Help! - Where Can I Find My Windows 10 Product Key in All of These Files?

[dekw04]

Hello.

I need your help locating a Windows 10 product key.

You see, I had Windows 10 on a solid state drive, but something went wrong with this particular copy of Windows 10 such that I had to remove the SSD and connect it to my computer via a USB adapter just to see the Windows 10 files.

The Windows 10 product key should be located somewhere within these files, but I don't know where to find it.

What folder is it in? What is the particular file named?

For context, the folders on the drive look like this: http://bit.ly/2m6zw1z

I need this product key in order to activate Windows 10 after I install a fresh copy of Windows 10 onto this SSD.

Thank you.

 

[Paul NZ]

Did you activate it the first time? If you did then when you install it again click on I dont have a product key

It'll activate once you get online

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

It's tied to your Microsoft or Local Email account , enter it when installing and it should activate.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-re-activate-windows-10-after-hardware-change
Pertains to reactivation too^

 

[SkyNetRising]

Just reinstall. It should activate automatically.
Was that a brand pc or laptop with windows 10? Or you installed retail version of windows 10 on it? Or maybe upgraded from windows 7 or windows 8 ?

 

[dekw04]

Did you activate it the first time? If you did then when you install it again click on I dont have a product key

It'll activate once you get online

It was a copy of Windows 10 that came pre-installed on the computer. I believe it was activated the first time.

 

[dekw04]

Just reinstall. It should activate automatically.
Was that a brand pc or laptop with windows 10? Or you installed retail version of windows 10 on it? Or maybe upgraded from windows 7 or windows 8 ?

It was laptop with Windows 10 pre-installed on it.

 

[Paul NZ]

Should activate again then

 

[dekw04]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Given what's been said, it looks as though the Windows 10 product key will be there even when I reinstall Windows 10.

My concern is that when I reinstall Windows 10 the original Windows 10 files (plus the product key) will be overwritten or deleted and that my computer will want me to buy a new license for Windows 10.

But this shouldn't be the case, right?

 

[Paul NZ]

Depending on how old this laptop is, some keys are embedded in the BIOS

The hdd will be overwritten because you'll be deleting all partitions then reinstalling windows

 

[SkyNetRising]

You can verify, if windows key is embedded into BIOS with RWeverything. It must be executed on your windows 10 laptop.
https://itsolutionsblog.net/3-ways-to-extract-the-windows-8-product-key/