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×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
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×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
- HP Community
- Desktops
- Desktop Operating Systems and Recovery
- I lost my Product key, How can i recover it

Create an account on the HP Community to personalize your profile and ask a question
09-25-2024 09:28 AM
If your notebook came with Windows Home, the product key is encrypted in your PC's BIOS.
Install the free Showkey Plus app from the Microsoft Store and it will show you the Windows OEM product key and the version of Windows the key is good for.
ShowKeyPlus - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store
09-25-2024 11:04 AM
It is the issue.
You will find the original Windows Home OEM product key when you run the showkey plus app.
Otherwise, just use the Media creation tool to make a bootable USB installation flash drive to reinstall W11 (2nd option).
Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)
It should automatically reinstall W11 Home.
09-25-2024 11:52 AM
You have to run the app.
This is what it should show, because I have run this many times on many different PC's.
For example: This PC I have originally came with W8.1 Pro and I upgraded it to W10.
The last two lines of the report are what you need to know.
ShowKeyPlus - Windows Product Key Information
Product Name: Windows 10 Pro
Version: 18362.657 (64-bit OS)
Product ID: 00330-80000-00000-XXXXX
Installed Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
OEM Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
OEM Edition: Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEM:DM
If you don't see the last two lines I bolded on the report then you have a major problem, as the product key and version of Windows has been wiped from the BIOS somehow, if your PC originally came with W10/W11 Home from HP.
PC's that come with FreeDOS from HP have no product keys in the BIOS and the user is responsible for providing their own Windows product key.