Check microsoft vista product key

More utilities to view or change product key for Windows OS. Share This Post. Click System properties on the toolbar, and then click Click here to activate Windows now in the Windows activation area. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue. Note If you select the automatic activation method when you first set up your computer, the automatic activation process tries to activate your copy of Windows Vista three days after you first log on.

Click System properties on the toolbar, and view the Windows Vista activation status in the Windows activation area at the bottom of the System properties box. If you are re-installing Windows or reactivating Windows, the activation process may not be completed successfully when you try to activate Windows Vista over the Internet by using the Windows Activation Wizard.

If this occurs, you should activate Windows over the telephone. To activate Windows Vista over the telephone, follow these steps:. Click Use the automated telephone system in the Windows Activation Wizard. On rare occasions, you may be prompted to activate Windows Vista on a computer that did not previously require Windows Vista activation or was already activated successfully.

For example, this may occur on a computer where Windows Vista was preinstalled by an OEM or Volume Licensing installation and major hardware changes have occurred, such as upgrading the hard disk and memory at the same time.

If you are prompted to reactivate Windows Vista, you can do so by using the Windows Activation Wizard:. To prevent this problem in the future, you should obtain the latest service pack for your installed version of Windows Vista, either through automatic updates or direct download. But, to be sure, I suggest to write down the retrieved key and use it in case that Windows aren't able to find the key and self activate.

So look at the Windows installation package or at the computer case or at the bottom if your own a laptop to find a sticker with a digit number typed on it. If you cannot find the 25 digit product key or if it is erased , then you can use one of the following product key finder utilities to retrieve your product key from the installed OS:.

Belarc Advisor: Another freeware utility for personal use only that creates a detailed report of your installed software, hardware, Antivirus Status, etc. That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others. We're looking for part-time or full-time technical writers to join our team! It's about a remote position that qualified tech writers from anywhere in the world can apply.

Click here for more details. ProduKey is highly rated and a very popular solution for people if the PowerShell method does not work. This is because ProduKey is able to access your product key, not because it is malicious—as long as you download ProduKey from the official website, you can ignore the virus warning.

It's near the bottom of the page. Doing so will prompt the ProduKey setup folder to download onto your computer. Open the ProduKey folder. Click Extract all. You'll see this option under the Compressed Folder Tools tab and clicking it prompts a window to pop up. Click Extract after you've picked an extract location. You can click Browse to select a new location for the file save, if you'd like, but the default save location is usually ok. You'll see the Extract at the bottom of the window.

Doing so will decompress the ProduKey folder and open it for you. Double-click the ProduKey application. It resembles a key. The ProduKey window will open; you should see your computer's character product key to the right of the hard drive's name. You can take a screenshot of the key or write it down to make sure you have access to it later.

Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Luigi Oppido. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2. Yaffet Meshesha Computer Specialist. Yaffet Meshesha. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0. Windows Product Key is a unique key for each customer. This key is used to activate your Windows operating system.