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· 4 Min. Lesezeit· Aktualisiert am 2026-03-30Back up your Windows product key
Recover your Windows 10/11 product key from the registry, BIOS or Microsoft account — and save a copy somewhere safer than the sticker on the laptop.
- Windows 11
- Backup
Find an OEM key (pre-installed Windows)
Open Command Prompt as admin and run: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey. This pulls the key Microsoft burned into your BIOS at the factory. It works on every prebuilt PC sold with Windows.
Find a retail key
Retail keys are not normally stored on the PC after activation. The digital license lives on Microsoft's servers. Your real 'backup' is the Microsoft account you used to activate.
If you bought from LicenseVault, your key is in your order email and in your account history — re-download anytime.
Save the key somewhere safe
- · Best: password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, KeePass) under a clearly named entry.
- · OK: a printed copy in your filing cabinet.
- · Bad: a sticky note on the laptop, the desktop background, an unencrypted text file.
Häufige Fragen
- Can I read an installed Office key?
- Office keys are partially recoverable. Run cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus from the Office install folder — you'll see the last 5 characters. The full key is not retrievable after activation.
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