Bios key not working: What If Your Computer Can’t Access BIOS? A Guide for You!

How to Fix cannot Enter BIOS in Windows 10/11?

BIOS or Basic Input Output System is often difficult to access when one is working on Windows 10/11. However, one does feel the need to access this component, and therefore, through this article, we shall address the issue when you can’t enter BIOS. However, before we take up that question, there are certainly other issues we need to highlight to develop an understanding of BIOS. This information is critical when you solve the issue where you can’t enter BIOS and also helps in other troubleshooting attempts.

  • Part 1. What Is BIOS?
  • Part 2. Functions of BIOS
  • Part 3. How to Solve ‘Can’t Enter BIOS’ Issue in Windows 10/11

Part 1. What Is BIOS?

So, why do we need to resolve the issue when we can’t access BIOS? Often, many users continue to use their systems without ever having to access the BIOS components. BIOS is nothing but a ROM chip located on all motherboards and allows the user to access the computer system at its most basic level.

The image below is an example of how a BIOS chip is supposed to look. This is an image of early AMI BIOS; that is, these BIOS have been manufactured under AMI. Phoenix is another reputed manufacturer of BIOS.

BIOS is important as it includes information on how to load the most basic computer hardware and includes a test referred to as POST, which happens to be a Power-on self-test. This helps to verify if the computer meets the requirements to boot up properly. Your computer must pass the POST test; else, if it doesn’t, you might hear the beep sound, which indicates hardware malfunction.

Before we move on to BIOS accessibility in Windows 10/11, we look at the important functions performed by BIOS. These are integral to the working of your system.

The Functions of BIOS:

Here, we list out BIOS functions, which may help you understand why it is important to solve the issue where you can’t enter BIOS on Windows 10/11.

  • POST: As we discussed above, this tests the hardware of your computer and ensures that there are no errors present before the operating system is loaded; in this case, Windows 10/11. One can go online to know more about the functioning of POST.
  • Bootstrap Loader: This is the most critical aspect of BIOS as, without this, the operating system cannot be located. The control of BIOS is passed on to it.
  • BIOS Drivers: These drivers are low-level drivers and are responsible for giving the computer basic operational control over your computer’s hardware.
  • CMOS Setup: Hardware configuration setting is allowed by the Configuration program, including setting your computer password, time, and date.

Configuring the BIOS in Windows 10/11 to solve ‘Can’t Enter BIOS’ Issue:

Those who are using Windows 10/11 must know that the OS gives them a lot of options that allow them the configuration within the Operating System itself. However, there are quite a several settings on each computer that can be changed in the BIOS (Basic Input/ Output System). Built into the computer’s motherboard, it is responsible for everything, starting from the boot order of the drivers to the pre-boot security options, and if the Function keys on your keyboard actives a function key or media control. However, one cannot access it from Windows as it is located in the pre-boot environment. You can press keys like F1 or F2 as the boot process takes a while to complete for the ones who are using older variants of Windows.

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The latest versions of Windows come with greater processing speed, and therefore pressing a key on boot cannot prove helpful. Therefore, you can’t enter BIOS; we recommend following the given steps to get into BIOS.

  • Start with navigating to the settings. Click on the start menu icon can help you get there.

  • You then have to select Update and Security.

  • Move to ‘Recovery’ from the left menu.

  • You then have to click on ‘Restart’ under the advanced startup. This reboots your computer to a special menu.

  • Choose to troubleshoot.

  • Move to the advanced options.

  • Select UEFI Firmware settings and finally click on Restart.

One of the major reasons for the inaccessibility of the BIOS in Windows can be due to the fast booting process. However, you can resolve the issue where you can’t enter BIOS mode using the above steps. It is important to understand that the latest variant of Windows, that is, Windows 10/11, is at par with its previous variants. Therefore, accessing the BIOS is not that direct but simple. Let us know your preferred method in the comments section. BIOS is all you need to ensure that your Operating System works in a precise and smooth manner.

As it is visible, the BIOS is a key component of any computer or system, and therefore, it is important to have background knowledge about this functionality. This also offers more flexibility and performance benefits. It has often been noticed that professionals in the Information Technology industry have been using the BIOS to squeeze the maximum performance possible from their systems or devices. As we stated earlier, many users continue to use their Operating System even when they can’t enter BIOS or don’t wish to enter BIOS. However, one doesn’t have to worry much, as this guide offers more knowledge than you shall ever need to access BIOS.

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How do I enter BIOS if my keyboard is not working?

Índice de contenidos

Can I enter BIOS without a keyboard?

If it’s not recognizing a USB keyboard because of settings being changed in the BIOS, you can clear your CMOS and it will reset back to defaults. If it’s booting too fast and not recognizing key strokes, you can unplug your boot drive and it’ll prompt you to enter BIOS.

Open up the Start menu and click on “Power” button to open power options. Now press and hold the Shift key and click on “Restart”. Windows will automatically start in advanced boot options after a short delay.

Can you enter BIOS with wireless keyboard?

Bluetooth and RF transmitters work only after the OS is started and the drivers kick-in. BIOS precedes the OS. So, Wireless keyboards don’t work for BIOS settings.

How do I enable keyboard in BIOS?

Press the key to access the BIOS. You can enable “Support for Legacy devices” inside BIOS->Chipset->USB Settings to get your keyboard activated always when you boot up”

2 Answers

  1. Reboot pc.
  2. Enter BIOS.
  3. This step may vary in different BIOS versions. In my case the PC had a Gigabyte motherboard: Select Interface of Integrated Peripherals from the main BIOS menu and locate the USB Keyboard Support option and set it to Enabled it.

How do I enter BIOS?

To access your BIOS, you’ll need to press a key during the boot-up process. This key is often displayed during the boot process with a message “Press F2 to access BIOS”, “Press <DEL> to enter setup”, or something similar. Common keys you may need to press include Delete, F1, F2, and Escape.

All you need to do is hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and restart the PC. Open up the Start menu and click on “Power” button to open power options. Now press and hold the Shift key and click on “Restart”. Windows will automatically start in advanced boot options after a short delay.

How do I connect a Bluetooth keyboard to my PC?

To pair a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device

On your PC, select Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth. Choose the device and follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done.

Why is my keyboard not working?

There are a few things you should try out. The first one is to update your keyboard driver. Open Device manager on your Windows laptop, find the Keyboards option, expand the list, and right-click Standard PS/2 Keyboard, followed by Update driver. … If it’s not, the next step is to delete and reinstall the driver.

How do I enable my keyboard on Windows 10?

Click on the Windows icon in your taskbar and choose Settings. Choose the Ease of Access tile. Scroll down in the left-side panel, then click on Keyboard listed under the Interaction section. Click on the toggle under “Use the On-Screen Keyboard” to turn on the virtual keyboard in Windows 10.

How can I enter BIOS if F2 key is not working?

F2 key pressed at the wrong time

  1. Make sure the system is off, and not in Hibernate or Sleep mode.
  2. Press the power button and hold it down for three seconds and release it. The power button menu should display. …
  3. Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup.

PC Won’t Boot To BIOS (10 Causes, Fixes)

 

Many occasions call for booting to the BIOS, including when you’ve first built your PC, when you want to change some settings, or solve an issue.

That’s why it’s frustrating when your system doesn’t let you get into BIOS, or even worse, the operating system.

Read on to find out why your PC isn’t cooperating and won’t boot to BIOS or Operating System and learn how to fix the issue.

 

How To Fix PC Not Booting To BIOS

 

1. Use UEFI Firmware Settings

 

If your operating system is Windows 10, accessing the BIOS through the UEFI firmware settings is the optimal method, given your computer boots the OS fine but doesn’t give you access to the BIOS.

  1. Open the Settings app and select the Update and Security section.
  2. Choose the Recovery tab from the left pane, and under the Advanced Startup section, click on the Restart Now button.
  3. In the new Windows with the title reading “Choose an option,” click on the Troubleshoot button.
  4. Next, select Advanced Options and then the UEFI Firmware Settings.
  5. Now hit the Restart button so the system boots to BIOS.

 

2. Fix Faulty Power Connector

 

If the motherboard or the CPU’s power connector is plugged in wrong or faulty, you won’t be able to boot to BIOS.

The motherboard has a 24-pin connector, so make sure it’s plugged tightly in the right place, and there are no signs of damage on the cable itself.

The CPU usually has an eight-pin connector in a 4+4 shape.

Plug both ends correctly.

Check the other ends of the cables that go in the PSU and ensure their proper connection.

 

3. Troubleshoot The RAM Sticks

 

A RAM error can cause your computer to fail when booting to BIOS or OS.

You need to make sure all the RAM sticks are healthy and seated correctly.

Unplug the computer’s power cable and turn off the PC.

Open up the case and locate the RAM sticks on the motherboard.

Take them all out of their slots and then reseat them one by one.

When installing each RAM module, you should line up the notch in the RAM with the notch in the slot.

If you seat the stick correctly, the tabs on both sides should make a clicking sound.

Do not jam the stick in backward.

Try booting up your system again.

If it doesn’t work yet, take out all the RAM sticks again and plug only one of them in.

If the system boots now, add the other RAM sticks, one at a time, until you find the faulty stick that you’ll have to replace.

Remember that sometimes a slot on the motherboard is damaged, and you have to try different slots to get results.

 

4. Remove The BIOS Battery To Reset The CMOS

 

Since CMOS battery issues may cause boot problems, you need to clear the CMOS by removing its battery.

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Turn off and disconnect any peripheral devices connected to your PC through a USB, HDMI, or other ports.
  2. Unplug the computer’s power cable and open up the case.
  3. Search for a flat coin-shaped battery, much like a watch battery, on the motherboard. If you can’t find it, refer to your motherboard’s manual to determine its location.
  4. Now you need to remove the battery from its place gently. It may be held in position by a clip or lever. You can remove the barrier by hand or a screwdriver and then take the battery out.
  5. Let the battery sit outside for about 20 minutes, and then put it back in place. Make sure it’s properly seated.
  6. Close up the case, plug everything back in, and start up the PC. Note that the CMOS battery’s life is about ten years or so. If you have owned the motherboard for that long or use a second-hand motherboard, it’s safe to assume that the battery may be dead. Purchase a new CMOS battery and replace it to solve the issue.

 

How To Boot PC To Windows

 

For those who have successfully entered the BIOS but still have no luck in booting the Operating System, follow along with this troubleshooting process.

 

1. Disconnect External Peripherals

 

The Windows operating system might have problems booting because of a conflict with one of the peripheral devices you’ve connected or their drivers.

You need to disconnect them all, restart your PC, and see if the OS comes up.

Shut down the computer and unplug all USB devices, including the mouse, external hard drive, and so on.

The only remaining cables connected to your PC should be the power cable, the display cable for the monitor, and a keyboard.

Press the power button a few times to discharge any remaining electricity.

Then turn on the system, and if Windows boots up, you’ve found the problem.

Connect the devices one by one and restart the computer until you find the faulty one.

 

2. Read The BIOS Error Messages

 

When the system can’t finish up the boot process, it often gives an error message or a beep code to help you identify where the problem lies.

Either read the error message appearing on the screen or listen to the beeps when booting up and look up the meaning.

You can look for specifics in your computer or motherboard manual or on the manufacturer’s website.

If you don’t see or hear anything, continue down the list to find the issue.

 

3. Fix Possible Boot Device Issues

 

If your PC boots to the BIOS and doesn’t load the Operating System, there might be a problem with the storage drive where Windows is installed or the boot order.

The boot order is how the system prioritizes different storage options and scans them for loading Windows.

The drive where the Operating System lies should be the highest in the boot order.

Here’s how you can determine the boot order:

  1. Remove the flash drives and external storage and restart your system.
  2. Enter the BIOS as explained in the previous sections during boot time.
  3. Find the Boot section of the BIOS dedicated to storage. It could be named Boot Order Menu, Boot Priority, or something similar.
  4. Put the primary drive where the OS exists at the top of the list. If you don’t know which one of the drives contains the OS, disable all but one and boot the system. Continue down the list until you find the correct drive. Prioritize it and then enable all other storage drives.
  5. Don’t forget to save your changes in the BIOS and exit.

 

Note that the BIOS might not be detecting the OS drive at all and won’t show it in the list.

That means the drive itself has an issue.

Check the cables connected to the storage drive and confirm they are properly connected.

If your OS is on an M.2 SSD drive, ensure it’s correctly seated.

If you’re concerned that the drive might be damaged, you’ll have to test it on another working computer.

 

4. Update The BIOS

 

Updating the BIOS can be helpful when facing boot issues, especially if you’re building your own PC or have an older motherboard installed.

A firmware update can solve the problems caused by the newly paired hardware when you have an old motherboard.

The update process is different depending on the manufacturer, so be sure to look up the procedure in the motherboard manual or online on its dedicated website.

 

5. Use Windows Safe Mode

 

Booting Windows in Safe Mode can solve many boot issues because it’ll start the system with the minimum software and bypass the driver and software issues.

To enter Safe Mode, you can go through Windows Recovery.

You’ll have to interrupt the boot process three times in a row to force the computer to trigger Windows Recovery.

You should see a screen with “Choose an option” as the title.

Click on the Troubleshoot button, then go to Advanced Options and then select Startup Settings.

Now reboot the PC into Safe Mode.

Another way of accessing Safe Mode is with a Windows 10 recovery drive.

You’ll have to create a drive that contains the Windows 10 recovery environment.

You need access to another computer with Windows 10 installed and an external USB drive with 512MB storage or more.

On the other computer, open Control Panel and select Create a recovery drive.

Follow along with the instructions and save the data on the USB drive.

If you haven’t already, set the USB drives as bootable through the BIOS, as explained in the previous sections.

Set the drive as a priority.

Restart the computer and boot into Safe Mode.

 

6. Restore The BIOS Default Settings

 

Some specific BIOS configurations and settings can be causing issues when booting.

By disabling them, you may be able to boot your computer to Windows again.

The first setting is called Fast Boot that lets Windows load faster by preloading drives.

Some Windows updates can bring up issues with Fast Boot compatibility, causing boot issues.

You’ll have to turn this feature off through BIOS.

Once you enter the BIOS, look for Fast Boot under Advanced Options or Boot Options.

If you can’t find it there, consult your motherboard’s manual for its location on your specific computer model.

Once you get to it, you’ll have to turn it off.

The second troublesome setting is the Secure Boot.

This feature protects the system against malware by checking the loading hardware and drives when the PC is booting.

If Secure Boot doesn’t recognize hardware or a driver, it’ll stop the booting process by generating an error.

Turning this setting off through BIOS may fix your issue.

You can usually find it located under Boot Options.

Furthermore, other incorrect BIOS settings could cause booting issues, and if you don’t know how to fix them, resetting the BIOS to its default will fix the problem.

