You can use the digital license for activation. That email message will contain the digital license. If you bought a Windows (Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro) upgrade in the Microsoft Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key in the confirmation email sent to confirm the purchase.

If you upgraded to Windows 10 or Windows 11 for free from Windows 10, Windows 7, or Windows 8.1, you should have a digital license instead of a product key.

Free upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Find your product key in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website.

A digital copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11 from an authorized retailer like SoftwareKeep or the Microsoft website.

For more info, contact the retailer that sold you Windows 10 or Windows 11. The product key is on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in.

A copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11 from an authorized retailer.

For more information, contact your hardware manufacturer.

Most new PC's come with product keys preinstalled, included with the PC packaging, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. Where to find your product key depends on how you got your copy of Windows: PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX Without one of these, you won't be able to activate your device.Ī Windows product key is a 25-character code used to activate Windows. A digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10, Version 1511) is a method of activation that doesn't require you to enter a product key. First, Locate or Find your Windows product key (for Windows 10 or Windows 11)ĭepending on how you got your copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11 (OEM, Retail, or volume license), you'll need either a 25-character product key or a digital license to activate it. If you want to take advantage of tools like BitLocker for disk encryption and Assigned Access for locking user accounts or to connect to a Windows domain, you may want to upgrade to Windows 10 Home to Pro. While Windows 10 Home already comes with a suite of extra features compared to Windows 8.1, including the digital voice assistant Cortana and Virtual Desktops, Windows 10 Pro offers greater connectivity and privacy tools.

Windows digital key