How to find Windows 11 product key using CMD? This passage will guide you to do so and share other methods like PowerShell or check receipt. You can also learn how to better enjoy the Windows 11 after activation.
A Windows 11 product key, a 25-character alphanumeric code, is crucial for the proper functioning of your Windows 11 system. If you don't know the product key, using the Command Prompt is one of the most straightforward methods to find it. This post will show you how to find Windows 11 product key using CMD. Now, follow this guidance to activate your new system.
Step 1. Simultaneously press “Win+R” and type cmd to open Command Prompt. Quickly access it through a search: type "cmd" into the search bar on the taskbar and select Command Prompt.
Step 2. Copy and paste the following command into Command Prompt by right-clicking in the black space:
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Then, you can know the Windows 11 product using CMD.
Apart from finding Windows 11 product key with CMD, PowerShell or checking email/receipt can also help you.
Alternatively, you can also run Powershell to find Windows 11 product key by typing command lines.
Step 1. Open Terminal (which includes PowerShell) by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Terminal.
Step 2. Ensure PowerShell is open (use the down arrow at the top of Terminal to select it), then paste one of the following commands, and press Enter to view your Windows 11 product key.
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
Or
powershell "(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey"
If you've bought a Windows 11 license from the Microsoft website or other authorized online retailers, kindly check your email for the product key, usually included in the order confirmation. For those with OEM laptops, inspect the back of your device for a sticker containing the product key.
Should you encounter difficulty locating a genuinely purchased Windows 11 product key through the mentioned methods, we encourage you to contact Microsoft Support for assistance.
Some users might think about skipping the steps to find the Windows product key and not activating Windows. However, this is not a good idea. It comes with downsides that can impact your computer use.
For example, you'll keep seeing annoying "Activate Windows" notices, and you won't be able to personalize your settings. More importantly, not activating Windows means missing out on critical updates that protect your computer from viruses and malware. Your computer becomes more vulnerable to attacks. You'll also miss fixes for bugs and patches. It's better to activate Windows for a safer and better-performing computer.
After finding the Windows 11 product key, it is advisable to make some configurations to create a smoother environment for Windows 11.
If you are installing Windows 11 on a new SSD, you may need to initialize the SSD before creating partitions and installing the operating system. Or, if the SSD is already set up, and you have specific storage requirements or wish to make changes to the partitions, you might use storage management tools to effectively reach the goals according to your needs.
To make it effective and easy, here we recommend an all-in-one tool, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. You can download it for free and follow this guidance to configure your new system.
Initialization involves selecting a partition style, and there are 2 styles to choose from: MBR and GPT. Generally, there are combinations like BIOS + GPT and UEFI + MBR. If you choose an incompatible partition table when initializing your SSD, it is prone to experiencing data loss, system incompatibility, or boot issues. However, you can choose the professional MBR2GPT tool, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to easily convert between them.
Unlike Command Prompt and Disk Management, this tool will not require you to clean your disk and delete partitions. You don’t need to reinstall the OS and other installed programs. Whatever the reason, you can convert the partition style when necessary.
Right-click the MBR disk you want to change, and choose "Convert to GPT".
In the pop-up windows, click OK to continue.
Click Apply to operate and then your disk will be changed to GPT disk style.
Then your disk will be a GPT disk. And if you need it, this tool can also convert GPT disk to MBR with the same operation.
If the SSD has already been configured and you have particular storage needs or want to effectively manage the partitions, AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you as well.
For example, if you installed Windows 11 on the C drive, when it is full but the D drive is empty, merge them to increase space on C. Besides, having too many partitions makes data management difficult, and combining them helps keep things organized. At this time, you can run Merge Partitions provided by the multifunctional software.
In a similar scenario where the C drive is full and another drive is empty, you can use the "Allocate Free Space" function. This feature enables you to directly add space to the C drive from another drive without moving any data.
Given many reasons like erasing data, converting file systems, or fixing errors, AOMEI Partition Assistant also offers “Format Partition” that allows you to reach the goal within minutes.
This article shares you how to find Windows 11 product key using CMD. Or you can follow other methods if you would like to choose. Besides, you can follow the tips to configure the new Windows 11 by AOMEI Partition Assistant.
This software also supports moving installed apps to another drive, migrating OS or cloning all disk when upgrading disk. For Windows Server users, this software offers the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server edition for a compatible environment.