You’ll have to enter the BIOS and search for options saying, “Load Setup Defaults” or “Load Default Options.”

Depending on your computer, it could be anywhere, but be sure to look in the Configuration, Security, Restart, and Exit sections.

Once you click on the option and select Yes in the dialog box, the system will restore the BIOS to its default settings.

 

7. Motherboard Standoffs

 

Though it may seem unusual, improper installment of the motherboard standoffs may cause boot issues in some systems.

Check if all the standoffs are present and aligned with the screw holes.

 

8. Perform A Malware Scan

 

If malware or viruses has infected your PC, they may be preventing your PC from booting.

Your only option is to use a bootable antivirus rescue disk.

Here, you can find your best options for a rescue disk.

 

9. Use System Restore

 

To solve issues caused by a change you made in your system, you can use the System Restore feature to restore Windows to a previous point when everything was working normally.

Here’s how to perform a System Restore:

  1. Go to the Windows Recovery environment as explained in the previous sections.
  2. Select Troubleshoot Advanced Options More Recovery Options Startup Settings.
  3. Hit the Restart Now button.
  4. Choose Disable driver signature enforcement from the list of startup settings by pressing the 7 or F7 key.

 

Wait for the process to end.

 

10. Factory Reset

 

A Factory Reset, or as Microsoft refers to it, a “Reset” or “Refresh,” is your last resort and a more destructive solution than others.

You’ll lose some or most of your saved data and files.

Once you enter the Windows Recovery environment and head onto the Troubleshoot sections, select Restart this PC.

 

What Is BIOS?

 

The BIOS or the Basic Input Output System is a ROM chip or firmware preinstalled on the motherboard containing the information that allows you to access and set up your system at its most basic level.

The BIOS is the intermediary between the OS and the hardware it runs.

It controls the data flow between the OS and the I/O devices such as the hard drive, keyboard, mouse, printer, and so on.

The computer’s microprocessor uses the BIOS to start the system after you turn it on.

A boot device is a piece of hardware that contains files that the computer needs to start up.

The BIOS ensures that all the boot devices and necessary attachments are functioning, and then it boots the OS or the main parts of it.

 

What Are BIOS Functions?

 

To identify and better understand the problem you’re facing, you should know the BIOS functions and what their job is.

  • POST: The Power-On Self-Test checks the computer hardware and makes sure no errors exist before the BIOS loads the OS. If your system can’t pass the POST test, indicating an issue with one of the hardware, the system won’t boot to BIOS or the operating system. You might hear a combination of beep sounds that are codes for what is malfunctioning.
  • Bootstrap Loader: The Bootstrap Loader locates the Operating System, and if it finds a capable one, the BIOS will pass control to it.
  • BIOS Drivers: These low-level drives give the system basic operational control over the PC’s hardware.
  • CMOS: CMOS stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor.

 

The configuration program allows users to change the system and hardware settings, including time, date, and passwords.

 

How To Correctly Enter BIOS

 

Every computer and motherboard provides a unique way for users to enter the BIOS setup, so there’s no “correct” way.

Most newly manufactured computers have the same method of entering the BIOS, and it requires a keyboard.

You’ll have to press one of the following keys on the keyboard while the computer is booting up:

  • F1
  • F2
  • F10
  • Del
  • Esc

 

Since your computer’s details might be unique, consult your computer’s manual or the manufacturer’s official website to find out how to enter the BIOS.

If you’ve built the PC yourself, you’ll have to check the motherboard’s manual.

If you couldn’t enter the BIOS with the mentioned method, you can move on to the next section to fix the issue.

How to Enter the BIOS on Any PC: Access Keys by Manufacturer

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Windows or Linux may be your operating system of choice, but no matter which platform you choose, your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) is calling all the shots behind the scenes. 

The BIOS, sometimes referred to as UEFI firmware on newer computers, tells your PC what storage drives you have and which one to boot from and what components you have, among other key functions. To change your boot order, set a system password, disable ports or built-in peripherals, or even to overclock your CPU, you may need to go into the BIOS menus.

There are a few different ways to access the BIOS menus on a PC:

Method 1: Use a BIOS Key

When you first power-on a computer, it goes through a very quick POST (power on self test). If you can hit the correct hotkey before the POST is completed (or hold it down as you hit the power button), you will get into the BIOS menu. However, some computers go through POST so fast that they don’t recognize input from the keyboard in time for you to a hit key. For those, skip to method #2 below.

Annoyingly, different PC brands use different BIOS keys. Most modern motherboards use the DEL key, but ultrabooks, gaming laptops and gaming PCs are less consistent. For example, hitting F2 might work on an Asus, but you’ll need F10 on an Acer computer.

If you don’t know the hotkey for your computer, you can look and see if a message comes up during POST, telling you what key to press or you can try hitting one of the 12 function keys, the DEL key, the Enter key or the ESC key since it is always one of those. You may have to try a few times to determine which one it is. In our research, DEL and F2 were, by far, the most common.

BIOS Keys by Manufacturer

Here’s a list of common BIOS keys by brand. Depending on the age of your model, the key may be different.

  • ASRock: F2 or DEL
  • ASUS: F2 for all PCs, F2 or DEL for Motherboards
  • Acer: F2 or DEL
  • Dell: F2 or F12
  • ECS: DEL
  • Gigabyte / Aorus: F2 or DEL
  • HP: F10
  • Lenovo (Consumer Laptops): F2 or Fn + F2
  • Lenovo (Desktops): F1
  • Lenovo (ThinkPads): Enter then F1.
  • MSI: DEL for motherboards and PCs
  • Microsoft Surface Tablets: Press and hold volume up button.
  • Origin PC: F2
  • Samsung: F2
  • Toshiba: F2
  • Zotac: DEL

Unfortunately, some computers go through POST so quickly that there’s no time to hit a key. Some desktops won’t even recognize input from a USB keyboard until after POST is completed (though they will see input from an old PS2-style keyboard). If you can’t use a BIOS key and you have Windows 11 or 10, you can use the «Advanced startup» feature to get there.

Note that the screen shots below are from Windows 11, but the same steps apply to Windows 10.

1. Navigate to the Advanced Startup section of Settings. The easiest way to get there is by searching for «advanced startup» in Windows search and clicking the top result. 

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

2. Click Restart now under the Advanced startup header.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Your computer will reboot and a new menu eventually appears.

3. Click Troubleshoot.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

4. Click Advanced options. 

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

5. Click UEFI Firmware Settings.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

6. Click Restart to confirm.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Method 3: Use a Linux Command

If you’re running a modern version of Linux such as Ubuntu, you may be able to get to the BIOS by typing «sudo systemctl reboot —firmware» at the command prompt.

What if you can’t boot your OS or hit a BIOS key?

If your computer can’t load an operating system, because it doesn’t detect a bootable drive, it will usually pause, beep and give you the option to enter the BIOS, which it will often call «setup. «

However, the biggest problems occur when the system POSTs too fast for you to hit a key and then Windows or Linux tries to boot and fails. I’ve had this problem when I had a missing or corrupted bootloader, I got the Windows splash screen and then a blue screen of death.

To force the BIOS to appear under these circumstances, you can try using an emergency boot disk, provided that you can either select a boot device at startup or your computer has set an external USB drive as a higher boot priority than its internal storage drive(s).

You can use a Windows install disk as an emergency boot disk. Once the USB boots, you need to click «Repair your computer» instead of install and then click Troubleshoot -> UEFI Firmware Settings -> Restart.

Finally, if you can’t boot off of an emergency disk, you can try to cause a system halting error that would prevent your computer from attempting to boot off of its internal drives. Then, you’ll be given the option to enter the BIOS menu.

Many desktop computers will give an error message if there’s no keyboard plugged in (if you need help finding one, check our out Best Gaming Keyboards list) or if the keyboard buffer is overloaded from holding down too many keys at start. Pulling out your primary internal storage drive would also cause an error that would let you into the BIOS, but if that drive has a non-booting OS on it, your problems might resume once you plug it back in.

Whatever method you use to access your BIOS, be careful when making changes to your settings there. You could end up disabling key components.

Avram Piltch is Tom’s Hardware’s editor-in-chief. When he’s not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you’ll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.

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How To Fix Keyboard Not Working In BIOS [1 Minute Fix 2022]

Written By Steven Arends

It is very troublesome when you’re in the BIOS or boot menu, and your keyboard is not working.

As a computer nerd, I understand the pain.

So, in this post, I will guide you through some fixes that will solve the issue.

What to do if the keyboard is not working in BIOS?

If the keyboard is not working in BIOS, you can enable the legacy USB support and disable the fast boot option in BIOS using another basic or PS/2 keyboard. Sometimes switching to a USB 2.0 port or changing the boot order also helps.

Keep reading the post to know about the solutions in detail.

In a hurry?? Check out my #1 recommended Keyboard.

Also, check out our separate post on what is SVM mode in BIOS.

Why Is My Keyboard Not Working On Boot Menu?

How Do I Enable Keyboards In BIOS?

1. Enable USB support

2. Disable fast boot

3. Clear CMOS

4. Disable USB 3.0 on boot

Does USB Keyboard Work In BIOS?

Fix USB Keyboard Will Not Work Before Boot

How to Fix Keyboard Not Working Until Windows Loads

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Why Is My Keyboard Not Working On Boot Menu?

Before I answer that, you need to understand how a computer boot process works.

When you boot your computer, the control goes to the motherboard BIOS first. After that, it looks at the boot sequence and tries booting from the devices one by one sequentially.

The first device with a valid bootloader and OS gets to boot. Do check out the best corsair mouse for competitive tournament gaming.

If your keyboard is not working on the boot menu, it could be caused by many factors. Some of them are keyboard drivers not initialized/recognized, USB ports not initialized, keyboard driver not supported on BIOS, or a faulty USB port.

Luckily, you can fix these things pretty quickly and within minutes. You just need to have patience and follow the steps one by one.

However, sometimes the issue is caused by a faulty motherboard. In that case, you need to replace the motherboard.

Follow our guide to fix keyboard not working in BIOS.

How Do I Enable Keyboards In BIOS?

If the keyboard is not working in BIOS, the common reason might be that the keyboard is disabled in BIOS.

However, to fix that, you’ll need to go through a bunch of menus in BIOS. And for that, you’d need another keyboard that works in BIOS.

Pretty ironical, right?

You can use an old PS/2 keyboard with generic drivers to navigate through the BIOS. These keyboards work by default on most motherboards, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Also, check out the best corsair case for your corsair build.

If you don’t have one, try using the keyboard you have in the USB 2.0 port or the top and left most USB ports on your motherboard (i. e., the primary USB port).

Here are the steps to enable Keyboard on BIOS:

1. Enable USB support

Maybe the integrated peripherals/default peripherals are not enabled in BIOS. So you need to allow it to use your keyboard.

Check out our post on will motherboard boot without CMOS battery.

Here are the steps to enable USB Support:

  1. Go to BIOS: Reboot your PC and go to BIOS.
  2. Navigate to integrated peripherals: Search for the option integrated peripherals or default peripherals. Depending on your motherboard, it can be named differently. Your goal here is to find an option that leads to USB/legacy keyboard support.
  3. Enable legacy USB support: Once you’ve found it, you’ll see a USB keyboard support option. On some motherboards, it’s also known as legacy USB support or legacy keyboard support. Whatever the naming may be, it’s the same setting. Enable it.
  4. Save the changes and exit. Now plug in your original keyboard after disconnecting the current keyboard and check if it works in BIOS.

Have some time to spare? Quickly check out our epic guide on how to fix CPU fan not detected in BIOS.

2. Disable fast boot

Fast boot is an option present on almost all motherboards. It causes USB devices to load after OS boot and not before the BIOS loads.

As I said above, your OS boots after the BIOS. So if USB devices load after OS, they won’t be available on BIOS.

Reboot your PC and go to BIOS. The fast boot option is located under the boot menu more often than not. So try finding it there. If you cannot find the fast boot option under the boot menu, feel free to look at the other menus.

Check out the easiest way to gateway BIOS updates.

Once you’ve found the fast boot option, disable it.

Save the changes and turn off the PC. Replace the current keyboard with your primary one and try going to BIOS. See if it worked.

Also check our exclusive tutorial on BIOS not detecting USB.

3. Clear CMOS

Clearing CMOS will cause your BIOS to reset to default settings. Here’s how to do it:

Shut down your PC and unplug the power cord.

Check out our experts tested and reviewed the best Aura Sync Compatible SSDs.

Remove the side panel of your PC case to get access to the motherboard.

Find the CMOS battery on the motherboard. It is a small circular battery, usually located around the CPU. Refer to your motherboard manual if you have difficulty finding it.

Carefully remove the CMOS battery. It should be pretty straightforward. Remember not to touch other parts of the motherboard; otherwise, you can cause an ESD.

But before that, go through our epic guide on can SSD cause Blue Screen.

After waiting for about a minute, put the CMOS battery back. Make sure it’s fitted properly.

At this point, you can try turning on your PC and going to BIOS. If everything works, put back the side panel of the PC case, and you’re good to go. Get my personal favorite Aura sync Keyboards.

4. Disable USB 3.0 on boot

Sometimes on newer motherboards, USB 3.0 is used during boot. It causes some keyboards not to work correctly. Follow the steps below to disable it:

Turn off the PC and go to BIOS. Locate the USB configuration menu. On most motherboards, the USB configuration menu is located under the advanced menu. Find it and go inside.

You’ll find an option Intel xHCI Mode. Change that from Smart Auto to Auto. If it’s already in Auto, change it to Disabled.

Save the changes and exit. Connect the main keyboard and see if it works. Also, Check out how you can access the Steam Screenshot folder.

Does USB Keyboard Work In BIOS?

USB keyboards should work in BIOS. If you have an old motherboard where the primary connections were PS/2, it might not work.

That’s because those old motherboards were configured keeping the PS/2 connection in mind. So it defaults to a PS/2 connection. Also, if you are interested to have a better shooting experience in FPS games then check out our separate post on how to change mouse acceleration.

To check if you have such a motherboard, you can look at the rear I/O of the motherboard. If you see two separate PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse, that’s an old motherboard.

Newer motherboards have one or zero PS/2 ports.

If you have a newer motherboard, USB connections should work by default. And therefore, USB peripherals such as USB keyboard and mouse should work in BIOS.

If it doesn’t, you can look at some fixes mentioned above to solve the issue.

Check out our expert’s recommended Corsair CPU Cooler for cooling your gaming rig.

Fix USB Keyboard Will Not Work Before Boot

USB keyboard sometimes fails to work before boot.

Here are the steps to fix USB Keyboard not working before boot:

  1. Use primary USB port/ using the top left motherboard USB port
  2. Enable USB legacy support in BIOS
  3. Disable fast boot. Using a compatible keyboard that the manufacturer says should work in BIOS

In a hurry? Check out my new post on Is SSD Affected by Magnets.

