Make a Windows 10 Recovery Drive, NOW - Comments Page 2

Like others have stated entering your line of instructions in Powershell will only get me back to a new prompt line.

I Used BELARC ADVISOR a free download Bob recommended, it seems years ago. It will give you your Windows Key and 4 pages of other indepth info on your computer.

Here's a real basic question. I get three apps with Powershell. 1 is Windows Powershell ISE, 2 is Windows Powershell (x86) and 3 is Windows Powershell ISE (x86). Which one should I choose?

I create a system image every week. Is that not sufficient?

Anybody..............

Will this work on a scandisk card as well?

I made recovery disks for three computers long ago and still have them. (I should update them/put them on USB sticks/make recovery DRIVES, just in case, I know!) The problem is that one of them is of no use. When a Windows update zapped one of my computers, nothing, including using Troubleshoot, recovery disks, a backup on an external hard drive, and Microsoft "help" worked. I now have Linux on that computer. The thing is sometimes things just don't work. Period. Still, having some POSSIBLE recourse, workable or not, is worth the effort.

I just use Macrium Reflect. That covers all possibilities, data as well as system files, and I suspect it's much quicker than Windows reinstallation.

You have to hit "enter" after pasting the string, then the Key comes up.

The following link is to a Microsoft page explaining a freeware key finder app available through the Store. I am not recommending downloading (and, likely, auto-installing) the app but I found the description a very interesting explanation of the different forms of Windows 10 licensing. Recommended reading. And concise, if confounding.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/showkeyplus/9pkvzcprx9nv?cid=storebadge&ocid=badge&rtc=1&activetab=pivot:overviewtab

That command to get the product key didn't work for me either but I found this freeware that does work: Nirsoft ProduKey https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

I have been meaning to do this for the longest time. Unfortunatly I currently have more that enough time as an isolating senior to do this. the instructions worked perfectly... Thanks for the push

Right click and Paste the line in Power Shell then right click on the flashing cursor and then you should get the product key.

Are there problems using the USB stick to boot the system? Do we need to change the boot order in the UEFI/BIOS?
Many thanks

I am FAR from a Windows expert, but I believe there are THREE classes of Win 10 Product Keys:
1-Keys that are embedded in the UEFI (BIOS) by the computer manufacturer. This is a generic manufacturer specific key and is NOT the Product Key that a registered Windows 10 installation will be currently using.
2- Upgrade keys that Microsoft provides to computers that originally had a different, up-gradable version of Windows installed. A subset of these would be Product keys given to computers upgraded from Win 10 Home to Win 10 Pro.
3:Keys that are separately purchased and installed on a computer that does NOT have a Key inside the UEFI.

As far as I know, any method to obtain a product key ISSUED BY MICROSOFT will either return the generic key in the UEFI, absolutely nothing, or the product key of the original non-Win 10 installation, unless it was a clean install of Win 10.

Thus it is mostly useless as these keys are ALREADY known to Microsoft and computer will be activated with WIN 10 upon a reinstall. If I have missed something please let me know.

That said there is one sad issue that up graders run into if a key is stored in the UEFI; Computer will reinstall with the original, type of Win 10, usually Home, instead of the upgraded version. You can simply re-upgrade this new installation or follow this info given below.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/how-to-select-windows-home-or-pro-when-installing-windows-10.801046/

Thank you for this. The product key instructions worked, and I had no trouble making the recovery drive. I do want to point out that even on a new and fast computer the process takes quite a long time. But I am glad I have it, now. Just in case!

I'm certainly not the sharpest knife in this drawer, but my advice would be: "Patience my children, Patience!" I pasted the command line, and nothing happened also... Then while re-reading the instructions again, Bingo! The Product Key for my HP Pavilion appeared!! Just took a bit of time for the CPU to swallow, and digest. And Bob, a MILLION thanks for all the tips, tricks, solutions, research, etc., you have provided for lo these many years. There oughta be an award. You'd get my vote in a New York Minute! Thanks, Bob!

I just noticed that when I select "This PC" from the Start display and right click on that and select Properties, the last line contains a product key. I was thinking that seems a lot easier than the method you suggest, until I noticed that I get a DIFFERENT product key using the two methods. What gives?

for those of you having problems -- Bob's highlighted text may make it appear that you enter (or reenter) the PS C:\Users\(username)>

please note that the string to enter is shown lower on the page & NOT in bolded text:

(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey

Hope that helps!

The PowerShell string did not work for me, so I typed Product key in the start menu search box, and up it popped-it showed up as Product ID.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately that's not the number you are looking for. The Product KEY is a 25-digit string, in the form AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE

I'm surprised that no one mentioned Nirsoft's ProduKey (freeware) as a tool to show your Windows Product Key. It also shows the BIOS OEM Key.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Concerning Windows recovery, I rely mostly on the image backup that I take every day (incremental and/or differential) using Macrium Reflect.