#Find office 2016 product key free how to#
#Find office 2016 product key free install#

No one can glance at your computerвЂ™s sticker to steal its product key. On newer Windows 8 and 10 computers, the key isnвЂ™t stored in software where it can be wiped, or on a sticker where it could be smudged off or removed. If the Key Is StoredВ inВ Your PCвЂ™s Hardware

#Find office 2016 product key free install#

In other words, if it came with Windows 7 Home Premium, you canвЂ™t install Windows 7 Professional. ItвЂ™ll all happen automatically.Д«e sure to use the same version and edition of Windows the computer came with. You donвЂ™t even need to know itвЂ“assuming youвЂ™re installing the same edition of Windows the PC came with, it should automatically activate and work without you needing to enter a key. The key for the version of Windows the PC comes with is stored in theВ computerвЂ™s UEFI firmwareВ or BIOS. Embedded inВ your PCвЂ™s UEFI firmware: Many newer PCs that come with Windows 8 or 10 use a new method.This system was common for Windows 7 PCs. The one in the registry and key-viewer application is a red herring.

The actual key is on a certificate of authenticity (COA) sticker on your PC or its power supply. If your PC uses this, the product key on your PCвЂ“the one stored in the registry, and the one key-viewer applications displayвЂ“will be different from theВ actual key your PC needs.

Printed on a sticker: Some PCs use a technology called вЂњSystem Locked Pre-installation,вЂќ or SLP.

Crucially, youвЂ™ll need to grab it from your operating system before you begin reinstalling Windows or it could be deleted if you format your hard drive. You can extract this product key, andвЂ“oftenвЂ“enter it when reinstalling Windows on your PC.

Stored in software on your PC: When you (or your PC manufacturer) installs Windows, WindowsВ stores itsВ product key in the registry.

The key you need will be in one of three places: RELATED: Where to Download Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 ISOs Legally All you need is access to the disk drive from a working computer. The great thing is that you can even recover a key, even from a computer that wonвЂ™t boot anymore.

We can only assume that they donвЂ™t want anybody to re-use a key from an old computer. WeвЂ™re not really sure why Microsoft went to great lengths to make it difficult to seeВ the product keys for their software, especially since they are stored right in there in the registry and can be read by software, if not by humans.

#Find office 2016 product key free how to#

RELATED: Beginner Geek: How to Reinstall Windows on Your Computer Luckily, weвЂ™re here to help.ДЄs you can see in the screenshot above, the product ID is stored in the registry but is in a binary format that canвЂ™t be read by humans unless you are some sort of Cylon. ItвЂ™s just not easy to find, and itвЂ™s impossible to read without some help. If youвЂ™re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but canвЂ™t find your product key, youвЂ™re in luck because itвЂ™s stored in the Windows Registry.