How to Fix Keyboard Not Working Until Windows Loads

If your keyboard doesn’t work until Windows loads, try changing the boot order.

If you change your boot order such that drives with no OS such as optical drive or USB drives get priority first, then the BIOS can get enough time to initialize the USB drivers.

Check out our separate post on Motherboard Affecting Performance on PC.

Follow the steps below to change the boot order:

  1. Go to BIOS
  2. Go to the boot menu
  3. Under boot order/sequence, place your HDD/SSD containing the OS below some drives with no OS.
  4. If there are two boot orders (one for legacy and another for UEFI), change both.
  5. Save changes and exit.
  6. Test if it worked.

If it doesn’t work, and you’ve already tried the several methods mentioned above, maybe you have a keyboard that doesn’t work in BIOS.

Visit your keyboard manufacturer’s website or contact them for more info.

Also, check out our separate post to find out whether Motherboard Screws Universal or not. Have some time to spare? Check out our latest post to Enable Aura Sync Control for Corsair RGB Memory

FAQ

Question: Can you BIOS without a keyboard?

Answer: You’ll need to press the BIOS key to enter BIOS during boot. After that, if you have a modern motherboard, you can navigate and change most settings using a mouse. But old motherboards with text-based BIOS need a keyboard to navigate through.

Question: Can you enter BIOS with a wireless keyboard?

Answer: If you have a basic wireless keyboard that uses an RF transmitter to connect, it might work. But a lot of wireless keyboards, especially the BlueTooth ones, don’t work in BIOS.

Final Thoughts

It can be frustrating when you find that your keyboard is not working in BIOS. But following through with some simple steps like disabling fast boot, enabling legacy USB, changing the boot order, or resetting BIOS will fix the issue for most people.

How to Enter the Bios on Windows 10/11 (And Older Versions)

On older computers, a simple keystroke at the right moment while the system is booting can get you into the BIOS. If you have a newer Windows computer, maybe one that came with UEFI BIOS, you can enter the BIOS even more easily.

To save you the guesswork, we have compiled all the different ways how you can enter the BIOS on Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, and older versions.

Inside the BIOS, you can change many basic computer settings, like the boot order, system time and date, or enabled hardware components. That’s why the BIOS (basic input/output system) is also known as «Setup.»

How to Get Into the UEFI BIOS

Modern computers just boot too fast. Thus, newer versions of Windows feature an easier way to access the BIOS, but you first have to boot into Windows.

How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 11

Head to Settings (Win + I) > System > Recovery and click Restart now next to the «Advanced startup» option. Note that this will actually restart your computer.

When you’re restarting your computer in Advanced startup mode, you can choose your boot options. On the screen that comes up, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and click Restart, which will boot straight into Windows 11’s UEFI BIOS.

If you’re still running a legacy BIOS, find out how you can upgrade to UEFI BIOS in Windows 10 and 11.

How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10

Entering the BIOS on Windows 10 is only slightly different from Windows 11.

Go to Settings (Windows + I) > Update & Security > Recovery and under Advanced startup click Restart now. Note that this will actually restart your computer.

The next steps are identical to how it works on Windows 11. Since you used advanced startup, you’ll be able to choose your boot options. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and click Restart, to boot straight into your UEFI BIOS from Windows 10.

Entered your BIOS and discovered unexpected problems? Here’s how to fix missing UEFI firmware settings.

How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 8 or 8.1

We have previously published an entire article on how to access the BIOS in Windows 8.

To summarize: Open the Charms bar by pressing the key combination Windows + C, click the Settings icon, and select Change PC settings in the bottom right. Within PC Settings, navigate to the General tab and click Restart now under the Advanced startup header.

In Windows 8.1, the steps are slightly different. Within PC Settings, navigate to the Update and Recovery tab, then go to Recovery, and finally click Restart now under Advanced startup.

Alternatively, hold the Shift key while you click Restart in the Shut Down menu.

The computer will restart into boot options, which include the UEFI BIOS. Like on Windows 10, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and click Restart to boot into your BIOS.

How to Access the BIOS on an Older PC

If you’re still using Windows 7 or an earlier Windows version, you’ll have to employ the traditional way of entering the BIOS, i.e., wait for the right moment during startup and hit the right key.

What Is the Right Moment to Enter the BIOS?

The right moment is sometime between powering on the computer and before the operating system is launching. The time window is so narrow because the BIOS essentially only initializes your hardware before handing it over to the bootloader, which boots the operating system. Once the operating system is starting up, often indicated by displaying the respective logo, you missed the moment.

You might see a message that indicates the right moment. It most likely says something like «Press <Del> to Enter Setup,» meaning it also reveals which key to press.

In the absence of such a message, the right moment generally is when you see manufacturer logos before the booting of the operating system.

The easiest way to not miss the moment when you can enter the BIOS is to press the right key even before you power on the computer and hold it until the BIOS comes up. If that doesn’t work, you’re not pressing the right key, or something is broken.

What Is the Right Key to Enter Setup?

As you already gathered, it depends on your hardware. More specifically, it depends on the motherboard the BIOS is located on.

Common keys to enter the BIOS are F1, F2, F10, Delete, Esc, as well as key combinations like Ctrl + Alt + Esc or Ctrl + Alt + Delete, although those are more common on older machines. Also note that a key like F10 might actually launch something else, like the boot menu. Of course, the exact key or key combination depends on your computer manufacturer and model.

You can proceed with trial and error until you find the right key, press multiple different keys at once and get lucky, or you can consult the list below.

Acer BIOS Keys

The most common keys to enter Setup on Acer hardware are F2 and Delete.

On older computers, try F1 or the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Esc.

If your computer features an ACER BIOS, you can restore the BIOS to bootable settings by pressing and holding the F10 key. Once you hear two beeps, settings have been restored.

ASRock BIOS Keys

Is your computer running on an ASRock motherboard? You’ll know because you can’t miss the logo popping up on your boot screen. In this case, try F2 or Delete to enter the BIOS.

Asus BIOS Keys

As with Acer, the most common key is F2.

Depending on your model, it might also be the Delete or Insert key, and less commonly, F10.

Dell BIOS Keys

On a newer Dell computer, try the F2 key while you see the Dell logo.

Alternatively, try F1, Delete, F12, or even F3.

Older models might use Ctrl + Alt + Enter or Delete or Fn + Esc or Fn + F1.

HP BIOS Keys

Keys most commonly used on HP machines to enter setup include F10 and Esc.

On some HP computers, F1, F2, F6, or F11 will open the gates to the BIOS.

On HP Tablet PCs F10 or F12 will get you into the BIOS.

HP has compiled information on its BIOS here.

Lenovo BIOS Keys

On a Lenovo desktop computer, the F1 key should get you into the BIOS. On their laptops, try F2 or Fn + F2.

Older hardware might require the key combination Ctrl + Alt + F3 or Ctrl + Alt + Insert key or Fn + F1.

If you have a ThinkPad, consult this Lenovo resource: how to access the BIOS on a ThinkPad.

Microsoft Surface Tablets

You can attach a keyboard to your Surface tablet, but you can still get into the BIOS without it. The trick is to press and hold the volume-up button while you press and release the power button. You can release the volume-up button when you see the Windows logo. This should enter you into the UEFI BIOS.

MSI BIOS Keys

If you know that your computer is using an MSI motherboard, then the key to trigger the BIOS most likely is the Delete key. You might even notice a message saying, «Press Del to enter SETUP.»

On some MSI motherboard models, the key to access the BIOS will be F2.

Samsung BIOS Key

Press the F2 key as soon as the Samsung logo appears.

Sony BIOS Keys

On a Sony VAIO, F2 or F3 will get you into the BIOS, but you can also try F1.

If your VAIO has an ASSIST key, try to press and hold it while powering on the laptop. This also works if your Sony VAIO came with Windows 8.

Toshiba BIOS Keys

Your best bet is the F2 key.

Other candidates include F1 and Esc.

On the Toshiba Equium, F12 will enter the BIOS.

Toshiba also has more detailed instructions on how to access the BIOS.

Other Manufacturers

Unfortunately, there is very little consistency.

Neither do computer manufacturers always use the same motherboard manufacturer, nor do motherboard manufacturers consistently define the same key for entering the BIOS. If you want a definite answer on which keys to press to enter Setup, you have to search for the exact model of your computer’s motherboard.

Did You Manage to Enter Your BIOS?

If none of the keys mentioned above work, the issue might be your keyboard or, rather, the lack of keyboard drivers before the computer boots up. Try another keyboard and/or port. For example, if you’ve been using a USB keyboard, but your PC also has a PS/2 port, try a PS/2 keyboard instead.

Once you have access to the BIOS, you might want to reset your BIOS to default settings.

I can’t enter the BIOS, what should I do?

Hello friends. Sometimes readers contact me in the comments with a problem, they say, I can’t enter the BIOS, what to do. At the same time, they report that they have tried all possible keys that may be responsible for entering the BIOS. How to solve this problem? Below we will consider its cause and solution using a specific example with individual models of Acer laptops. And also let’s talk about an alternative universal way to access the UEFI BIOS — from a running Windows EFI system or from a system recovery environment on removable media.

How to get into the BIOS if the keys designed for this do not work

So, friends, certain keys are responsible for entering the BIOS at the stage of starting the computer. These can be F2, Delete, Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+Alt+B, Ctrl+Alt+S. If you’re working with a new, hitherto unfamiliar device, you can try them at random. But the exact key or combination should always be looked at in the instructions for the motherboard or laptop. If there is no instruction, then you need to use the information on the network.

But what if you can’t enter the BIOS and have tried various keyboard shortcuts, including those listed in the instructions for the motherboard or laptop?

Recently, a reader came to the comments with the following problem:

Quote: Julia

Please help. I can not enter the BIOS of the Acer V5 571 laptop. Neither F2, nor any other key or their combinations help. This was preceded by the replacement of the hard drive, which had to install Win 7. This is the first. Secondly, the desired Win 7 was installed on this new hard drive on another laptop, but the Acer laptop does not see this hard drive. And gives the message «Operaion sistem not found». At the same time, the hard drive on which Win 10 is installed perfectly loads.

Experienced users probably guessed that Yulia’s problem is most likely that the active UEFI mode in the BIOS prevents Windows 7 from starting on her laptop. Or, using another laptop, she installed the Seven on a disk with the MBR partitioning style. Either to a GPT-style disk, but booting Windows 7 on the causal Acer laptop is prevented by the Secure Boot included in the BIOS. What should Julia do? She needs to enter BIOS and disable UEFI mode, switch it to Legacy.

Or, if you can disable Secure Boot separately, then disable only it, and then either reinstall Windows 7 to an empty unallocated space, clearing the disk of the partition structure, or convert the MBR disk to GPT from the Windows 10 or LiveDisk environment using programs like AOMEI Partition Assistant , Paragon Hard Disk Manager, MiniTool Partition Wizard, etc. These not only change the layout style of the hard disk while preserving the structure of the partitions and the data stored on them, but also keep Windows working by converting the System Reserved system boot partition into an EFI boot partition.

But how can Julia do these operations if she does not have access to the UEFI functionality? There are two options for how to proceed in this situation:

  • The first is to enter UEFI from the environment of a running Windows 10, and if there was none, then, accordingly, this could be done from a bootable media with an EFI system recovery environment windows;
  • The second is to update the BIOS of your device.

Acer V5 series BIOS update

The second option — BIOS update — is a difficult path for the average person, and, accordingly, it should be resorted to as a last resort. And this recipe does not work with every device. But it can definitely help Acer V5 series laptops, which our reader owns one of the models. Its essence is to create a flash drive with a BIOS update utility and boot a laptop from this flash drive. This process is shown in detail in a YouTube video.

How to enter UEFI if the BIOS entry keys do not work

Well, now let’s talk about the mentioned universal, easier way to enter UEFI in case the BIOS entry keys do not work. If we have a working Windows 8.1 or 10 EFI system, UEFI login can be done using special boot options. Open the Settings app. In Windows 8.1, go to the «Update and Recovery» section. We go to the «Recovery» subsection. On the right, we look at «Special boot options.» Click «Restart Now».

In Windows 10, the same option is located in the Update and Security section, in the Recovery subsection.

Let’s get into the menu for selecting the action of the recovery environment. Here we can not directly enter the BIOS environment, but simply select a boot device other than the current hard disk, for example, a USB flash drive or DVD. To do this, select the option «Use device».

And then we indicate, in fact, the device itself — a USB flash drive or DVD.

If it is necessary to enter the BIOS, then in the action selection menu, click «Troubleshooting».

Then — «Advanced Options».

Next — “UEFI Firmware Settings.

Click «Restart».

And get into the BIOS UEFI interface.

How to enter the UEFI BIOS if Windows does not boot or is not installed at all? In principle, we do not need Windows itself, but its recovery environment. This is implemented in the installation process of Windows 8.1 and 10. But here it is necessary that two circumstances converge:

  • The bootable flash drive must be UEFI, such is created, for example, by the Rufus utility with the ISO recording parameters as in the screenshot below;
  • And by default, the computer should start from such a bootable flash drive, as from a device that is in boot priority after the hard drive on which Windows has crashed or is missing. Or the UEFI BIOS should retain the ability to call the Boot menu at startup using a special key, and in this menu we, accordingly, will be able to select a bootable USB flash drive.

So, at the first stage of the installation process, click «Next».

Click «System Restore».

And here it is — the action selection menu. Further, everything is the same as described above — either we get access to all computer boot devices, or we go into UEFI.

Friends, many of you, from among experienced users, know about one of the suitable resuscitation Live disks based on WinPE — the disk of Sergey Strelts, the possibilities of which we from time to time consider on the pages of the site. If you have one stored in a safe place in case of a system failure, you do not need to worry about creating a bootable media with the Windows installation process. You can run the System Recovery Environment on the Sagittarius Live Disk. Access to it is implemented in the Live-disk menu.

Run, select the keyboard layout.

Well, then we will get into the action selection menu.

Bootice program

Friends, the Bootice utility has an easier way to enter the UEFI BIOS than offered by the system functionality. But it is described in a separate article of our site.

Resetting, updating, and flashing the BIOS

If the BIOS has experienced a software failure, resetting it or updating it through Windows may help. In the latter case, accordingly, the operating system must start on the computer. Instructions and software for updating the BIOS should be found in the specification of the motherboard or laptop on the official website of the manufacturer. The most extreme case is the restoration of a damaged BIOS firmware with a programmer. You can see how this is done in principle in the Ro8 series of articles. However, friends, without proper preparation and experience, I do not advise you to resort to such actions. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact a computer wizard.

