Key | Windows 8.1 Activation
Check for a "Certificate of Authenticity" (COA) sticker on the bottom of laptops (sometimes under the battery) or on the side of desktop towers.
If your computer is still operational but you are preparing for a reinstall, you can retrieve the key from the registry: windows 8.1 activation key
: You can recover a key from a working system by running a specific PowerShell script as an administrator. Check for a "Certificate of Authenticity" (COA) sticker
