How to Find Your Digital License Windows 10

A Windows 10 digital license isn’t a code you can look up. It’s a record on Microsoft’s activation servers that ties Windows to your PC’s hardware (and, if you’ve linked it, to your Microsoft account). To “find” it, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation. If the page says Windows is activated with a digital license, that’s your license, and you don’t need a product key to reinstall the same edition on the same PC.

Applies to: Windows 10 Home and Pro, version 22H2. Where Windows 11 differs, the Windows 11 path is noted. The status messages and reinstall rules below come from Microsoft’s Activate Windows support page.

Digital license, product key or firmware key?

Three different things get called a “Windows key,” and knowing which one you have tells you what to look for.

• Digital license: activation without typing a key. Free upgrades to Windows 10 and Windows 10 bought in the Microsoft Store usually activate this way. There is nothing to copy down; Windows checks in with Microsoft and activates itself.
• Product key: a 25-character code in the form XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. You get one with a retail box, a digital purchase from a store, or a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker.
• Firmware (OEM) key: a key the PC maker stored in the computer’s firmware at the factory. Windows reads it automatically during setup, which is why many store-bought laptops have no sticker.

If you were hoping to see your digital license as a key, it doesn’t exist in that form. Microsoft’s Find your Windows product key page explains that it keeps key records only for purchases from its own online store, which you can see in your Microsoft account’s order history.

Check your digital license in Settings

This is the fastest way to confirm you have a digital license and whether it’s linked to your account.

1. Select Start (the Windows logo at the bottom left), then select Settings (the gear icon). You can also press Windows + I.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. In the left pane, select Activation.
4. Look at the Activation line under the Windows heading. The Edition line just above it shows whether you have Home or Pro. Write the edition down; you’ll need it if you ever reinstall.

On Windows 11, the same page is at Settings > System > Activation.

Here’s what each message means:

Message	What it means	What to do
Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account	Digital license, and it’s tied to your account	Nothing. This is the best state to be in before a reinstall or hardware change.
Windows is activated with a digital license	Digital license, not linked to an account	Link your Microsoft account.
Windows is activated	Activated with a product key, no account linked	Keep your product key somewhere safe, and link an account if offered.
Windows is not activated	No valid license or key found	Read the error code shown and see Fix common activation errors.

Link the license to your Microsoft account

Linking doesn’t change your license, but it’s what lets the Activation troubleshooter reactivate Windows after a big hardware change, such as a new motherboard. Microsoft says the link has to exist before the change.

1. Make sure you’re signed in to Windows with an administrator account.
2. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
3. Under Add a Microsoft account, select Add an account.
4. Sign in with your Microsoft account and follow the prompts.
5. Check the Activation line again. It should now read Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account.

If you don’t see Add an account, you’re probably already signed in to Windows with a Microsoft account and the license is linked. If you need to swap which account is used, changing the Microsoft account on Windows 10 walks through it.

Check license details with slmgr

Settings tells you whether Windows is activated, but not which channel the license came from (retail, OEM or volume). That matters if you plan to move Windows to another PC. The built-in Software Licensing Management Tool shows it.

1. Select Start, type cmd, and select Command Prompt. Microsoft’s slmgr reference says these display options don’t need administrator rights. (More ways to get there are in how to open Command Prompt in Windows 10.)
2. Type slmgr /dli and press Enter.
3. After a few seconds, a Windows Script Host box opens. Read the Description line, which usually names the channel, such as RETAIL channel or an OEM channel. The License Status line should say Licensed. The partial key shown is only the last five characters of whatever key is installed.

4. Select OK to close the box.

Two related commands:

• slmgr /dlv shows the same information in more detail, including the activation ID.
• slmgr /xpr shows when activation expires. That’s mainly useful on work PCs activated through a company server. For a retail or digital license, activation is permanent, so it should say the machine is permanently activated.

Don’t treat the partial key from slmgr as proof of which key your PC maker installed. Microsoft’s OEM activation key article notes that it isn’t necessarily the last five characters of the firmware key.

See the product key stored in your PC’s firmware

If your PC came with Windows from the manufacturer, it may have a key stored in its firmware. Microsoft documents that the PC maker injects this key at the factory and that Windows activates from it automatically when the PC first goes online. You rarely need to see it, but you can.

1. Right-click Start and select Windows PowerShell.
2. Paste this command and press Enter:
   (Get-CimInstance -Query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
3. If a 25-character key appears, that’s the key stored by the manufacturer. If the line comes back blank, your PC has no firmware key, which is normal for self-built PCs and many PCs upgraded from Windows 7 or 8.1.

Two caveats. First, this property isn’t listed on Microsoft’s current reference pages for the licensing classes, so treat the command as a widely used shortcut rather than an officially documented one. Second, the firmware key can be for a different edition than the one you’re running. A PC can carry a Home key in firmware while Windows 10 Pro is activated with a digital license from a later upgrade.

Warning: skip third-party “key finder” downloads and any tool that claims to activate Windows for you. They aren’t needed for a digital license, some get flagged by antivirus software, and activation tools from unofficial sources can leave Windows non-genuine.

