To activate windows you ll need either a digital license or a product key.
Windows 10 digital license key find.
If you want the current key in use on your pc nirsoft s produkey is a good graphical tool for finding it.
Then use the following info to help you successfully prepare for a hardware change and reactivate windows 10.
Get all the features of windows 10 home operating system plus remote desktop windows information protection bitlocker and a suite of tools designed for business use.
For more info about digital licenses in windows 10 see activation in windows 10 or contact microsoft support.
The windows 10 settings app has a page for displaying your activation information including whether you have a digital license though your key isn t shown here.
In other words it shows the original windows key your computer came with.
A digital license called a digital entitlement in windows 10 version 1511 is a method of activation in windows 10 that doesn t require you to enter a product key.
To find out which you need see what activation method do i use product key or digital license in activate windows 10.
If you do not have the confirmation email you should be able to find the product key by logging in to your microsoft account and checking your order history.
If you ve installed windows with a different key since then or acquired a digital license it will be different from the current key in use on your pc.
Depending on how you got your copy of windows 10 you ll need either a 25 character product key or a digital license to activate it.
If you bought a digital copy of windows 10 from microsoft you will find windows 10 product key in the confirmation email received from microsoft.
If you upgraded to windows 10 for free from windows 7 or windows 8 1 you should have a digital license instead of a product key.
Windows 10 activation is quite smart maintaining the license key if you change your graphics card ram or hard drive but asking you to re authenticate if you change the motherboard or in some.