply download one of them and use them to get access to your lost key. Here are some of the most used tools that can recover Windows 8 product keys.
Be sure to use them in the same order listed above so that you will always use the best tool first before going to the less popular ones.
4. Use the Registry to Recover Windows 8 Product Key
Windows registry is a powerful tool that contains very important information regarding our operating system and allows it to work smoothly. Did you know that you can also use it to find out information about the Windows 8 product key? If not, have a look at the 3rd method we mentioned in our article on recovering Windows 7 product key. Follow the same steps on your Windows 8 PC in order to recover your product key using the Windows 8 registry.
5. Reach out to Microsoft Support
The last thing you can do if you were not able to find out your lost key even after following any of the above-listed methods is reaching out to Microsoft support. If there are any chances for you to get back your product key, it depends on Microsoft support. If you were able to prove that you are a genuine customer and provide the information regarding your Windows 8 installation, they might be able to help you. Give it a try.