How to flash a windows 10 license into bios

Contents

  1. Three ways to find out the Windows key
  2. 1. The easiest way is software.
  3. 2. Using a script
  4. 3. Extract the key from BIOS (bios)
  5. A new working way to extract the key, including if the system does not start.
  6. How to install Windows 10
  7. New key generation when upgrading to Windows 10
  8. New key generation when upgrading to Windows 10
  9. License in BIOS
  10. Solution
  11. How to flash a windows 10 license into bios
  12. Re: How to flash a Windows 10 key into BIOS on a Lenovo monoblock. 310-20IAP
  13. Re: How to flash a Windows 10 key into the BIOS on a Lenovo monoblock. 310-20IAP
  14. Re: How to flash a Windows 10 key into the BIOS on a Lenovo monoblock. 310-20IAP
  15. Re: How to flash a Windows 10 key into the BIOS on a Lenovo monoblock. 310-20IAP
  16. How to find the product license key for Windows 10, 8, 7
  17. When buying a computer, Windows was installed
  18. A Windows license key was purchased separately
  19. When buying a device, Windows was not installed or there are no stickers with a key on the case
  20. Video

Three ways to find out the Windows key

way is software.

Using this utility, you can not only view the key on the installed system, but also, for example, from an external device (external drive, usb flash drive) or connect a drive with a second system. It happens that Windows does not start due to disk damage or a blue screen is to blame, and you need to find out the key, then Product KeyFinder is a great solution.

Click the tab Tools and then Load Hive

Select the Windows folder on the external device and press Enter. After a few seconds of scanning, we get the system version and the key for installing clean Windows on a new disk.

2. Using the script

The method for searchers is a bit more complicated, but more interesting.

Create a plain text document .txt open and paste this text there:

Change the file extension from .txt to .vbs and run the script, after a couple of seconds we see the key. Who is too lazy to do manipulations, download the finished script.

3. Extract the key from the BIOS (bios)

This method is a real hardcore, it will help you find out the key of all windows wired into bios. In the latest versions of computers with pre-installed Windows 8, 8.1, 10, there is no sticker with a key, of course, you can recognize it in the ways listed above, but what if you put a different version or Linux on top, for example? The key is stored in the bios chip, and on the one hand, it’s great, you won’t lose it, and if you want to know it, use RWeverything. Download the utility according to the version of your system, version 32 bit or 64 bit. It needs to be downloaded, unpacked (winrar, winzip), installed and run. Then:

Conclusion: if you had to find and restore the key, be sure to write it down in a safe place. The license is important, you paid for it.

If it came in handy, click on the button below and tell your friends, Thank you!

A new working way to remove the key, including if the system does not start.

I found this method on the Internet and checked that it works even in the latest build of Widows 10.0. . Yes, it is in English, but which of us does not use a translator in chrome? So, be careful and follow the instructions, if you do everything correctly, then at the end you will decrypt the binary code and get the product key, this field looks like this:

Source

How to install Windows 10

Generating a new key when upgrading to Windows 10

Generating a new key when upgrading to Windows 10

We see that the activation is completed.

What is activation

Today, all Windows 10 Home Single Language upgrades are activated with this key, that is, your laptop is activated on Microsoft servers.

Write down the key or copy it to a safe place.

Reinstalling Windows 10 again, the process of installing the final Win 10 is shown here, during the installation process you need to enter the key twice, I didn’t enter the key, I pressed Skip this step everywhere (I was wondering if the system is activated automatically or not).

After installing Win 10, go to the properties of the Computer.

We see that our brand new ten is not activated. Press button Windows Activation .

Change product key

Windows is activated!

Windows activation completed.

Source

License in BIOS

Goodbye license?
Received a licensed windows 10 program technical preview. When reinstalling windows on the same.

Windows 10 9 License0171
How much will it cost to buy a licensed version of Windows 10 Professional, with the ability.

Windows 10 license
Hello everyone. There is a PC bought in the store, I believe, with an OEM license for Windows 10. So.

OEM license
Guys, tell me such a thing. I accidentally found it on one well-known trading platform (I won’t do it.

Solution

That’s it, I understand. “clean”, this is a complete reinstallation with formatting, and not updating the existing OS to Windows 10. It takes a very long time to load. And when writing the image to flash drive gave error 0x80042405-0xA001B.
Now I’m trying to repeat the procedure. It’s been running for two hours now.

Added after 4 hours 52 minutes
Guys, thank you very much for your answers! They helped me a lot.

I downloaded Windows from the Microsoft website and installed it. The license is enabled automatically. Now everything is great!

Well, the seven, especially the license

, have not been installed for a long time. A dozen usually rolls with a whistle, if the bios is with a wired SLIC.

Added after 6 minutes
I don’t really know the details of what and how it’s wired up in the BIOS. Not enough knowledge for this.

Now I want to try to sew SLIC into my old woman (GA-68M-S2H) and check how the installation goes. Old bios rules, but with UEFI it’s a little more complicated.

Come on. I downloaded an iso image, made a flash drive from it and installed it on all computers from this flash drive. As with the license and no. If there is a license in the BIOS, the installer will pick it up. And if not, it asks for a code. If the code doesn’t fit either, then you’ve got it, you don’t have a license.

If you skip entering the key, you will be asked to select the edition yourself. And put not activated Windows.

Added after 10 minutes
A quick question: if I have a pirated LTSB, which version will the Media Creation Tool download for me? That’s right, not LTSC, but standard.

Source

How to sew a windows 10 license into bios

Help me to sew a Windows 10 key on a Lenovo monoblock of the 310-20IAP series, I recently bought a monoblock for an organization and an oem license remained from the old system administrator, I want to install it and sew the key into the BIOS well and make a cut. copy. So that in case something does not run around the offices and not look for where the hell is my disk and other rubbish in order to reinstall Windows.

178180 Page view 310-20IAP

Discussion of your question is outside the scope of the forum rules. In addition, an OEM license cannot be sold, distributed, or used on a computer other than the one it came with. This is already a violation of the license policy ms.

Do it well, worse becomes itself

Re: How to flash a Windows 10 key into the BIOS on a Lenovo monoblock. 310-20IAP

So I can’t install this license? Need to buy a box?

178180 Page view 310-20IAP

To be 100% sure what configuration you have, please tell me the machine model code, starts with F0CL.

Do it well, worse becomes itself

66396 Page view 310-20IAP

I just completed the Microsoft Licensing course today, so I can say with confidence — There are three main ways to purchase licenses for Microsoft products:

OEM, Boxed Products, Volume Licensing.

Microsoft products may come pre-installed with your computer. Such versions are called OEM versions of products (OEM — Original Equipment Manufacturer). OEM versions are for personal computer and server builders/manufacturers only. They cannot be distributed separately from a computer. The main feature of OEM versions is that they are “locked” to the computer they were originally installed on and cannot be transferred to any other PC (even if the computer is “upgraded”). In your case, using an OEM license from another computer is a violation of the Microsoft license agreement.

For an organization, consider purchasing a volume license (5 or more)

Volume licensing programs are for organizations that purchase the same products for multiple computers. These programs offer significant cost savings through volume discounts, ease of deployment and management of software, payment options and other benefits such as Software Assurance.

As for the boxed versions, they are intended primarily for private users. The buyer immediately receives everything necessary for installing and using the product, namely, a license agreement, a certificate of authenticity, a distribution kit with the product. The significant price of boxed versions is due to:

Source

How to find out the license key for the Windows 10, 8, 7 product

Consider the instruction on how to find out the Windows 10, 8, 7 activation key (product code) on a computer or laptop.

These methods are suitable for Windows 10, 8, 7 64 / 32 bit (x64 / x86) any edition : Home (Home), Professional (Pro), Corporate (LTSB, LTSC) Windows needs a license key, let’s look at options on how to find out the Windows product key and where it can be located.

The license key is a 25-digit code separated by a dash and looks like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX notebook.

Select how you purchased Windows or your computer :

Windows was installed when you bought your computer

If you bought Windows when you bought your computer or laptop, then it’s easy to find the product key.

In this case, your device must have a sticker (Windows 10, 8, Windows 7) with the Windows logo. If you have Windows 7 , then the license key is on this sticker. If Windows 10 or Windows 8 , this means that your product key is registered (hardwired) in the internal BIOS / UEFI system (in the motherboard)

To view the license key, use the program ShowKeyPlus

1. Download the ShowKeyPlus program, depending on the bitness of your system

2. Unpack the archive and run the file ShowKeyPlus.exe

3. After that, the program will start and show the license key installed in the BIOS / UEFI in line OEM Key

With this license key you can activate Windows 10 or use it when installing Windows 10

You bought the Windows license key separately

you need to find the box and see the key. Or the sticker can be glued on the box or on the computer or laptop case.

If you bought a license key online

When purchasing a key online from the official Microsoft store, log into your account

Go to the Order History section. It will contain the Windows you bought and a digital key.

When you bought the device, Windows was not installed or there are no stickers with a key on the case

If you bought a computer or laptop (new or used) and Windows was not installed on it and there are no stickers, then you do not have a license key. In this case, for Windows Activation you have several options where to find it:

Source

Video

Find out the Windows OEM license key wired into the BIOS using RWEverything

Activate Windows using Bios

How to transfer, save the license (product key) of Windows 10 to another computer or disk

How to Find out the Activation Key Windows from BIOS?

Tired of a pirate? Windows license recovery, reactivation.

We sew the Windows key into the dump.

We get and edit the Windows key from the Dump BIOS.

Purchasing a key and installing Windows 10

Preserving the license when reinstalling Windows 10

  • 1. The easiest way is software.
  • 2. Using a script
  • 3. Extract the key from BIOS (bios)
  • A new working way to extract the key, including if the system does not start.
  • How do I find my Windows 10 product key? All methods
  • How do I know if Windows 10 is activated?
  • Windows 10 Key Viewers:
  • ShowKeyPlus
  • Win Product Key Viewer
  • Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder
  • ProduKey
  • How can I find out the Windows 10 activation key? Other methods
  • License in BIOS
  • Solution
  • How to find out the license key (Install Key and OEM Key) in Windows 10
  • Difference between Install Key and OEM Key
  • Video: how to find out information about the OEM Key
  • Why you need to know the Windows activation key
  • How to find the key using system tools
  • Finding the Install Key using PowerShell
  • Finding the Install Key using a script
  • Video: how to find the key using VBS- script
  • Search for OEM Key via PowerShell
  • Search for OEM Key via «Command line»
  • How to find the key using third-party applications
  • ShowKeyPlus
  • Video: how to find the key using ShowKeyPlus
  • ProduKey
  • Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder
  • Speccy
  • How to find your Windows 10 product key
  • How to find your Windows 10 product key and OEM key in ShowKeyPlus
  • How to find your Windows 10 product key in ShowKeyPlus2 904 Programs to find Windows 10 product key
  • How to view installed Windows 10 key using PowerShell
  • How to find OEM key from UEFI in PowerShell
  • How to view installed Windows 10 key using VBS 9 script0025
  • Video
  • Three ways to find out the Windows key

    1.

    The easiest way is software.

    Using this utility, you can not only view the key on the installed system, but also, for example, from an external device (external drive, usb flash drive) or connect a drive with a second system. It happens that Windows does not start due to disk damage or a blue screen is to blame and you need to find out the key, then Product KeyFinder is an excellent solution.

    Click the tab Tools and then Load Hive

    Select the Windows folder on the external device and press Enter. After a few seconds of scanning, we get the system version and the key for installing clean Windows on a new disk.

    2. Using the script

    The method for searchers is a bit more complicated, but more interesting.

    Create a plain text document .txt open and paste this text there:

    Change the file extension from .txt to . vbs and run the script, after a couple of seconds we see the key. Who is too lazy to do manipulations, download the finished script.

    3. Extract the key from the BIOS (bios)

    This method is a real hardcore, it will help you find out the key of all windows wired into bios. In the latest versions of computers with pre-installed Windows 8, 8.1, 10, there is no sticker with a key, of course, you can recognize it in the ways listed above, but what if you put a different version or Linux on top, for example? The key is stored in the bios chip, and on the one hand, it’s great, you won’t lose it, and if you want to know it, use RWeverything. Download the utility according to the version of your system, version 32 bit or 64 bit. It needs to be downloaded, unpacked (winrar, winzip), installed and run. Then:

    Conclusion: if you had to find and restore the key, be sure to write it down in a safe place. The license is important, you paid for it.

    If it came in handy, click on the button below and tell your friends, Thank you!

    A new working way to remove the key, including if the system does not start.

    I found this method on the Internet and checked that it works even in the latest build of Widows 10.0. . Yes, it is in English, but which of us does not use a translator in chrome? So, be careful and follow the instructions, if you do everything correctly, then at the end you will decrypt the binary code and get the product key, this field looks like this:

    Source

    How do I find my Windows 10 product key? All methods

    Windows 10 Home, Enterprise, Pro (Registered Trademark) and other varieties of operating systems (OS) from Microsoft are paid. To activate them, you need a serial number for Windows 10, it is also called a product code. This is a license to legally use the OS. Sometimes you need to find out, this is especially true when reinstalling the system, installing the distribution kit on several computers (supported by the corporate version) or after buying a new working device. Now let’s explain, how to find out the Windows 10 product key by different methods.

    Enter a valid OS key in the corresponding window. The keys for Windows 10 Home and other modifications are usually hardwired into the BIOS (perhaps even tied to the HWID) or simply hidden in the system. However, for this, the reader must have a licensed Windows. Then we can look at the current Windows 10 code on the laptop and use it for our own purposes.

    Worth knowing! There are also sites that illegally distribute Windows 10 license keys, but this is illegal, and it is extremely difficult to find a working key.

    How do I know if Windows 10 is activated?

    Conventionally, all versions of Windows can be divided into 4 types:

    We can find out about activation in the «System» section, which is easy to get to if you right-click (RMB) on the «This PC» shortcut on the desktop and select » Properties». The necessary information is in the «Windows Activation» column.

    Programs for viewing the Windows 10 key:

    There are different methods to find out the key from Windows 10 Pro 64 bit or any other version, but the simplest of them are methods using additional programs.

    ShowKeyPlus

    How to get the Win10 key from the BIOS via ShowKeyPlus:

    By the way, we can quickly save the data from the program with the «Save» button.

    Win Product Key Viewer

    Win Product Key Viewer is a small utility that allows you to easily determine the installed product key. The program extracts it from the operating system and displays which version of Windows the code belongs to. The functionality does not provide for displaying an OEM key. Only basic functionality is built into the application, but it is enough to recognize the encrypted license code.

    Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder

    The app has the same functionality as ShowKeyPlus. In addition to the key search system in the installed OS, the utility can extract license codes from iso images and installation disks. We can quickly move the detected data to a new file with the “Save” button.

    The application is available in two flavors:

    ProduKey

    The application from the NirSoft developer is able to display the key from the system, as well as from other Microsoft applications: Office suite, Internet Explorer or Edge web browser. The utility can even extract Windows keys from remote PCs, including all devices on the domain. Even booting the system is not required, the program extracts the key directly from the registry.

