Solved How do I find my Product Key?

valdriz

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I activated Windows 8 via phone. I gave them the 9 groups of digits and activated successfully. How do I find out my product key? I'm trying to "Add features to Windows 8"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus EEE PC 1005PEB
    Memory
    2 GB ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Atom
The numbers that you gave Microsoft to activate Win8 was a product ID number, generated by Windows after a license key was entered.

The 25 character license key is included with the confirmation email, if you bought Win8 by download. If you have a retail package, it's on the COA (certificate of authenticity).

Make sure that you keep a safe copy of that code. It contains the whole value of the Windows license.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 8 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    I7-3930k
    Motherboard
    Asus P9X79 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Gskill DDR3-2133
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA GTX 680
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Zx
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA246Q
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force GT 120GB
    WD Cavair Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    PC Power & cooling Silencer 750
    Case
    Silverstone FT02B-W
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14 w/ PWM fans
    Keyboard
    cheap Logitech USB wired
    Mouse
    old 5 button Microsoft USB optical
    Internet Speed
    6Mb cable
[DEL]Magic Jellybean Keyfinder still works well with windows 8.[/DEL]

Interesting, the key shown by Magic Jellybean Keyfinder does not match the key I was given by Microsoft, which is also the key I entered during the install. I guess that is no longer a valid way to find a product key.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo IdeaCenter K450
    CPU
    Intel Quad Core i7-4770 @ 3.4Ghz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Integrated HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP h2207
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050@59Hz
    Hard Drives
    250GB Samsung EVO SATA-3 SSD;
    2TB Seagate ST2000DM001 SATA-2;
    1.5TB Seagate ST3150041AS SATA
    PSU
    500W
    Keyboard
    Wired USB
    Mouse
    Wired USB
    Internet Speed
    3GB Up, 30GB Down
    Browser
    SeaMonkey
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender; MBAM Pro
    Other Info
    UEFI/GPT
    PLDS DVD-RW DH16AERSH
Yes there is but I don't know if I can tell you on this forum.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    My Special Blend
    CPU
    intel
    Motherboard
    intel
    Memory
    Corsair
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia
    Sound Card
    intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Too many to count.
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Climate Change
    Keyboard
    Small and sleek
    Mouse
    1
    Internet Speed
    Fast
    Browser
    IE 11
    Antivirus
    ESET
Yes there is but I don't know if I can tell you on this forum.
can you pm it to me? I really need to know my product key, i have no other way of retrieving it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus EEE PC 1005PEB
    Memory
    2 GB ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Atom

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Theog, you seem to know the ins and out of this stuff so I'll ask you a question.
Activating by phone doesn't actually change your product code does it?
So in the OP's case, the product code is the one he or she entered originally right?

Now if that's true, I have a question for the OP. Did you not write down or record the product code you used during the install?
Also, why do you need it to add features? It can't be used to add any features, you need a new special code for that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
By activating the product code, code is replaced with a non-usable code.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Interesting, the key shown by Magic Jellybean Keyfinder does not match the key I was given by Microsoft, which is also the key I entered during the install. I guess that is no longer a valid way to find a product key.
Some older keyfinder use the old decryption method which don't fit to Windows 8.

Copy the following to a text file and rename the text file to *.vbs. With double click on this vbs file the correct product key is shown:
Code:
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Key = "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\"
DigitalID = WshShell.RegRead(key & "DigitalProductId")

ProductName = "Product Name: " & WshShell.RegRead(Key & "ProductName") & vbNewLine
ProductID = "Product ID: " & WshShell.RegRead(Key & "ProductID") & vbNewLine
ProductKey = "Installed Key: " & ConvertToKey(DigitalID)
ProductID = ProductName & ProductID & ProductKey

If vbYes = MsgBox(ProductId & vblf & vblf & "Save to a file?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Windows Key Information") then
   Save ProductID
End if

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
    Const KeyOffset = 52
    isWin8 = (Key(66) \ 6) And 1
    Key(66) = (Key(66) And &HF7) Or ((isWin8 And 2) * 4)
    i = 24
    Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
    Do
        Cur = 0
        X = 14
        Do
            Cur = Cur * 256
            Cur = Key(X + KeyOffset) + Cur
            Key(X + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24)
            Cur = Cur Mod 24
            X = X -1
        Loop While X >= 0
        i = i -1
        KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
        Last = Cur
    Loop While i >= 0
    If (isWin8 = 1) Then
        keypart1 = Mid(KeyOutput, 2, Last)
        insert = "N"
        KeyOutput = Replace(KeyOutput, keypart1, keypart1 & insert, 2, 1, 0)
        If Last = 0 Then KeyOutput = insert & KeyOutput
    End If
    a = Mid(KeyOutput, 1, 5)
    b = Mid(KeyOutput, 6, 5)
    c = Mid(KeyOutput, 11, 5)
    d = Mid(KeyOutput, 16, 5)
    e = Mid(KeyOutput, 21, 5)
    ConvertToKey = a & "-" & b & "-" & c & "-" & d & "-" & e
End Function

Function Save(Data)
    Const ForWRITING = 2
    Const asASCII = 0
    Dim fso, f, fName, ts
    fName = "Windows Key.txt"
    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    fso.CreateTextFile fName
    Set f = fso.GetFile(fName)
    Set f = f.OpenAsTextStream(ForWRITING, asASCII)
    f.Writeline Data
    f.Close
End Function

By activating the product code, code is replaced with a non-usable code.
Not with retail keys, but only with MAK and KMS keys.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
TY NiFu, worked like a charm. FYI Produkey, like Magic Jellybean, also returned the wrong key.

