The Best Way to Locate Your Windows 11 Product Key

The default keys for Windows 11 allow you to install the operating system without activation. They are excellent for testing new versions but do not provide you a licensed copy. You can specify the proper generic key if Windows 11 refuses to install without a product key or installs the incorrect edition.

Before installing Windows 11 in your home or place of business, you may test it out. In this situation, a virtual computer like VirtualBox or Hyper-V can be used. Entering your real computer’s licensing product key to activate a virtual instance might not be a good idea. There could be a cap on how many times it can be activated. Microsoft offers generic keys for Windows 11 keys Reddit for situations like these. Such keys can be used to install the OS, but not for activation, as we previously discovered.

These keys are being offered for sale by an unofficial Microsoft reseller and are referred to as “grey market keys.” These keys are frequently stolen from businesses that employ bulk licensing and frequently aren’t meant for resale. These keys are often discovered, and Microsoft ultimately blacklists and revokes them. The keys for sale were occasionally acquired illegally, such as when they were bought using credit cards that had been stolen. The inexpensive keys might or might not function, and even if they do, they might not last very long.

Therefore, once Windows 11 has been installed using a generic product key, it cannot be activated. You could, however, have second thoughts and opt to give it full functionality. To do so, you must change the installed product key to one that permits activation, such as your retail key. The operating system will automatically utilize a generic key during upgrade if you upgraded to Windows 11 from Windows 10 or Windows 8 with a digital license connected to your Microsoft Account. The Registry will save that key.

Using Command Prompt, locate an OEM license

You may discover the license key using Command Prompt if your machine has an OEM license, which means it came with Windows preloaded when you bought it. You must utilize the Show Key Plus technique if you purchased a retail license and installed it on a prebuilt PC or laptop. Press the Enter key after typing “Command prompt” or “cmd” into the search box after clicking the Start button.

Both the green and blue boxes on an OEM edition of Windows 11 show your Reddit windows 11 key. The green box represents the key that is presently in use if you installed a copy of Windows 11 that you bought on your own. Once you have the key, you may either write it down or store it in a computer file. Take cautious not to publish it online. Someone could try to steal your product key to activate Windows because retail licenses can be used on many machines (but not simultaneously).