    How to use ProduKey :

    How can I find out the Windows 10 activation key? Other methods

    These are not all ways to determine which key to enter to activate Windows 10 on a new computer. I would like to mention a few additional options:

    Perhaps someone has an unanswered question regarding the difference between a regular key and an OEM. The main difference between them is the type of installation. OEM Windows is a pre-installed operating system that comes with your computer at the factory. The remaining keys are codes from the OS installed by users.

    These are all quick and efficient ways to determine the Windows 10 license key. Standard system tools are useful when you have physical access to your computer. Programs already provide remote key extraction or allow you to determine the code from a conventional drive without the need to start the system.

    Source

    License in BIOS

    Goodbye license?
    Received a licensed windows 10 program technical preview. When reinstalling windows on the same.

    Windows 10 license
    How much does it cost to buy a licensed version of Windows 10 Professional with the ability.

    Windows 10 license
    Hello everyone. There is a PC bought in the store, I believe, with an OEM license for Windows 10. So.

    OEM license
    Guys, tell me such a thing. I accidentally found it on one well-known trading platform (I won’t do it.

    Solution

    That’s it, I understand. “clean”, this is a complete reinstallation with formatting, and not updating the existing OS to Windows 10. It takes a very long time to load. And when writing the image to flash drive gave error 0x80042405-0xA001B.
    Now I’m trying to repeat the procedure. It’s been running for two hours now.

    Added after 4 hours 52 minutes
    Guys, thank you very much for your answers! They helped me a lot.

    I downloaded Windows from the Microsoft website and installed it. The license is enabled automatically. Now everything is great!

    Well, the seven, especially the license

    , have not been installed for a long time. A dozen usually rolls with a whistle, if the bios is with a wired SLIC.

    Added after 6 minutes
    I don’t really know the details of what and how it’s wired up in the BIOS. Not enough knowledge for this.

    Now I want to try to sew SLIC into my old woman (GA-68M-S2H) and check how the installation goes. Old bios rules, but with UEFI it’s a little more complicated.

    Come on. I downloaded an iso image, made a flash drive from it and installed it on all computers from this flash drive. As with the license and no. If there is a license in the BIOS, the installer will pick it up. And if not, it asks for a code. If the code doesn’t fit either, then you’ve got it, you don’t have a license.

    If you skip entering the key, you will be asked to select the edition yourself. And put not activated Windows.

    Added after 10 minutes
    A quick question: if I have a pirated LTSB, which version will the Media Creation Tool download for me? That’s right, not LTSC, but standard.

    Source

    How to find out the license key (Install Key and OEM Key) in Windows 10

    Activated Windows 10 stores information about the key with which its license was confirmed. If you need to know it, then there are several ways to do this. But before performing a search, you should understand how Install Key and OEM Key differ from each other.

    Difference between Install Key and OEM Key

    Both types of keys exist for the same purpose — Windows activation. But the license verification can be performed at different times: before the system appears on disk, during installation, or after it.

    Install Key — the key that the user enters himself, having received it from the Microsoft online store or by purchasing a disc with a digital version of Windows. OEM — a key sewn into the motherboard. It can be found in cases where the computer is sold with Windows already installed and activated.

    So, if you confirmed the license yourself, you should find out the Install Key. If the computer was purchased with Windows already activated, the OEM Key will be relevant. But it is possible that your version of the operating system was initially activated not because of the wired key, but because the seller independently entered the Install Key. Remember this option if it turns out that the OEM key is missing.

    Key values ​​may match if you didn’t enter anything yourself. But in most cases there is either one key, or the values ​​of the keys are different. For example, if you had Windows 7 or 8 activated via OEM, then switching to Windows 10 during or after the free giveaway will generate an Install Key that is different from the original OEM key.

    Video: how to find out information about the OEM Key

    Why you need to know the Windows activation key

    The only thing that a used key can be useful for again is to confirm the activation of Windows, the license of which was previously confirmed by this key. The fact is that the operating system license may fail for some reason. For example, due to a change in components or some updates.

    If a previously paid system is no longer licensed, it does not need to be purchased. It is enough to remember the key and contact Microsoft support: the operators will verify the data and help eliminate the misunderstanding.

    How to find out the key using system tools

    There are several methods to find out both the OEM and Install Key. The system tools may seem more complex than the third-party programs described below, but at the same time, you won’t have to download additional applications and be afraid that the key will be stolen by intruders who distribute malware.

    Finding the Install Key via PowerShell

    Jakob Bindslet

    Once the file is created, do the following:

    Finding the Install Key via a script

    There is a script similar to the one above, but in a different language.

    Video: how to find the key using a VBS script

    Finding an OEM Key using PowerShell

    Finding an OEM Key using the Command Line Command Prompt» run as administrator.

    It doesn’t matter which method, given or previous, you use, the result will be the same. Only the commands and their execution environments differ.

    How to find out the key using third-party applications

    All of the methods described below require the download of additional free or partially free programs. They do nothing complicated, so they will weigh a little. Third-party programs simplify the search for an OEM and Install key, they should be used if the above methods did not work for some reason.

    All of the applications listed are popular and secure, which means that by using them you do not risk sharing your key with an outsider. But you can be sure that the program is safe only if it was downloaded from the official website of the developer, and not from a third-party resource.

    ShowKeyPlus

    The peculiarity of the program is that it does not require installation. It is enough to open the downloaded file, after which some information about the system will appear on the screen, including the OEM and Install key. The non-overloaded interface makes it easy to find out all the necessary data.

    Video: how to find out the key using ShowKeyPlus

    ProduKey

    A universal program that allows you to find out the license key of Windows and other programs installed on your computer. Pay attention to the first column to find the OS and the third column to find out the key. The program does not know how to determine the OEM Key, but it does an excellent job of finding the installation key.

    Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder

    This utility, like the previous one, is designed to search for all license keys available on the computer. It automatically detects what type of key is used to activate Windows and outputs it. You will also receive some additional information about the system.

    Speccy

    The Speccy application provides detailed information about your computer and all of its accessories. The license key can be seen in the «Operating system» section in the «Serial number» line.

    There are two types of keys — OEM Key and Install Key. You can find them both by system means and with the help of third-party applications. Most importantly, do not share your key with anyone other than the official Microsoft technical support operators, otherwise an attacker will be able to use your license.

    Source

    How to find out the product key of Windows 10

    Immediately after the release of the new OS, everyone became interested in how to find out the key of the installed Windows 10, although in most cases it is not required. Nevertheless, if you still need a key for one purpose or another, it is relatively easy to determine it, both for the installed OS and the product key hardwired into UEFI by the manufacturer (they may differ).

    This guide provides easy ways to find your Windows 10 product key using Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, and third-party programs. At the same time, I will mention why different programs show different data, how to separately view the OEM key in UEFI (for the OS that was originally on the computer) and the key of the currently installed system.

    Note: If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free and now want to know the activation key for a clean installation on the same computer, you can do this, but it is not necessary (besides, you will have the same key as other people who got ten by updating). When installing Windows 10 from a flash drive or disc, you will be asked to enter a product key, but you can skip this step by clicking «I don’t have a product key» in the prompt box (and Microsoft says you should).

    Once installed and connected to the Internet, the system will be automatically activated, since the activation is «bound» to your computer after the update. That is, the field for entering the key in the Windows 10 setup program is present only for buyers of Retail versions of the system. Optional: For a clean install of Windows 10, you can use a product key from a previously installed Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 on the same computer. More about such activation: Activating Windows 10. And if you wish, you can use Windows 10 without activation.

    Viewing the product key of the installed Windows 10 and the OEM key in ShowKeyPlus

    There are many programs for the purposes described here, many of which I wrote about in the article How to find out the product key of Windows 8 (8. 1) (works for Windows 10), but I liked the recently found ShowKeyPlus more than others, which does not require installation and separately shows two keys at once: the currently installed system and the OEM key in UEFI. At the same time, it tells you which version of Windows the key from UEFI is suitable for. Also, using this program, you can find out the key from another folder with Windows 10 (on another hard drive, in the Windows.old folder), and at the same time check the key for validity (Check Product Key item).

    All you need to do is run the program and see the displayed data:

    Also, this data can be saved to a text file for further use or archive storage by clicking the «Save» button. By the way, the problem with the fact that sometimes different programs show different product keys for Windows just appears due to the fact that some of them look at it in the installed system, others in UEFI.

    How to find your Windows 10 product key in ShowKeyPlus — video

    Two More Programs to Find Your Windows 10 Product Key

    If for one reason or another ShowKeyPlus doesn’t work for you, you can use the following two programs: without third-party programs, I prefer to do without them. Viewing your Windows 10 product key is one such task. If you find it easier to use a free program for this, scroll through the guide below. (By the way, some key viewers send them to interested parties)

    A simple PowerShell or command line command to find out the key of the currently installed system is not provided (there is such a command that shows the key from UEFI, I will show it below. But usually it is the key of the current system that is different from the preinstalled one). But you can use a ready-made PowerShell script that displays the necessary information (the author of the script is Jakob Bindslet).

    Here’s what you need to do. First of all, open notepad and copy the code below into it.

    After that, run Windows PowerShell as Administrator. To do this, you can start typing PowerShell in the search field, then right-click on it and select the appropriate item.

    In PowerShell, enter the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned and confirm its execution (type Y and press Enter when prompted).

    The next step, enter the command: C:\win10key.ps1 (this command specifies the path to the saved script file).

    As a result of executing the command, you will see information about the key of the installed Windows 10 (in the Installed Key item) and a suggestion to save it to a text file. Once you know the product key, you can return the script execution policy in PowerShell to the default value using the command 10 and want to view the OEM key (which is stored in the UEFI of the motherboard), you can use a simple command that needs to be run from the command prompt as an administrator.

    wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

    As a result, you will receive a preinstalled system key if it is present in the system (it may differ from the one used by the current OS, but it can be used to return the original version of Windows) .

    Another version of the same command, but for Windows PowerShell

    How to view the key of an installed Windows 10 using a VBS script

    And one more script, no longer for PowerShell, but in VBS (Visual Basic Script) format, which displays the product key of Windows 10 installed on a computer or laptop and, perhaps, is more convenient to use.

    Copy the lines below into notepad.

    It should look like the screenshot below.

    Go to the folder where the file was saved and run it — after execution you will see a window that will display the product key and the version of Windows 10 installed.

    As I already noted, there are many programs for viewing the key — for example, in Speccy, as well as other utilities for viewing computer characteristics, you can find out this information. But I am sure that the methods described here will be enough in almost any situation.

    Maybe it will be interesting too:

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    Help me figure it out — I re-read everything written above, but still did not fully understand.
    FROM the organization we buy computers for objects, without pre-installed Windows. Separately bought the keys for Windows 10 pro.
    I activate the operating system, then I look at the license key with a patch (you never know — it will be lost) — it matches what you have in the pictures, but does not match the key on the sticker. that were sold to us. What can be wrong?

    I need to reinstall Windows 7 on a working computer — the license key is lost there, so I’m wondering if I can get this key on it or not?

    This means that the license keys you purchased are subject to digital activation. All the details here support.microsoft.com/ru-ru/help/12440/windows-10-activate Expand the items show everything and carefully read what they write in the tablets for each method of purchasing Windows 10

    I do not have licensed windows 8.1, is it possible how to get the keys?

    If a licensed system from the manufacturer was once pre-installed, then you can look at OemKey. And if there is no OEM key, and there is only unlicensed 8.1 on board, then in general there is nothing to watch (and the key that you can be shown for the installed OS will be unlicensed).

    For Windows 10, the current activation key is in the registry

    in REG_SZ text form. It is observed that for all activated Windows 10 Pro by digital activation, it is exactly the same as in the first picture, namely the default key for installing this edition. We can safely assume that other editions will have the same thing, i.e., the default key for installation. If the system has not yet been activated, the value of the key that was entered during installation is also listed there. If activated by an activator, there will be a key entered by the activator. We do not have non-digital activations, and I will not approve what will happen in the registry.

    I lost my windows 10 home activation key sticker. I tried all the ways you showed to find out the key and they all give out the same key that does not fit. Help me please.

    Hello.
    Do you install the system on the same computer where the license was earlier? Then, in general, it is not necessary to enter the key: when you connect to the Internet, activation should take place automatically.

    all these key readers give different information x-3V66T or x-HCFC6, where is the truth?

    Does ShowKeyPlus show both at once? If yes, then one is OEM, the other is the current system.

    ShowKeyPlus shows one key, another program shows another key, although it is only one, the programs just read with an error (with a shift) give) But if you had a licensed system on a laptop or PC, then you can simply install the home system without a key and it will activate itself after connecting to the Internet.

    Hello, I installed Windows 10 using MediaTool, went to the update center and it says that the product key is not activated. What to do?

    Hello.
    Did you have a license on this computer (legal)? The same version was installed (if it was home — then home, if pro — then professional).

    Powershell offered to choose a program to open the file, chose to open it with the same powershell and nothing happened.
    I solved the problem by stupidly copying the code from the example into the paver shell string.

    Thank you very much) Everything worked out!

    Hello. I bought a Nitro-5 laptop from a store and got windows-10 installed from the same store. I forgot to find out, or rather ask for the key. How can I find out my license key on my laptop now? Reluctance to buy new windows-10, as it is expensive.

    Hello.
    If you have installed an OEM license for a laptop, then you generally do not need a key. Whenever you install the same (meaning Home or Pro) version of the system on the same laptop, after connecting to the Internet, it will activate itself. And during installation, it will be enough to click «I do not have a product key.»

    Hello, I looked through everything, read it, but I still didn’t understand how the key was recognized. I updated to Windows 10 Pro, now it’s not activated, the key is needed, it’s impossible to work on some programs without activation, the key is the same for everyone in 10 Pro. maybe someone will give

    Hello. How exactly did you upgrade to Windows 10 Pro?

    Thank you! Got the keys through ShowKeyPlus quickly and easily!

    Please tell me how to find out the installed Office 2019 key?

    This program seems to be able to: nirsoft produkey

    nazhal gives only 2016, and 2019 does not see

    Hello, tell me please. I bought a computer with 8.1 installed (for one language), a week later I demolished it (it was unusual) and installed 7-ku, then reinstalled several more times, already 10-ku. Is it possible to somehow find out the key of that 8-ki?

    Hello.
    Hello. ShowKeyPlus, in theory, in the section with the OEM key, it will just show it.

    Source

    Video

    How to transfer, save the license (product key) of Windows 10 to another computer or drive

    Recognize the Windows OEM license key wired into the BIOS using RWEverything

    Extract and edit the Windows key from the BIOS Dump.

    How can I find out the Windows Activation Key from the BIOS?