If you did buy a product key, where to look

If the Activation page says Windows is activated (no mention of a digital license), you probably used a key. Microsoft lists these places to find it:

• Bought from Microsoft’s online store: the confirmation email, or Order history in your Microsoft account.
• Bought from another online retailer: the confirmation email or the digital locker on that retailer’s site.
• Retail box: a label or card inside the box.
• New PC with Windows preinstalled: the packaging or the COA sticker. Contact the PC maker if you can’t find it.
• Work or school PC: your organization’s IT team, which manages volume keys.

The older checking your Windows 10 key walkthrough focuses on product keys specifically.

Reinstall Windows 10 using your digital license

A digital license is the reason you can wipe and reinstall without hunting for a key. According to Microsoft, you can reinstall the same edition on the same PC and let Windows activate online.

1. Before you start, confirm on the Activation page that Windows is activated, and note the Edition (Home or Pro).
2. Make sure the license is linked to your Microsoft account, and back up your files.
3. Run Windows Setup from your installation media. When asked for a product key, select I don’t have a product key.
4. If Setup asks which edition to install, pick the same one you noted. Installing Pro on a PC licensed for Home (or the reverse) won’t activate.
5. Finish setup, connect to the internet and sign in with the Microsoft account linked to the license. Windows should activate on its own. Check the Activation page to confirm.

If activation hasn’t happened after a while online, open the Activation page and select Troubleshoot.

Reactivate after a hardware change

A significant hardware change, such as replacing the motherboard, can deactivate Windows, because Windows may no longer recognize the PC. If your license was linked to your Microsoft account before the change, use the troubleshooter. Microsoft’s reactivating Windows after a hardware change page covers the requirements.

1. Sign in to Windows with an administrator account and connect to the internet.
2. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and select Troubleshoot. The option appears only while Windows isn’t activated.
3. Select I changed hardware on this device recently, then Next.

4. Sign in with the Microsoft account linked to the license.
5. In the list of devices, check the box next to the device you’re using now, then select Activate.

If your PC isn’t in the list, you’re probably signed in with a different account. The troubleshooter can’t help if the license was never linked or if you’re now running a different edition. In that case, enter a product key you own or buy a license. If the PC maker or a repair shop replaced the motherboard under warranty, Microsoft says the PC may reactivate automatically; otherwise contact them.

Fix common activation errors

The error code appears on the Activation page under the status line. Microsoft’s activation errors page lists them all; these are the ones people hit most with digital licenses.

• 0xC004F211 or 0xC004F213: Windows can’t find a license for this hardware, usually after a motherboard replacement. Follow Reactivate after a hardware change.
• 0x803F7001: no valid license was found. Check that you reinstalled the same edition you had before. If you have a key, select Change product key and enter it.
• 0xC004C003: the key you entered was blocked, often because it was used on several PCs. Contact the seller, the PC maker or the repair shop that installed it.
• 0xC004FC03: Windows can’t reach the activation servers. Check your internet connection and firewall, then try Troubleshoot again. If it still fails, search for SLUI 04 from the taskbar and follow the steps to activate by phone.

Windows 10 end of support and your license

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Your digital license keeps Windows activated, but the PC no longer gets regular security updates. You have two options:

• Extended Security Updates (ESU): eligible home PCs can stay protected until October 12, 2027, according to Microsoft’s Windows 10 end of support page. Signing up is covered in enrolling in Windows 10 ESU.
• Free upgrade to Windows 11: PCs that meet the hardware requirements can upgrade for free from Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. Microsoft’s Get Windows 11 page says you keep the same edition, so Windows 10 Home becomes Windows 11 Home. The step-by-step process is in upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11.

After upgrading, check Settings > System > Activation to confirm Windows 11 shows as activated. Moving from Home to Pro afterward needs a Pro upgrade, explained in upgrading from Windows 11 Home to Pro.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see my digital license on the Microsoft account website?

Not as a key. Your Microsoft account shows your devices and, for purchases from Microsoft’s online store, your order history. The license itself is stored on Microsoft’s activation servers, and the Activation page in Settings is the place to check it.

How did my PC get a digital license?

Most often through a free upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1, or by buying Windows 10 or a Pro upgrade in the Microsoft Store. A Pro upgrade bought in the Store is also confirmed by email to the address on your Microsoft account.

Can I move my digital license to a new PC?

It depends on where it came from. Licenses that came preinstalled on a PC (OEM) are generally tied to that PC, while retail licenses can usually be moved to a new PC once they’re no longer used on the old one. Check the channel with slmgr /dli, then follow the steps to transfer a Windows 10 license.

Does a Windows 10 digital license work for Windows 11?

For an in-place upgrade on an eligible PC, Microsoft describes the upgrade as free and keeps your edition. For a clean install of Windows 11 on a different or custom-built PC, Microsoft notes you may need a separate Windows 11 license.

Will resetting the PC remove my digital license?

It shouldn’t. Reset this PC reinstalls the same edition on the same hardware, and Microsoft says a digital license lets you reinstall the same edition without a key and activate online. Link your Microsoft account first anyway, and check the Activation page once the reset finishes.

What if I installed the wrong edition?

Windows shows as not activated (often with error 0x803F7001). Reinstall the edition your license covers. If you bought a key for the other edition, enter it with Change product key instead.

Next step: open Settings > Update & Security > Activation now, and if the message doesn’t mention your Microsoft account, link it. It takes a minute and makes any future reinstall or repair much easier.