Windows 10 Pro product key

Hi All,
My Son's i7-4770 asus system just crashed and it seems it is the motherboard or cpu, so he cannot boot it up to access the ssd OS drive. He has all new parts on order to build a new system because it seems where he lives he can't find a quick solution to buy a used mb or cpu to test. It has been years since he had this computer build plus a recent move to a new location, and now can't find his retail box for his retail windows 10 pro. I though maybe I could download a key finder to use if he put the ssd in another computer and see what the product key was on that drive so he can install it on the new build he will make. I downloaded several key finders and tested them on my windows 10 pro system. Not one of the key finders produced the product key I have on my windows 10 pro retail box. So my question is: how the heck is he going to find the original key that came with the original retail copy of windows 10 pro. If I lose the box my key is in then I am in trouble also.

Greatly appreciate any advice
cheers

In most circumstances the retail key used to activate Windows will get discarded by the OS and the generic key will be put in it's place. Did you try showkeyplus from this forum?
ShowKeyPlus

ShowKeyPlus can pull product keys from the registry stored on the OS partition on the SSD from the other computer.

There is also this:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-fb3fc72b6665

Thank you all for the replies. Yes I have tried ShowkeyPlus, License Crawler, Product Key, MSkeyViewerPlus. All show same key other than MSkeyViewerPlus. that one shows a totally different key. . So if he can find the generic key on that drive and installs that on new system he will build then won't that pick up the older motherboard and reject the activation?

Scramjet said:

Thank you all for the replies. Yes I have tried ShowkeyPlus, License Crawler, Product Key, MSkeyViewerPlus. All show same key other than MSkeyViewerPlus. that one shows a totally different key. . So if he can find the generic key on that drive and installs that on new system he will build then won't that pick up the older motherboard and reject the activation?

If you are talking about physically moving the SSD from the old computer to the new computer, yes, the activation will be rejected. Thus, the link I posted in post #2.

I keep all my retail product keys in a text file saved on my NAS, along with my backup images.

No not install the ssd on the new motherboard. I mean the generic product key that is on the ssd drive from the system that crashed?

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Thanks for reply Ghot. My Son found a old windows 7 home box with the key on it but he wanted the windows 10 pro that was installed on the crashed system.

The generic product key cannot be used to activate a new system.

NavyLCDR said:

The generic product key cannot be used to activate a new system.

Ok thanks for the reply.
So we are back to square one. What is the point of finding the windows 10 pro key if it is the generic key and one can't use it to activate a retail copy of windows 10 on the new motherboard?

Thanks again for your replies to my post
cheers

ok when his parts arrive then we shall see how to proceed.Either the Win 7 home to start or contact MS maybe.

Thanks again for all the replies. Greatly appreciate all the information. I shall make sure my retail key is in a safe place.

cheers