    Tired of a pirate? Windows license recovery, reactivation.

    HOW TO GET A WINDOWS 10 LICENSE KEY FOR FREE | How to Activate Windows 10 Free

    Buying a key and installing Windows 10

    Activating Windows using Bios

    How to find out the Windows 10, 8, 7 product key on a computer and laptop

    How to see the version of Windows in BIOS which Windows was on a laptop

    How to flash a Windows key in BIOS. How to find OEM Windows Activation Key from BIOS. Windows activation key in AIDA64

    Hello, dear readers. Do you know how to activate licensed Windows correctly? Say what you know, hmm, I thought so too, but somehow I got a laptop on which, after installing the new Windows 8, I was going to activate it with a key, but to my surprise it didn’t work out. To be more precise, after clicking on the «Activate Windows» button, instead of a prompt to enter a key, incomprehensible errors appeared, such as this one: «DNS name is not specified. »

    Over time, of course, I figured out what was going on, it turned out that during the installation of the system, some strange key was picked up, which at the time of activation was simply not recognized by the system. It was possible to destroy this problem only by deleting the old activation key
    , and of course by installing a working key that came with the laptop. Therefore, I decided to write an article based on my personal example, how I managed to remove the old activation key and activate Windows from scratch.

    So, I had a laptop with a preinstalled operating system and, of course, a key that was embedded in the BIOS. and setting it up with the help of the utility . Then, I opened the properties of the computer and immediately clicked on the button « Activate Windows
    «.

    The activation process started immediately, I even wondered why the system didn’t even offer to enter my key. Well, okay, I thought, maybe the computer automatically substituted the necessary activation key itself. But just a moment later, an error appeared, which I wrote about a little higher. All subsequent attempts to activate Windows were unchanged, except that the error code changed.

    Well, I thought and tried to find a field in which it would be possible to specify the key that I got from the BIOS, but instead some incomprehensible key was already indicated everywhere. I could see only a few characters, but that was enough to understand that this code did not match what I had prepared. Thinking that there was some kind of confusion with the activation keys, I decided to delete the old key and re-enter the new one.

    In general, after I deleted the old activation key and recreated the one that I prepared, everything worked out for me. First I saw the word «Success!!!», but then that Windows activation was completed.

    Therefore, if you find yourself in a similar situation and you need to find out how to remove the old activation key
    , then just below you can find a simple and understandable guide on how to do this.

    Deleting the old activation key

    To delete the old activation key in Windows 8, as with many other system settings, we need a command line, or rather, we just have to run a few commands there.

    So, let’s start by launching the command line, of course, with elevated administrator rights, otherwise, when you follow the next steps, you may not get anything.

    Okay, the command line is running, now in the window that appears, write the following command:

    slmgr.vbs /upk

    and of course press « Enter
    «.

    A window should appear informing you that the key has been successfully deleted.

    That’s all, in general, everything is much simpler than it seemed. Thus, we will be able to remove the old activation key.

    After that, he can specify a new key without any problems and activate Windows.

    You can do this in the Windows 8 menu or write two more commands in CMD:

    slmgr. vbs –ato

    Thus, we will enter a new key and start the system activation.

    How to remove an old activation key in Windows 8, 7, 10

    1. Hello dear administrators! Question: how to find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive? Or in other words, how to find out the Windows 8.1 key embedded in the laptop’s BIOS?
      My problem is that my hard drive failed and I bought a new one, now I want to install on it the Windows 8.1 Single Language pre-installed from the store, but I’m afraid that the system is not automatically activated during installation. I read on the Internet that with the help of some programs you can find out the Windows 8.1 key,
      «sewn»
      in the BIOS of the laptop and the key is saved in any case, for the entire life of the laptop.
    2. Hello admin! I bought a laptop a year ago, then Windows 8 was installed on it, which I immediately demolished and installed Windows 7, but now I’m thinking of returning Windows 8 back, but I don’t know the license key, can I see it somewhere? The Windows key used to be printed on the bottom of the laptop, but now it’s not there.

    How to find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive. Or in other words, how to find out the Windows 8.1 key «sewn» into the BIOS of a laptop

    Hello friends! With the advent of laptops with pre-installed Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and UEFI BIOS, Microsoft has changed the rules for distributing licensed copies of Windows, now the license key of the operating system is no longer on the sticker located on the bottom of the laptop, from now on the key is “sewn” in text form into the ACPI MSD BIOS table laptop. What to do, these are the new rules, and according to them, it is not necessary for an ordinary user to know the key of the operating system installed on his laptop.

    Despite this, you can view the contents of the ACPI tables and find out the Windows 8.1 key in BIOS using various utilities: RWEverything, OemKey, ShowKeyPlus, ProduKey. If your laptop boots up, then these utilities can be run directly in running Windows and it doesn’t matter which operating system you currently have installed: Windows 7 or Windows 10, regardless of this, any of the programs I have listed consider the Windows 8. 1 key from BIOS.

    You can also find out the key if there is no hard drive on the laptop at all, in this case we will have to boot the laptop from the Live CD AOMEI PE Builder bootable flash drive, this flash drive contains all the programs I mentioned, in today’s article I will show you how to create one flash drive.

    • Note
      : If you look at the question from the other side, then it is not necessary for an ordinary user to recognize the Windows 8.1 key sewn into the BIOS of a laptop, and that’s why. The fact is that when installing on a laptop exactly the version of the operating system that was preinstalled on it from the store (in most cases, Windows 8.1 Single Language), the key will be substituted during system installation automatically and you will not need to enter anything. In other words, you do not need to know the key registered in the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS under any circumstances, even if you replace the hard drive on the laptop. I wrote about all this with details in this.

    For example, let’s take a laptop with Windows 8.1 preinstalled from the store, delete everything from the hard drive and install another Windows 10 operating system, and then run our utilities and find out the Win 8.1 key registered in the BIOS.

    Download all programs in one archive on my cloud storage .

    RWEverything,
    ProduKey.

    ShowKeyPlus first in line

    The program displays detailed information.


    (The version of the operating system currently installed on the laptop) — Windows 10 Single Language (For one language).

    Product ID
    : Product code
    .

    Installed Key
    : Key currently installed on a Windows 10 Single Language laptop.

    OEM Key
    : Key for Windows 8.1,
    prescribed
    into the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS (what we need is the key embedded in the BIOS).

    OEM Edition
    : Operating system version (Windows 8.1 Single Language)
    preinstalled by the laptop manufacturer. It is for this version that the key (OEM Key) will fit and it will be substituted during the installation of the system automatically, that is, you do not have to enter it.

    OEMKey Software

    Shows only the Windows 8.1 key embedded in the BIOS of the laptop.

    RWEverything program

    Go to the program folder and run the executable file Rw.exe
    .

    Push button ACPI
    .

    Click on the MSDM button and see the Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 key.

    ProduKey software

    Already familiar to you from our previous articles, the ProduKey program will also cope with the task of determining the key of a laptop sewn into the BIOS.

    The utility shows two keys, the first one is the OEM key registered
    to the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS
    , and the second, the key of the currently installed Windows 10.

    How can I find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive?

    Create a bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder

    Friends, in this case, we need to boot the laptop from a bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder
    . Download the flash drive image on my cloud storage.

    After downloading the ISO image, run the program, we will create a bootable USB flash drive with it.

    In the main window of the WinSetupFromUSB program, select our flash drive (be careful, all data on the flash drive will be deleted).

    Check the box Auto format it with FBinst
    and tick FAT32.

    Check the box Vista/7/8/Server 2008/2012 based ISO
    and click on the button on the right to open the explorer window.

    Explorer opens, find the Live CD AOMEI PE Builder ISO image, select it with the left mouse and click «Open».

    Many people are encouraged to read this material by a very standard and common situation: I once bought a laptop with a licensed Windows 7 or 8 operating system installed. After a certain time, due to the need to reinstall Windows or for any other reason, you need the activation key that was specified on the sticker, which is located on the bottom of the laptop, however, over the months and years of operation of the laptop, it has long been erased or completely peeled off. How to be?

    If your PC is running Windows with an activated license key, then «getting» it from the operating system will not be difficult. If by icon My computer
    right click and open Properties
    , then below we will see only Product code
    , not the activation key itself. It is also important to distinguish between what you need to get — just the code that was listed on a special sticker or the code for Windows 8, which is in the BIOS of the computer.

    My Computer Properties Screenshot

    For Win8 from BIOS using RWEverything

    To extract the OEM license key Windows 8
    from the BIOS of a laptop or desktop computer, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it — in it we looked at how to use the program to get the Win8 key from a new type of BIOS: UEFI. This method is also relevant for those who are trying to restore the key if another OS was installed instead of licensed Windows 8 «from the store».

    RWEverything screenshot

    Windows activation key in AIDA64

    If you need an activation key for an installed and running system, you can use the already familiar program for a complete PC diagnostic — — go, get acquainted, download and install. Then we run the program and open the tab Operating system
    . Section License Information
    in field Product Key
    and the searched Windows activation code will be indicated.

    AIDA64 program screenshot

    In AIDA64, as in RWEverything, you can see the key that is hardwired into the BIOS. To do this, go to the tab Motherboard
    then ACPI
    . Section Description table
    find MSDM
    and in field SLS Data
    the 25-character Windows activation code we need will be registered.

    Screen AIDA64

    Activation key search via KeyFinder

    Simple utility from Magical Jelly Bean. This small program does not take up much space and gives out only the bare minimum of information, but it is exactly what we need. You can download KeyFinder from here (the official website of the developers), it is available in two versions — the free one is enough for us. Download, install, run. In the left window, select the software for which you need to find out the activation key — in this case, we are interested in Windows 7 Home Premium. CD Key
    is the desired code.

    KeyFinder Screenshot

    Instead of conclusion

    This list could be continued indefinitely, since there are at least a dozen more popular utilities for solving the same problem, but I think that the provided set will be enough for you. There are also various scripts on the Internet that use VBScript or PowerShell to extract keys without installing extra programs. Everyone chooses the method that is more convenient for him.

    1. Hello dear administrators! Question: how to find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive? Or in other words, how to find out the Windows 8.1 key embedded in the laptop’s BIOS?
      My problem is that my hard drive failed and I bought a new one, now I want to install on it the Windows 8.1 Single Language pre-installed from the store, but I’m afraid that the system is not automatically activated during installation. I read on the Internet that with the help of some programs you can find out the Windows 8.1 key,
      «sewn»
      in the BIOS of the laptop and the key is saved in any case, for the entire life of the laptop.
    2. Hello admin! I bought a laptop a year ago, then Windows 8 was installed on it, which I immediately demolished and installed Windows 7, but now I’m thinking of returning Windows 8 back, but I don’t know the license key, can I see it somewhere? The Windows key used to be printed on the bottom of the laptop, but now it’s not there.

    How to find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive. Or in other words, how to find out the Windows 8.1 key «sewn» into the BIOS of a laptop

    Hello friends! With the advent of laptops with pre-installed Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and UEFI BIOS, Microsoft has changed the rules for distributing licensed copies of Windows, now the license key of the operating system is no longer on the sticker located on the bottom of the laptop, from now on the key is “sewn” in text form into the ACPI MSD BIOS table laptop. What to do, these are the new rules, and according to them, it is not necessary for an ordinary user to know the key of the operating system installed on his laptop.

    Despite this, you can view the contents of the ACPI tables and find out the Windows 8.1 key in BIOS using various utilities: RWEverything, OemKey, ShowKeyPlus, ProduKey. If your laptop boots up, then these utilities can be run directly in running Windows and it doesn’t matter which operating system you currently have installed: Windows 7 or Windows 10, regardless of this, any of the programs I have listed consider the Windows 8. 1 key from BIOS.

    You can also find out the key if there is no hard drive on the laptop at all, in this case we will have to boot the laptop from the Live CD AOMEI PE Builder bootable flash drive, this flash drive contains all the programs I mentioned, in today’s article I will show you how to create one flash drive.

    • Note
      : If you look at the question from the other side, then it is not necessary for an ordinary user to recognize the Windows 8.1 key sewn into the BIOS of a laptop, and that’s why. The fact is that when installing on a laptop exactly the version of the operating system that was preinstalled on it from the store (in most cases, Windows 8.1 Single Language), the key will be substituted during system installation automatically and you will not need to enter anything. In other words, you do not need to know the key registered in the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS under any circumstances, even if you replace the hard drive on the laptop. I wrote about all this with details in this.

    For example, let’s take a laptop with Windows 8.1 preinstalled from the store, delete everything from the hard drive and install another Windows 10 operating system, and then run our utilities and find out the Win 8.1 key registered in the BIOS.

    Download all programs in one archive on my cloud storage .

    RWEverything,
    ProduKey.

    ShowKeyPlus first in line

    The program displays detailed information.


    (The version of the operating system currently installed on the laptop) — Windows 10 Single Language (For one language).

    Product ID
    : Product code
    .

    Installed Key
    : Key currently installed on a Windows 10 Single Language laptop.

    OEM Key
    : Key for Windows 8.1,
    prescribed
    into the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS (what we need is the key embedded in the BIOS).

    OEM Edition
    : Operating system version (Windows 8.1 Single Language)
    preinstalled by the laptop manufacturer. It is for this version that the key (OEM Key) will fit and it will be substituted during the installation of the system automatically, that is, you do not have to enter it.

    OEMKey Software

    Shows only the Windows 8.1 key embedded in the BIOS of the laptop.

    RWEverything program

    Go to the program folder and run the executable file Rw.exe
    .

    Push button ACPI
    .

    Click on the MSDM button and see the Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 key.

    ProduKey software

    Already familiar to you from our previous articles, the ProduKey program will also cope with the task of determining the key of a laptop sewn into the BIOS.

    The utility shows two keys, the first one is the OEM key registered
    to the ACPI MSD table of the laptop BIOS
    , and the second, the key of the currently installed Windows 10.

    How can I find out the OEM key of a licensed Windows 8.1 laptop if it does not have a hard drive?

    Create a bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder

    Friends, in this case, we need to boot the laptop from a bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder
    . Download the flash drive image on my cloud storage.

    After downloading the ISO image, run the program, we will create a bootable USB flash drive with it.

    In the main window of the WinSetupFromUSB program, select our flash drive (be careful, all data on the flash drive will be deleted).

    Check the box Auto format it with FBinst
    and tick FAT32.

    Check the box Vista/7/8/Server 2008/2012 based ISO
    and click on the button on the right to open the explorer window.

    Explorer opens, find the Live CD AOMEI PE Builder ISO image, select it with the left mouse and click «Open».

    The product key entered does not match.

