Recover Windows 10 Product Key from External Hard Drive

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Introduction

If you're a computer expert or a local tech support person, you might find yourself reinstalling Windows often. A common and annoying problem when the hard drive is readable is that users don't have a valid Windows license. Sometimes, the Windows 10 product key isn't readable.

We all know that the product key is an essential part of a Windows computer, especially when trying to install Windows 10 but can't boot up. So, if you want to retrieve Windows 10 product key from external hard drive, you've come to the right place. In this article, you will find some of the best ways to recover Windows 10 product key from a non-bootable hard drive. Let's get started!

Can I retrieve my product key from another drive?

When you purchase Windows 10, you receive a unique key that verifies your operating system is activated. Every Windows computer has a product key, which is a 25-character string that looks like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. There are several reasons you might need to recover your Windows 10 product key from an external hard drive, including:

• A product key is required to reactivate or reinstall Windows
• Recover a genuine Windows 10 product key from a failed laptop or PC
• Install and activate Windows 10 on any other healthy device

When your computer is giving you trouble, the next step is often to reinstall Windows on a backup system or a laptop. But when you eventually opt to “reinstall,” the system will ask you for a Windows product key to complete the process.

So, if you're wondering “How do I retrieve my product key from another hard drive?” – this article is for you.

Extract the hard drive from the discarded computer

First, remove the hard drive from the unbootable computer and install it in a functioning machine to retrieve the Windows 10 product key. Here's how to safely remove the hard drive:

Step 1: Open up the computer case using a screwdriver, or press the button to pop the case open.

Step 2: Find the hard drive in its cage.

Step 3: Press the release button, unplug the IDE cable and power cord, and remove the hard drive.

Recover Windows 10 Product Key from External Hard Drive with a Powerful Key Finder

If your computer won't start or crashes, you may need to use a specialized third-party utility, such as a key finder tool, to retrieve all your keys.

"Key Finder" is an intelligent key retrieval tool that can help you recover your Windows 10 product key from an external hard drive. It is a professional application capable of scanning the Windows registry. While it scans the registry of your computer's current operating system, it also scans the registry of the external hard drive. Furthermore, this proficient tool can be used to identify the license keys of any applications installed on a frozen or functioning computer.

Step 1: Remove the system drive from the unbootable or damaged computer and connect it to a working computer via a SATA-to-USB cable as an external drive.

Connect the operating system drive to the new computer via a USB-SATA cable, as an external hard drive

Step 2. Run the Key Finder tool on another healthy computer. Click on External HD, and under Choose Drive, select the failing or unbootable OS drive you have connected. Click Scan to proceed.

Or, click Browse in the Select a Microsoft account window to choose a user account from an operating system drive that won't start or isn't working.

Step 3. Retrieve important product keys from the damaged or unbootable computer's operating system drive.

1. Find your Windows, app, or Wi-Fi password:

• Click on “Windows” or “Applications.” This will display the Windows product key of the unbootable computer and the product keys of the applications installed on it, as well as the WiFi password. • Click on “Copy,” “Print,” or “Save” to back up the Windows or software product keys and the WiFi password.

2. Find passwords stored in your browser or by Windows:

Click “Internet & Network” or “Windows Credentials” on the left, and then click “Verify Now.”

• Sign in with a Microsoft account and password to verify the PC that might be damaged or won't start.

Next, you will see a list of all saved usernames and passwords in your web browser or computer. You can “copy,” “print,” or “save” these accounts and passwords as a backup for your new computer.

Feature:

• On a Windows PC, the Key Finder tool can quickly provide your wireless network password
• It features a customizable user interface that enables users to easily access the assistance they need
• With this utility, you can access saved usernames and passwords in Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer
• Your account credentials and app settings are saved, preventing lockouts or the need to re-enter information on new devices
• This tool also finds and saves serial numbers for Adobe and Microsoft Office software. With a simple click, you can securely save phone numbers

Recover a Windows 10 Product Key from an Unbootable Hard Drive with ProduKey

ProduKey is a Nirsoft utility that displays the product keys of Microsoft Office, Windows, Exchange Server, and SQL Server installed on your computer. By using command-line parameters, you can retrieve this information for the current operating system/computer or another machine.

To recover your Windows 10 product key from an external hard drive using ProduKey, follow these steps:

Step one: Remove the hard drive from the unbootable PC and attach it to another computer as a secondary drive to search for the product key.

Step 2: Run ProduKey on your computer. Then, from the File menu, choose Source.

Step 3: Now, choose to load the product key through an external registry file.

Step 4: Click on the “Browse” button and navigate to the “SOFTWARE” file located in the “Windows\System32\Config” folder of the non-bootable Windows installation.

Note: Remember that ProduKey lets you select the “SOFTWARE” key directly, without having to navigate through the Windows\System32\Config folder structure.

Step 5: Click on “OK” to list out all available product keys.

Create a Linux live USB without removing the drive

If, for some reason, you don't want to remove the hard drive, you can use a Linux live USB drive instead. This will let you copy the contents of the first computer's hard drive to the USB and then analyze it with ProduKey on the second machine.

To retrieve your Windows 10 product key from an external hard drive, follow these steps. Before you begin, download Ubuntu and install Rufus to create a Linux USB drive. Then, proceed with the following instructions:

Step 1: Launch Rufus and select your USB drive. Under "File system," choose FAT32.

Step 2: Check the box next to "Create a bootable disk", and then click the button next to it. Finally, click on the "Start" button.

Note: After you create the repair disk, connect the hard drive to the damaged computer and start up from it. Insert the disk and turn on the computer, which should start up from the USB device.

Step 3: After Ubuntu starts, click the CD icon on the panel to open a file manager window. Navigate to the C:\Windows\system32\ directory on your Windows installation CD.

4. Right-click the “config” folder and select “Copy.” Connect the second external USB drive to your computer and transfer the config folder to this device.

Step 5: Connect the disk containing the config folder to another Windows computer.

Note: You must recreate the directory structure.

Step 6: Create a folder named Windows, and inside it, create another folder named system32. Move the config folder into the system32 folder.

Step 7: Run Produkey and follow the above step-by-step guide to retrieve your Windows 10 product key.

In short

As mentioned earlier, the Windows product key is crucial for reactivating or reinstalling the OS on your Windows PC. However, if you have lost it due to any reason, you can use the methods discussed in this article to retrieve the Windows 10 product key from an external hard drive.

Furthermore, we recommend using the Key Finder tool to retrieve your Windows product key, as it is easy to use and helps you safely extract product keys from various software and applications.