Drew
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron N5110
    CPU
    i7
    Memory
    8G
On a related note, if you took Microsoft's offer of a free code to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro, your OS will now report its activation code as the new code Microsoft emailed to you for WMC.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Build
    CPU
    i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Gryphon Z87
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws 2x8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 750 Ti 2GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dells (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO, 240 GB SSD; WD Black 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic 750W Gold
    Case
    Bitfenix Prodigy M - White
    Cooling
    NZXT Kracken 40
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    11Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
On a related note, if you took Microsoft's offer of a free code to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro, your OS will now report its activation code as the new code Microsoft emailed to you for WMC.
Wait, so I've recently got the free code, Will that be my product key for now on? sorry just making sure

Edit:

So can i use the "Add Features" code as a product key if i need to reinstall windows 8?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus EEE PC 1005PEB
    Memory
    2 GB ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Atom
You will reinstall PRO - you need the PRO key for that.

Then you upgrade the edition to PRO with media centre - you need the MC free key for that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
What SIW2 said. Your Windows 8 Pro install media will not accept the Media center key during the install. You still have to install 8 Pro and then go to add features and enter the Media Center key. You have to do the two step process. Both product Codes are yours forever.
I read something the other day that stated. Once you enter your Media Center key, that key becomes your new product code and is the one your PC activates by. I'm not going to link to the article because it also talked about that being used to cheat windows activation. I only mention it because if its true, you don't want to use your Media Center key on more than one PC. It would be the same as trying to use your 8 Pro key on more than one PC. It's not allowed and Microsoft's activation server will detect it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I know this thread is already "solved" but I felt that this should be mentioned.... Piriform Speccy is able to pull up your original product key that was used to install windows. It is free and it's simple to use. Open it, and click the "OS" tab on the left and the "serial number" will come up that states your original product key that was used to install Windows 8. This isn't the key that is used to add the Media Center Pack, which is in the attached screen shot that shows the last 5 digits of that key.... Reference the screenshots, and I hope this also helps future users with this issue!
 

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro with Media Center
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Satellite C655-5225
    CPU
    Pentium Dual-Core T4500 2.3GHz
    Motherboard
    Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
I know this thread is already "solved" but I felt that this should be mentioned.... Piriform Speccy is able to pull up your original product key that was used to install windows. It is free and it's simple to use. Open it, and click the "OS" tab on the left and the "serial number" will come up that states your original product key that was used to install Windows 8. This isn't the key that is used to add the Media Center Pack, which is in the attached screen shot that shows the last 5 digits of that key.... Reference the screenshots, and I hope this also helps future users with this issue!

This gets more and more confusing (to me). I use Speccy, but on Windows 8 Pro, the Serial Number shown in Speccy is NOT the license code I entered to activate, nor is it the free Media Center code I received (which is the one shown on the "Activation" screen--last five digits).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Build
    CPU
    i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Gryphon Z87
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws 2x8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 750 Ti 2GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dells (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO, 240 GB SSD; WD Black 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic 750W Gold
    Case
    Bitfenix Prodigy M - White
    Cooling
    NZXT Kracken 40
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    11Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Ult SP1 + Win 10 Pro - (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware® ALX X58
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7-975 Extreme 3.86 GHz 8MB Cache
    Motherboard
    ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 Socket 1366 Core i7, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Mem
    Memory
    24GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 6 x 4096MB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1792 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295/Hauppauge HVR2250 TV Tuner
    Sound Card
    Onboard Soundmax® High definition Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung XL2370 LED
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080P
    Hard Drives
    2 X 500gb SATA
    1 X 1TB SATA
    1 X 3TB external eSATA
    (Non-RAID)
    PSU
    Alienware® 1200 Watt Multi-GPU
    Case
    Alienware® P2 ALX Chassis with AlienIce 3.0 Video Cooling
    Cooling
    Alienware® High-Perf. Liquid Cooling + Acoustic Dampening
    Keyboard
    Microsoft® Wireless Entertainment 8000 + Logitech® G15 Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft® Wireless Laser 8000 + Logitech® G9 Wired
    Internet Speed
    1tbs
    Other Info
    Using non-RAID on purpose as I find it too fussy and temperamental.
Some key finders use an old code to decrypt the key which only works till Windows 7.

  • Piriform Speccy v1.19.411: Shows wrong key
  • Belarc Advisor - Free Personal v8.3: Shows correct key (but must be installed)
  • Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0.9.5: Shows wrong key
  • NirSoft ProduKey v1.54: Shows wrong key
  • RockXP 4.0 Beta: Shows no key
  • Windows 8 Product Key Viewer, v1.4.2: Shows correct key (simple portable program)
  • This simple script: Shows correct key (simple portable vbs-script)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Belarc Advisor will show the key in it's data display.

Belarc shows the same (wrong) key on my Win 8 Pro installation--same key as Speccy shows.
Now, I do have a TechNet license key; maybe that makes a difference? But it didn't on Win 7 with Speccy or Belarc.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Build
    CPU
    i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Gryphon Z87
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws 2x8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 750 Ti 2GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dells (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO, 240 GB SSD; WD Black 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic 750W Gold
    Case
    Bitfenix Prodigy M - White
    Cooling
    NZXT Kracken 40
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    11Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
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