    We are recommended to friends!!! In this section

    How to reinstall Windows 8 on a laptop
    . Hello admin, my problem is the following. A laptop was bought with Windows 8 installed for one language (Windows 8 Single Language), which I safely demolished and installed Windows 7. I used your article for instructions. Now I’ve changed my mind and I want to install Windows 8 again, but I don’t want to install the version that was preinstalled on the Windows 8 Single Language laptop. I have a licensed disk in a Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Rus (OEM) box with a key, I bought it in a store, that is, everything is as it should be. But, when trying to install this version of Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Rus (OEM) on a laptop, the message “The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images” appears.

    The second option to reinstall Windows 8 on a laptop

    Let’s install a different version of Windows 8 on our laptop, namely, we will use the existing Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Rus (OEM) disk.

    Why do I get the error «The product key you entered does not match any of the Windows images» when installing a different edition of Windows 8 on a laptop?
    ? Because information about the Windows 8 Single Language installed by the laptop manufacturer and its key is stored in the UEFI BIOS.

    But all professionals know that there is such a file (EI.cfg
    ) and product ID file (PID.txt
    ) are additional configuration files that can be used during the Windows setup process to specify your Windows product key and edition!

    Attention friends
    ! In simple words, during installation, the Windows 8 installer program first of all accesses the EI.cfg configuration file (it indicates the edition of the Windows 8 being installed) and the PID.txt file (it contains the key of the Windows 8 being installed). If these files are not present, Windows 8 reads information about the system version and its key in the UEFI BIOS of your laptop, and this key is from the Windows 8 Single Language (for one language) installed by the manufacturer, and the error comes out. So friends, we will independently create these two files (EI.cfg) and the product identifier (PID.txt) and indicate in them information about the Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Rus (OEM) we are installing, then place them in the sources folder
    distribution of Windows 8, that’s all.

    How to do it?

    1) For example, I have a licensed disk with Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Rus (OEM) or its ISO image. So it’s easiest for me to create a bootable Windows 8 flash drive.

    • Attention!
      If you reinstall Windows 8 with UEFI BIOS enabled, then the Windows 8 bootable USB flash drive must be UEFI, respectively, how to create it and how to configure the UEFI BIOS itself to reinstall Windows 8, we read in our article, this method involves creating a bootable USB flash drive using the command line
      . Know that with the help of such a flash drive you can reinstall Windows 8 on a laptop with a simple BIOS. So, we have created a flash drive, now we create two system installation configuration files (EI. cfg) and (PID.txt) and add them to the «sources» folder of the Windows 8 distribution.
    • Note:
      Windows 8, 8.1 can also be installed using a simple ISO image, but then you need to add the above files (EI.cfg) and (PID.txt) to it,
      sometimes it will even be enough to add just one pid.txt file with the Windows key to the sources folder. You can find out exactly how you can add files to the installation disk or image of Windows 8, 8.1 from our article

    Hello. Today we will consider the situation, reinstalling Windows 8 Single Language on Windows 8 Professional on a laptop. Until recently, Windows 7 and XP were mainly installed on laptops and computers, and everything was quite simple and easy. The main thing for Windows XP is to find the latest drivers for your laptop. But with the release of the new operating system Windows 8, everything has become more complicated. After all, if in the case of the “seven” and XP you always had the license key at hand, or rather on the back cover of the laptop, then with a laptop on which Windows 8 is installed, you just can’t reinstall the operating system, you don’t have any sticker with a key on the laptop find. The license number is embedded in Bios UEFI, and you can only install the operating system for which this key actually exists. Typically, this is the Single Language version. To install Windows 8 Professional on a laptop that originally had Windows 8 Single Language installed, you will have to make some effort.
    An acquaintance somehow came up with a problem, bought a new laptop a year ago, on Widows 8 Single Language, a year has passed, and the system began to “bug out”, so I decided to reinstall it. But since there was no installation disk included with the laptop, and my honest friend, he simply bought a disk with Windows 8 Professional OEM in the store. But during installation, an error popped up «The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images.» Realizing that he would not be able to do it on his own, his friend decided to call a master from a computer and laptop repair company. The specialist came, fussed with the installation of Windows 8, and … ..he could not install it either, but he took the money for the call. Arriving at the store where the laptop was bought, they said that they would do it, …… but for money. And my friend already spent money on Windows 8 Professional OEM. By the way, the Windows 8 disc in the store was also not accepted back from him, since the box was opened, and the license could be activated …. And then a friend came to me.
    I had to spend a little time looking for Windows 8 Single Language (this can be either a disk or a virtual image), since this version was originally installed on the laptop. If you install the «native» version of Windows 8, then there will be no errors during installation, and you won’t even have to enter the license key. If the installation is successful, in the lower right corner you will see the inscription «Windows 8 Single Language Build 9200»

    To activate Windows 8, you need to install a driver on the network controller and go online. Go to Computer Properties and select «Learn more about activating Windows.»

    Click «Activate»

    Bottom line: the Windows 8 Single Language operating system is installed without errors and activated.

    An option to reinstall Windows 8 to a different version than the one that was originally installed at the time of sale. We will install Windows 8 Professional OEM.
    The question is, why is it that when installing another version of Windows 8, the error «The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images?» This is because the UEFI BIOS contains information about Windows 8 Single Language, and you are trying to install a different version of Windows 8.
    But professional wizards know the file (EI.cfg) and the product identifier file (PID.txt). These are additional configuration files that can be used during the Windows 8 setup process to specify the Windows 8 product key and edition.
    When installing Windows 8, the installer first looks at the EI.cfg file (which contains information about the Windows 8 version). If these files are missing, Windows 8 takes the Windows 8 version and license information from your laptop’s UEFI BIOS. And since the key in the BIOS is registered from Windows 8 Single Language (for one language), this is why the error comes out.
    And so, we create two files (EI.cfg) and (PID.txt) and specify in them information about the Windows Professional (OEM) we are installing, then we place them in the sources folder of the Windows 8 distribution, that’s all. Note: sometimes it will even be enough to add just one pid.txt file with the Windows key to the sources folder.
    Attention! If you reinstall Windows 8 with the UEFI BIOS enabled and the «Secure Boot» option enabled, then the Windows 8 bootable flash drive must be UEFI accordingly.
    Create a plain text file and save it with the same name and extension ei.cfg
    Contents of the ei.cfg file:

    Professional

    OEM

    0
    What do these symbols mean?
    EditionID — system edition, Core or Professional exists,
    Channel — distribution channel, can be OEM or Retail,
    VL — corporate version, can be 0 or 1.
    For example, for a system that I want to install on a laptop Windows 8 Professional 64- bit Rus (OEM), the ei. cfg file will look like this

    Professional

    OEM

    After I pass the screen where I choose the language and location and click « Install»
    he will be there for a minute and then he will say:

    The product key you entered does not match any of the Windows images

    I did my research and found out that I need to add a PID.txt file to a source file containing a Windows 8 .ISO, but the thing is, I don’t know how to add files to the .ISO. The guide I’ve researched is for a bootable USB stick and I’m using a DVD.

    2 Solutions collect form web for “The product key you entered does not match any of the Windows images”

    Do the following:

    If its Usb

    1.Open Notepad

    2.Create a text file named PID.Text

    3. Paste the following in the file:

    4. Replace XXX with your product Key

    5. Place in your /sources file your iso

    6. Return of ISO

    For DVD from Windows valley, create an unlock disc

    Use 7-zip to extract this ISO to a specific folder and navigate to the Source folder and find the ei. cfg file.

    EI.cfg is a Windows Setup-specific configuration file used to determine what edition and license will be used during installation. This file replaces PID.txt and is located on the product media under the Sources folder in Windows Vista DVD

    To obtain the desired edition,

    3. Use Notepad to edit and save this file, changing the way you want.
    Valid version identifiers:

    Edit the ei.cfg file

    Ulimate Professional HomePremium HomeBasic Starter

    To get all issues —

    4. Just delete the file and finally create a bootable ISO and burn your unlocked drive.

    Hello, if the PID.txt solution doesn’t work, try creating

    And write in it:

    [Channel] Retail

    Placed in the «sources» folder.

    Be aware of deleting the PID.TXT file if you have one.

    Best regards!

    This documentation has been archived and is no longer maintained.

    To enter your product key during an unattended Windows® installation, include it in your answer file.

    Product keys can also be used to select which image to install during an unattended Windows installation.

    In this section


    Selecting which edition of Windows to install

    To select which edition of Windows to install, do one of the following:

      Install Windows manually without an answer file. Windows Setup installs the default edition from the Windows DVD.

      Install Windows with an answer file and specify the product key in the Microsoft-Windows-Setup\UserData\ProductKey\ Key setting. The product key depends on the edition of Windows. Entering a product key in this setting does not activate Windows.

      Install Windows with an answer file, and then manually enter your product key during Windows setup. The product key selects which edition of Windows to install.

    Warning

    If multiple Windows images for the same edition of Windows are stored in the same Windows image (.wim) file, you can use the Microsoft-Windows-Setup\ImageInstall\OSImage\InstallFrom\ MetaData setting to distinguish them. You must provide a product key using one of the above methods.

    See .

    Activating Windows

    To automatically activate Windows with a product key, do one of the following:

      Use the unattend Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup\ ProductKey option. You can use a one-time product key or a Volume Licensing Multiple Activation Key. For more information, see Volume License Activation Planning Guide.

      The product key used to activate Windows must match the edition being installed. When using a key to select an edition of Windows, it is recommended that you use the same key to activate the system so that the version being installed is the same as the version being activated.

      Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) may use their defined activation tools.

    If a product key was not provided prior to starting the computer for the first time, it will be requested from the end user during such a start. If the end user skips this step during the first time the computer is started up, they will later be prompted to enter a valid product key.

    Warning

    In most Windows 8 deployment scenarios, you no longer need to use the SkipRearm answer file option to reset the Windows activation clock when you run the Sysprep command
    on the computer several times. In Windows 8, the SkipRearm parameter is used to indicate the licensing status of Windows. If you provide a retail product key or a volume installation key, Windows will automatically activate. Command Sysprep
    can be run a maximum of 8 times on a single Windows image. After running Sysprep 8 times on a Windows 8 image, you must reimage Windows. For more information about Windows features and settings that can be added to an answer file, see

    Check the Windows 7 key. How to find the OEM Windows activation key from the BIOS

    Most commercial software comes with special protection against unauthorized copying and installation. And while manufacturers use different methods to accomplish this task, almost all of them prompt the user to enter a product key or serial number — at least that’s the case with Microsoft Windows and Office.

    A string consisting of letters and numbers is an individual identifier that proves the legality of your copy. This data is required to authorize the installation of the software, as well as to receive support, so it can be important to know where the key is located and how to get it.

    Here are some easy ways to help you find your Windows and Office serial number.

    Find product key

    Try to think back to how you got your Microsoft software, because that determines where to find your product key.

    If you bought a copy of Microsoft Windows or Office on disk, the first thing you should do is look at its box. Retail Microsoft product keys are usually located on a brightly colored sticker on the inside of the CD/DVD cover or on the back. The key consists of 25 characters, usually divided into 5 groups of 5 characters.

    If your computer came pre-installed with Microsoft Windows, the product key is usually printed on a colored sticker affixed directly to the PC case. For Microsoft Office, the serial number sticker should be on the installation disc that came with your computer. If you can’t find it anywhere from the listed places, then you need to contact Microsoft to request a replacement for the lost key.

    You can usually find the Microsoft Windows serial number on a sticker affixed to your PC case.

    Windows 10

    With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a new way to authenticate the operating system called Digital Passport, but it doesn’t work on all Windows 10 PCs. with Windows 7 or 8.1. You also get a digital entitlement if you paid for an upgrade to Windows 10 in the Windows Store, or if you installed a fresh copy of the OS and then paid for it in the same Windows Store.

    However, if you received Windows 10 either as part of a new PC, or purchased a Windows 10 installation DVD from a store, or bought a digital copy of Windows 10 from another online store, not from the Windows Store, then you will have a traditional a product key, not a digital license.

    What is digital resolution

    If your PC has a digital entitlement, Microsoft secures your right to run Windows 10 on its servers. The positive side is that you simply do not have a product key to lose. And if you need to reinstall the system, for example from a USB drive, you don’t even have to activate your PC. Instead, after reinstalling Windows, activation will take place in the background for several hours (or, in extreme cases, several days).

    But keep in mind that your digital resolution is based on the system configuration. If you change too many components at once and then try to reinstall Windows 10, you may run into a problem.

    From the point of view of the new control system, it would be better, for example, to first replace the HDD or SSD, then reinstall Windows 10, and update other components after activation. Otherwise, you may have to call the Microsoft hotline for automatic activation. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.

    However, major upgrades such as system board replacements will definitely require a call to Microsoft.

    Removing a key from Microsoft Windows or Office

    If you cannot find your product key, but the program is already installed, you can use special programs, such as Magical Jelly Bean Key Finder. This utility will quickly find the key for Windows (as well as keys for many other installed programs) and display it on the screen.

    1. Download Magical Jelly Bean and follow the instructions to install the software on your computer.

    2. Start the program. You can find it in the start menu — start typing keyfinder and click.

    3. The program will scan installed software and find the product keys of supported programs, including various versions of Windows and Office.

    4. When the scan is complete, you will see a window with a panel on the left side that lists any installed versions of Windows and Office.

    5. Click on your version of Microsoft Windows and you will get a key and other installation information. The serial number itself will be located in the ‘CD Key’ section on the right side of the window. Record this information in case you need it in the future. Make sure that you rewrite all the characters correctly, otherwise the key simply won’t work. And ignore the ‘Product ID’ section — we don’t need it.

    6. Click the section for your version of Microsoft Office to get your product key and other installation information. In the case of Office, everything happens exactly the same — your key will be in the ‘CD Key’ section on the right side of the window. Make sure that you rewrite all the characters correctly, otherwise the key simply won’t work. You can also use the Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to extract the keys of any software that is installed on your PC.

    Manufacturers of modern laptops and computers are actively refusing disk drives, since any program or game can be downloaded from the Internet, and the presence of a drive only makes a PC more expensive for the end buyer. At the same time, users who are accustomed to receiving a Windows disk and a license key bundled with their computer look at the issue of reinstalling the operating system with difficulty. While Windows itself can be installed from a USB flash drive, a license key is still required from it. In this case, users have a question: how to find out the Windows product key that was preinstalled on a laptop (desktop computer), or installed later from a disk that is not currently available? It is enough to do this, both by means of Windows and with the help of third-party programs.

    Asking the question of determining the license key of the operating system operating on the computer, you should understand such concepts as Installed Key and OEM Key. In fact, they are both Windows license keys, but there are some differences between them. The way they are defined also differs.

    Installed Key is the installation key of the operating system operating on the computer. It can be determined on those laptops and desktop computers on which Windows was installed by users on their own from a disk or in the form of a digital copy purchased via the Internet and activated.

    OEM Key is the license key for the version of Windows that was originally installed on the computer. The OEM key information is hardwired into the motherboard of a laptop or desktop computer and cannot be changed.

