Windows doesn’t display your PC’s serial number anywhere in its interface, and neither do popular system information tools. But you can often find a PC’s serial number with a simple command, a peek in your BIOS, or on the hardware itself.
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Get Windows 8 Product Key From Bios
Run the WMIC Command
How do I find the BIOS EMBEDDED PRODUCT KEY of my new windows 8 laptop? There is no sticker pasted on the back of my laptop showing the product key of my windows 8 OS. So, how can I activate my laptop which is pre-installed with windows 8, but I haven't activated it yet.
Open a Command Prompt window to get started. On Windows 10 or 8, right-click the Start button and select “Command Prompt”. On Windows 7, press Windows + R, type “cmd” into the Run dialog, and then press Enter.
At the Command Prompt, type the following command and then press Enter:
You’ll see the computer’s serial number displayed beneath the text “SerialNumber”. This command uses the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool to pull the system’s serial number from its BIOS. Serial key for avast pro antivirus.
If you don’t see your PC’s serial number, blame your PC’s manufacturer. The number will only appear here if the PC manufacturer saved it to your computer’s BIOS or UEFI firmware. PC manufacturers don’t always fill in the number properly. In that case, you’ll see something like “0” or “To be filled by O.E.M.” instead of an actual serial number.
RELATED:How to Check Your Motherboard Model Number on Your Windows PC
This is also true if you built your own PC because the PC itself won’t have a serial number. However, you can look up the serial number of your motherboard and other components.
Check the BIOS
You may also be able to find the serial number in the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings screen. This technique won’t get you a serial number if the
wmic
command didn’t, since the command pulls the serial number from the BIOS. However, checking the BIOS could be helpful if you can’t actually sign into Windows to run the wmic
command.RELATED:What Does a PC’s BIOS Do, and When Should I Use It?
Access the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings screen and look around for a “Serial Number” somewhere on a system information screen. It’ll be in a different place on different PCs, but you can usually find it somewhere on the “Main” or “System” screen.
Find the Serial Number On the PC’s Hardware, Box, or Elsewhere
If you don’t see a serial number after running the
wmic
command—or if you just can’t turn the PC on or don’t have access to it—there are several other places you might find the serial number: Ac unity dead kings pc serial key.Toshiba Bios Key Windows 8
- If you have a laptop, flip it over. On some laptops, you’ll see the number on a sticker. On others, you’ll see the number printed directly on the metal or plastic the laptop is made from. If your laptop has a removable battery, the serial number is sometimes on a sticker inside the battery compartment, under the battery.
- If you have a desktop PC, look at the back, top, or side of the case for some sort of sticker. The number may also be on a sticker inside the case, so you might have to open it up.
- If you can’t find the serial number on the PC itself, look online for instructions specific to your model. The manufacturer’s website should tell you exactly where to look.
- If you registered your PC with the manufacturer or received warranty service, the serial number should be included in the registration documentation, warranty service receipt, or email confirmation for the service.
- If you still have the original product box, it usually has the serial number printed on it—often on the same sticker with the bar code.
- If you purchased the PC online or in store, the serial number may be printed on the physical or email receipt you received.
And if you just can’t find your serial number at all, don’t give up hope. If you have proof of purchase, the manufacturer still may be able to help you with whatever service you need and may even be able to find out the serial number for you.
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by Martin Brinkmann on November 23, 2012 in Windows - Last Update: November 23, 2012 - 64 comments
If you have purchased a laptop running Windows 8 recently you may have noticed that it may not contain a small label on the back side or battery compartment listing the operating system's product key. The question that should come up at this point is how you are going to reinstall the operating system without the product key.
The answer is however fairly simple. Device manufacturers are embedding the product key in the BIOS of the motherboard. What this means is that the installer will automatically recognize the product key and use it during installation and activation of the Windows 8 operating system.
This has several advantages, both for Microsoft and OEMs as it is no longer that easy to 'steal' product keys this way, and for users who do not have to worry about fading text or damaged labels on their laptops.
One of the improvements Microsoft is making to Activation 3.0 for newly built machines that come preloaded with Windows 8, you won’t have a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) sticker attached to the machine anymore. Instead, this will be embedded in the BIOS.
Windows 8 Key
So far so good. There is a slight problem though in regards to installing a different version of the operating system on those devices. Say you have bought a laptop running Windows 8, and have an OEM copy of Windows 8 Pro lying around that you want to install on that laptop.
The installer will automatically use the BIOS key during installation giving you no option to enter the retail copy product key during installation. You do end up with an activated copy of the original version of Windows and not the one that you have purchased separately.
Windows 8 Serial Key Generator
Is there a way to get past this? I honestly do not know and would like to ask each and everyone of you to chime in and post your thoughts on how to get the installer to not use the embedded BIOS key during installation of Windows 8. (via Deskmodder)