If you need to reinstall Windows 11 or transfer your license to a new PC, you might need to find your original product key. For most modern laptops and pre-built desktop computers, the Windows OEM product key is permanently embedded directly into the motherboard’s BIOS or UEFI firmware. Because it is embedded in the hardware, you will not find a sticker on the laptop. However, you can easily extract this key using either Command Prompt or PowerShell.
Find Your Windows 11 Product Key via Command Prompt
- Click the Start button on your taskbar and type cmd.
- Right-click on the Command Prompt app result and select Run as administrator.
- When the black terminal window opens, type the following exact command:
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey- Press Enter. Your 25-character product key will be displayed directly below the command.
Find Your Windows 11 Product Key via PowerShell
- Right-click on the Start button to open the Power User menu.
- Select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the list.
- Type or paste the following command into the prompt:
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey- Press Enter to execute the script and reveal your key.
Note: If you purchased a digital license directly from the Microsoft Store, or if you linked your license to your Microsoft Account, these commands may return a blank line. Digital licenses are tied to your Microsoft login credentials rather than a hardcoded firmware string.