My girlfriend upgraded her computer from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and now she's facing some issues. She wants to do a fresh installation of Windows 11, but we're struggling to retrieve her product key from the upgraded system. I tried using Jellybean, but it didn't show the key properly. I also attempted to get it through the command prompt with admin permission, but it was blank too. I have my own product key saved, which worked perfectly when I installed Windows 11 fresh. I'm wondering if her key is somehow linked to her hardware now, or if there's a way to get the key for the fresh install.
3 Answers
If her Windows license is tied to the Microsoft account, you shouldn’t need the key at all!
You actually don't need the key if you've upgraded to Windows 11! The activation is tied to the motherboard. Just reinstall the same version of Windows (Home/Pro), and it should reactivate automatically once you connect to the internet.
Are you still using the upgraded copy, or have you wiped it? If you haven’t wiped it yet, make sure she's logged into her Microsoft account on the PC. This will link the key to her account and hardware. When reinstalling, just log in and it should activate without the key.
Still on the upgraded copy. She's signed into a Microsoft account, so it should be linked. I'll make sure she checks that. Thanks!
Okay, that's all I needed to know. Thanks for your insight.