Find a Microsoft Windows product key

A valid Microsoft Windows product key is required to reinstall Windows if the hard drive has to be replaced.

This key can be found for some PCs with OEM Windows licenses by opening a Command Prompt (right-click and select “Run as Administrator”).

At the command prompt, type:

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

Microsoft recommends following these steps to fix Windows activation issues.