Is there a way to recover Windows 10 product key?

[Dziobak]

My laptop does not boot correctly anymore (after a Windows 10 update installation) and reports BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO. The disk is accessible and I seem to be able to copy most (all?) files to another disk, if I boot from a USB. However, none of the recovery methods that I found seem to work. F11 recovery reports more or less the same BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO. Therefore, I am trying to reinstall the operating system (Windows 10 Pro). However, the installer asks for the product key. It does seem to allow installation to proceed without the key but I am afraid that the installer may first destroy all files on the disk and then ask for the key again. Therefore, I would like to check first whether there is a way to recover the key from the existing OS files before I proceed with any destructive installation.

Thanks,
Dziobak

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

If the PC was previously upgraded to W10, you do not need a product key.

You should select the 'I don't have a product key' option, and W10 will install and automatically activate once you are connected to the internet, since Microsoft's activation servers have a record of that PC having been previously upgraded to W10

[WAWood]

@Dziobak

While a new install will not actually "destroy" the files, it will overwrite them and in the process, save some of them to a folder known as Windows.old -- from which you might then be able to recover some of them.

But, if all you want is to make a record of the existing product key, then try using this utility:  Download Windows OEM Product Key Tool 1.0.0.1 

Good Luck