So really, only the first method should ever be used, there are other programs and tools that will work but there's no reliable methods that doesn't use tools! If there's no Windows OEM key in the BIOS it will be empty and if you've reinstalled using a different key it will give you the wrong key! It is useful as a way to access the key that comes with the hardware on most newer OEM machines but is no substitute for actually checking what license key Windows actually use.Īnd the third method usually? sometimes? returns a 'digital key' that's only valid for the specific install - there's no real use for this since it can't be used even on the same hardware after a reinstall! The OA3xOriginalProductKey method returns the Windows OEM license key stored in the BIOS for pre-installed machines where they used that method to store it - most OEMs do this because this is the only way where they DON'T need to physically affix a sticker with the key on the machine which saves them time.
