Reinstalling software? Older versions of Windows and Microsoft Office require product keys. Here's how to find them before your PC goes kaput. Lance is an experienced writer who tries to unravel the ...

Your Windows 10 product key serves as proof that you actually own Windows 10, and might need to be entered when you reinstall ...

Most pieces of commercial software come with some form of protection to deter unauthorized copying and installation. Although software makers use different methods to achieve this goal, one common ...

Product keys for Windows 8 computers aren't printed on a sticker. They're encrypted in the BIOS. How might that affect you? Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT ...

A product key is a sequence of alphanumeric characters used to certify if the copy of a program or software is genuine. For example, Microsoft uses a 25-character alphanumeric key to identify the ...

When you buy a copy of Windows 11/10, you get a product key. This key is used to activate Windows on your computer. It’s a 25-character product key, and it’s important that you keep it noted somewhere ...

In brief For the longest time Windows PCs came with a product key sticker that was placed outside of the machine or with your computer's manuals. But in recent years manufacturers started storing this ...

Your Windows 11 product key is about as important as your social security number. Well, at least as far as your PC’s operating system goes. This is a random combination of numbers, letters, and dashes ...

The Windows 10 product key — a 25-digit code included with every copy — acts as proof of an authorized purchase. You can download and use much of Windows 10 ...