    Therefore, if your computer was running Windows 8 at the time of purchase and later upgraded to Windows 10, the OEM and Installed key information will be different. At the same time, if you want to install Windows 8 on a new computer, you will need to enter the OEM key — only it will work with this version of the operating system. Installed Key is fine if you want to install Windows 10.

    Attention: You can use an existing OEM or Installed key only for the version of the operating system that is installed on the computer. You cannot enter a key from a Windows 10 Basic version to Professional build.

    How can I find out the Windows 10 key using the operating system?

    On any computer, having administrator rights, you can find out the Windows 10 license key without third-party programs and applications. In this case, the procedures are different, in the case of determining OEM and Installed keys.

    It is very easy to find out the license key of the operating system, which is «sewn» into the computer’s motherboard, if you know the command that is specifically provided for this in Windows 10. To determine the OEM key, do the following:

    The issued OEM key can be used to reinstall version of the operating system that was originally installed on the computer.

    Using a single command, the Installed Key cannot be determined, and it is hidden a little deeper in the Windows operating system. But if you wish, you can get information about the Windows license key without installing third-party applications on your computer. To do this, do the following:

    1. Start a blank standard Windows notepad, which can be found in the following path: Start — All Apps — Windows Accessories — Notepad.
    2. Copy the following code into an open text editor program:

    function Get-WindowsKey {
    param ($targets = «. «)
    $hklm = 2147483650
    $regPath = «Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion»
    $regValue = «DigitalProductId»
    Foreach ($target in $targets) {
    $productKey = $null
    $win32os = $null
    $wmi = «\\$target\root\default:stdRegProv»
    $data = $wmi.GetBinaryValue($hklm,$regPath,$regValue)
    $binArray = ($data.uValue)
    $charsArray = «B»,»C»,»D»,»F»,»G»,»H»,»J»,»K»,»M»,»P»,»Q»,»R» ,»T»,»V»,»W»,»X»,»Y»,»2″,»3″,»4″,»6″,»7″,»8″,»9″
    ## decrypt base24 encoded binary data
    For ($i = 24; $i -ge 0; $i—) {
    $k = 0
    For ($j = 14; $j -ge 0; $j—) {
    $k = $k * 256 -bxor $binArray[$j]
    $binArray[$j] = ::truncate($k / 24)
    $k = $k % 24
    }
    $productKey = $charsArray[$k] + $productKey
    If (($i % 5 -eq 0) -and ($i -ne 0)) {
    $productKey = «-» + $productKey
    }
    }
    $win32os = Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem -computer $target
    $obj = New-Object Object
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty Computer -value $target
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty Caption -value $win32os.Caption
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty CSDVersion -value $win32os. CSDVersion
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty OSArch -value $win32os.OSArchitecture
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty BuildNumber -value $win32os.BuildNumber
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty RegisteredTo -value $win32os.RegisteredUser
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty ProductID -value $win32os.SerialNumber
    $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty ProductKey -value $productkey
    $obj
    }
    }

    Note that the Installed Key is displayed under the Product Key. You can also learn some details about the operating system used on your computer by following the steps above.

    How can I find out Windows keys using third-party programs?

    From the instructions above, you can see that it is very easy to find the Windows OEM Key, but getting to the Installed Key is much more difficult, and the procedure for detecting it using Windows tools takes a lot of time. If there is no desire to conduct it, then you can install a third-party application that will independently detect information about the OEM Key and Installed Key on the computer, and then issue it to the PC administrator.

    ShowKeyPlus is considered one of the simplest and most convenient programs for determining the Windows key. It can be downloaded from the official website of the developers absolutely free. At the same time, the program not only displays information about the license keys of the version of Windows used, but also allows users to save the information received in a txt document.

    After activating Windows 10 installed on your PC, you can view all the data about this process: whether it was activated or not, whether a license key was received to activate the system, the id of the computer for which activation was performed. All this data can be found and verified using the built-in Windows tools, as well as through third-party programs.


    How to find out the license key of the installed Windows 10

    Windows status is information about whether the system is activated by entering the license key and confirming it, as well as the number of the individual activation key. You can find out this data in several ways: through system settings, command execution, computer settings, third-party programs and scripts. Remember that the license key consists of 25 numbers and letters divided into 5 blocks of 5 numbers or letters.

    Through the execution of commands

    In this way, you can only find out whether Windows is activated, but the product key will not be specified:

    How to check activation through computer settings

    Through system settings a way to find out the activation key is to use a third-party program:

    Through scripts

    Script, which must be in the file:

      Set WshShell = CreateObject(«WScript.Shell»)

      regKey = «HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\»

      DigitalProductId = WshShell.RegRead(regKey & «DigitalProductId») 9000 Win28 «

      Windows Product Name: » & WshShell.RegRead(regKey & «ProductName») & vbNewLine

      Win8ProductID = «Windows Product ID: » & WshShell. RegRead(regKey & «ProductID») & vbNewLine

      Win8ProductKey = ConvertToKey(DigitalProductId)

      strProductKey =»Windows Key: « & Win8ProductKey

      Win8ProductID = Win8ProductName & Win8ProductID & strProductKey

      MsgBox(Win8ProductKey)

      MsgBox(Win8ProductID)

      Function ConvertToKey(regKey)

      Const KeyOffset = 52

      isWin8 = ( regKey(66) \ 6) And 1

      regKey(66) = (regKey(66) And &HF7) Or ((isWin8 And 2) * 4)

      Chars = «BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789»

      Cur = regKey(y + KeyOffset ) + Cur

      regKey(y + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24)

      Cur = Cur Mod 24

      Loop While y >= 0

      winKeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & winKeyOutput

      Loop While j >= 0

      If (isWin8 = 1) Then

      keypart1 = Mid(winKeyOutput, 2, Last)

      winKeyOutput = Replace(winKeyOutput, keypart1, keypart1 & insert, 2, 1, 0)

      If Last = 0 Then winKeyOutput = insert & winKeyOutput

      a = Mid(winKeyOutput, 1, 5)

      b = Mid(winKeyOutput, 6, 5)

      c = Mid(winKeyOutput, 11, 5)

      d = Mid(winKeyOutput, 16, 5)

      e = Mid(winKeyOutput, 21, 5)

      ConvertToKey = a & «-» & b & «-» & c & «-» & d & «-» & e

    Video: checking the activation of the operating system

    How to check the activation expiration dates for Windows 10

    If you entered a license key, the activation period will be infinite, since Windows is activated once and for all. But if you installed a trial version of the system on your computer that was issued to you for a certain number of days, then you can see when the trial period ends by doing the following:

    Video tutorial: how to find out the activation expiration dates

    How to find out the Windows 10 computer ID

    The computer ID is the same as the ID of the network card installed in it, since using this card the computer makes all connections to the Internet . You can view the unique computer code without third-party programs by doing the following:

    1. Right-click on the «Start» icon in the lower left of the screen.
    2. Select Device Manager.
    3. Expand the Network adapters tree.
    4. Right-click on your network card and open its properties. The name of the network card is different for everyone, you should not navigate by it.
    5. Go to the Details tab.
    6. Expand the «Properties» block and select the line «ID or hardware ID».
    7. The «Values» block will contain all the IDs related to your PC.

    This completes the search for information about the state of Windows and the computer ID. You can always view the activation key through the computer settings if the old one is no longer valid or was entered incorrectly. Remember that you need to activate Windows 10, that is, pay for a license key, only once. So if your key is no longer accepted by the system, contact the official Microsoft support service.

    A special product license key is used to activate the Windows operating system. The Windows product key used to activate the system differs depending on the operating system version (Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.), OS edition (Home, Pro, etc.), distribution method (OEM, Retail etc).

    To activate the Windows operating system, a product key is used, consisting of 25 characters in the form of numbers and uppercase (uppercase) English letters, divided into 5 groups of 5 characters: «XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX».

    Laptops used to have a Windows activation key stuck on. At the moment, manufacturers of laptops with pre-installed operating systems sew a product key into the BIOS to automatically activate Windows.

    In the event of a system reinstall, or for some other reason (for example, activation failed after a hardware failure), the user may need a Windows product key. How to find the Windows activation key?

    You can find out the license key of the installed Windows by running a special VBS script, as well as using five programs: ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit, Speccy, AIDA64, SIW. All the listed programs are free, except for AIDA64 and SIW.

    Script with «.vbs» extension and portable free programs (ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit) can be downloaded from here
    . Download the rest of the programs to your computer from the official websites of manufacturers.

    Using these methods, you can find out the Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 key. After you have found out the Windows product key, the data obtained for subsequent use, in case of reinstalling the operating system, to activate the operating system.

    How to find out the Windows key in ProduKey

    The free ProduKey program from the well-known manufacturer NirSoft does not require installation on a computer. The application shows the keys to Windows OS, Internet Explorer browser, Microsoft Office.

    Unpack the archive with the program, and then run the «Application» file from the folder. After launch, the ProduKey utility window will display the key to the installed operating system.

    Select the entry with the key for Windows 10 or another operating system, and then select «Copy Product Key» from the context menu to copy the activation key to the clipboard.

    View the license key in ShowKeyPlus

    The free program ShowKeyPlus does not require installation on a computer. After launch, in the application window you will see the information:

    • Product Name (Product Name) — the operating system currently installed on the computer
    • Product ID (Product Code) — product code
    • computer operating system
    • OEM Key — a key embedded in the BIOS of a laptop with an initially installed operating system

    To save the data, click on the «Save» button, and then the received information in a text file.

    How to view the Windows key in Free PC Audit

    The free Free PC Audit program will help you find out the key of the installed Windows. This program does not require installation on a computer. Run the utility file, after that the Free PC Audit program window will open, in which the system scan will begin.

    After the scan is completed, in the «System» tab, opposite the «Windows product key» item, you will see the product key of the installed Windows operating system.

    To copy the key, select the line with the license key, and then use the «Copy» context menu item, or use the «Ctrl» + «C» keys to copy the Windows product key from the utility window.

    How to find out the Windows 8 key using VBSCrit

    Windows operating system activation keys are stored on the hard drive in encrypted form. Executing the VBSCrit script will allow you to get the product key of the installed operating system in decrypted form. This script was developed for Windows 8 operating system, but this code also works fine in Windows 10, Windows 8. 1, Windows 7 operating systems.

    To perform the operation, double-click on the “WindowsKey.vbs” file. In the window that opens, you will see the Windows activation code. Next, click on the «OK» button.

    The next window will display information about the operating system version, product ID, and product key number. Ignore the name of the entry «Windows 8 Key». The name of this OS will be displayed on any version of the Windows operating system.

    Getting the Windows key in Speccy

    Free Speccy program from the well-known company Piriform, the manufacturer of CCleaner and other software. From the official site you can download a portable (portable) version of Speccy. There is a paid version of the program with advanced features.

    The program provides the user with detailed information about the hardware of the computer, and with the help of the application, you can find out the license key of the installed Windows.

    Launch the Speccy program, in the «Operating system» section, the version of the installed operating system, its serial number (activation key) will be displayed.

    Find out the product key in AIDA64

    AIDA64 is a powerful program for obtaining all kinds of information about the software and hardware of your computer.

    After launching the AIDA64 program, in the «Menu» tab, in the «Operating system» section, license information will be displayed, including the Windows product key.

    Select the product key, select «Copy» in the context menu, then paste the key into Notepad or other similar program to save.

    Read the program overview.

    Information about the key in SIW

    SIW (System Information of Windows) — a program for obtaining information about the hardware state and software of a computer.

    After starting SIW, enter the section «Programs», «Licenses». This will display information about the product key that is used in the Windows operating system installed on the computer.

    Incorrect product key

    When verifying keys using the above methods, the Windows product key may appear as: «BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB».

    This means that your computer is activated with a corporate MAK or VLK key. Operating Windows does not save such keys, so programs do not see them.

    Windows 10 uses a new system authentication method (not all cases in Windows 10). The activation record is stored on the servers and is not displayed on the computer. After reinstallation, Windows will automatically activate for some time.

    The retention of the license depends on a change in the hardware configuration of the computer. If the motherboard is replaced, Microsoft’s activation servers will revoke the license for that computer. Windows will prompt you to purchase a new product key.

    Conclusions of article

    If necessary, the user can find out the license code of the Windows operating system by running a VBS script, or using specialized programs: ProduKey, ShowKeyPlus, Free PC Audit, Speccy, AIDA64, SIW.

    Many cannot do this and do not understand where this very code went when it suddenly became in demand. The sticker on the computer was worn out from time to time, and they forgot to write it down. What to do?

    Product key (license key) — these are 25 characters that are entered when purchasing a product from Microsoft or other software. This is what makes our Windows 10 or some other completely legal, and not pirated, like most OSes used in Russia. Therefore, it is especially important not to lose it. But Microsoft, for inexplicable reasons, made it so that it cannot be found on a computer. Therefore, when requested, many do not know how to find out the key of the installed Windows 10, 8, 7.

    There are many cases where people lose their product license key. In addition, there are situations when we do not even recognize him. For example, when buying a new computer and then upgrading to an older OS: from the eighth Windows to Windows 10.

    There is a fairly easy method that is recommended by many, plus it does not require installing any utilities on the computer. But it is suitable only for those who are looking for how to find out the product key of an installed Windows 7, 8 or 8. 1.

    To do this, you need to run a special script:

    1. Create a new text document («Notepad»)
    2. Insert the text of the script:

    [[[Script text in attachment]]] – paste by quoting

    1. Click «Save As».
    2. We set any file name, but at the end we write «.vbs».
    3. Select the file type «All files», click «Save».

    Now when you click on the file, a window will open where you will see the Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key. It is worth noting that sometimes this method can work for a Windows 10 product.

    In addition to this script, there are several more that serve the same purpose. But it will take longer to mess around with them: use the command line, various other utility utilities on the computer. While the result is the same. Therefore, we present only one for you.

    For those for whom this method did not work — read the article further.

    Third party methods

    Apparently, many have asked the question of finding the key, so now you can find quite a lot of different utilities on the Internet that offer to display the codes of many programs, including operating systems. As a rule, they are all free and weigh from a few kilobytes to several megabytes, but they do their job quite well. The following are some examples of utilities that can be used for this purpose.

    ProduKey window

    With this program you can find lost license codes for Windows 10 or any other Windows, as well as for a number of paid software.

    All you need to do is download the utility from the official website, unzip it, and run it. Next, you will see your Windows key.

    In addition, ProduKey also shows the productkeys of the following software:

    • Microsoft Office
    • Exchange Server
    • SQL Server

    Another utility with a rather telling name, which also allows you to find out the product key of Windows 10 or any other Windows.

    To do this, we just need to download it (the program is free) and run it. In the window that opens, all the necessary information will immediately appear.