Does Resetting Windows 10 Remove Serial Key

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Windows stores the product key which is used to activate Windows inside its registry. This product key is not visible from any Windows settings but can be retrieved using third party product key finder programs. This article will tell you how to remove Windows 10 product key from registry to make it invisible from key finder software.

While finding the lost product key of Windows 10 can be useful but sometimes it poses a threat for your key to be stolen and used somewhere else. This can be the case especially when you are using an enterprise license where only one key can be activated multiple times. This includes licenses from Microsoft Action Pack and MSDN subscriptions.

Let’s go through the process of removing the Windows 10 product key from the registry so that it can’t be retrieved using any product key finder software.

Remove Windows 10 product key from Registry

  1. Open command prompt with administrative privileges ( Windows Key + X + A)
  2. Issue the following command:

    slmgr /cpky

That’s it. Now the product key cannot be seen using any software. Only the last 4 characters of the product key can be retrieved.

Please note that this command will not do any harm to your computer or Windows licensing. Windows will remain activated and only the product key will be removed from the registry.

slmgr command starts the Microsoft software licensing manager and /cpky switch clears the product key from the registry. You can see the partial product key using the following command:

slmgr /dli

And if you want to completely uninstall the product key from the computer and deactivate Windows, you may issue the following command in the command prompt with administrative privileges:

Does Resetting Windows 10 Remove Serial Key

Does Resetting Windows 10 Remove Product Key

slmgr /upk

To install a new product key, you may run the following command:

Resetting Windows 10 Password

slmgr /ipk

Windows 10 Reset Activation Key

After installing the new product key, you will need to activate Windows which can be done by running the following command:

Does resetting windows 10 remove serial key free

slmgr /ato

You can view the details about the current license of Windows using the following command:

slmgr /dlv

You can also view the expiration date of your current license state using the following command:

slmgr /xpr

Password

Let me ask you one question. If you are a network/system administrator and want to remove the Windows 10 product key from all the computers running on your network, how would you do it?

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