Short answer: The safe ShowKeyPlus download comes from two places: the free Microsoft Store app, or the portable build on the developer's GitHub releases page. Superfly Inc. makes the tool, not Microsoft. You see the installed, original and OEM keys of your PC.
An old PC, a worn sticker, and a reinstall planned for the weekend. That’s when people search for a ShowKeyPlus download.
There are two safe options. One is the free Microsoft Store app, and the other is the portable release on the developer’s GitHub page.
ShowKeyPlus comes from Superfly Inc. as a small third party tool. Neither Microsoft nor HypestKey makes it.
It shows the Windows product key on your PC and the original key from before an upgrade. The OEM key stored in the firmware shows up too.
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| Price and maker | Free, from Superfly Inc., an independent developer |
| Where to get it | Only the Microsoft Store or the official GitHub releases page |
| What it does | It reads keys; it doesn’t activate Windows or create keys |
| After a free upgrade | It often shows a generic key, because your PC is activated by a digital license |
Where to get the ShowKeyPlus download safely
I’d take it from one of two official sources and nowhere else.
| Source | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store | Free app, installed and updated by the Store; ID 9PKVZCPRX9NV, publisher Superfly Inc.; runs on x86, x64 and Arm PCs | Your own PC with Windows 10 or 11 |
| GitHub releases | Portable zip files: 1.1.18.0 in x64 and x86 builds, about 6.8 MB each | A USB stick for checking several PCs without installing |
| GitHub releases, version 1.0.7060 from May 2019 | An older build with a command line mode and WinPE | Windows 7 key retrieval and recovery environments |
Version 1.1.18.0, from November 2021, is the latest portable build at the time of writing.
Skip the mirrors on random software portals. Usually they repackage the same free file with an installer of their own.
That wrapper is where adware tends to hide. Two official sources are enough.
The GitHub repository carries an MIT license file, the release builds and a privacy policy. The source code itself isn’t published there. I’d treat the tool as freeware from a known developer, not as fully open source software.
What it shows
The tool shows up to three keys, and the Windows edition each one belongs to.
| Key | What it is |
|---|---|
| Installed key | The key Windows is using now, read from the registry of the running system. For a retail or OEM System Builder key bought from a store, this is usually the only key shown |
| Original key | The key from the previous installation, if you upgraded |
| OEM key | The key the PC maker stored in the UEFI firmware, on machines sold with Windows 8 or later |
Older machines show an OEM marker, not a firmware key. The marker tells you if the PC was built for Windows Vista or Windows 7.
On top of that, the app can check a key you type in. It tells you which edition the key belongs to.
Version 1.1.18 added edition checks for Microsoft Office 2010 to 2021 keys. That helps when you find an old key card and can’t remember what it was for.
How to use it to find your Windows key
This normally takes under a minute. The main window opens straight on your keys, each with its edition shown underneath.
- Install the Store app. Or download the x64 zip from GitHub and extract it. The x86 zip is only for 32-bit Windows.
- Start the tool. The portable build needs .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later, which Windows 10 and 11 already include.
- Read the keys and editions in the main window. Copy the one you need, or save the results to a file.
- To check a key you have on paper, open the key check option. Type the key and read the edition it reports.
- To read a key from another Windows installation, use the retrieve option and point it to that installation. A Windows.old folder or a second drive both work.
Store the saved key file somewhere private. A product key works as a license, and anyone who copies it can try to use it on another PC.
Where these steps apply
| System | What works |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 | The Store app and the portable 1.1.18.0 build |
| Windows 10 22H2 | The same |
| Windows 8.1 | The same |
| Windows 7 | Version 1.1.x can only check keys; full retrieval needs the older 1.0.7060 build, as the developer’s release notes state |
For that older system we also carry Windows 8.1 keys.
Why it shows a generic key
A generic key appears when Windows is activated by a digital license and not by a unique product key.
That’s normal after a free upgrade to Windows 10 or 11. It’s also normal when you reinstall on hardware that was activated before.
What you see is the default key for that edition. Your activation still works through the digital license.
There’s a second reason a key finder can come up short. Microsoft’s slmgr.vbs script has a /cpky option.
It removes the product key from the registry, so malicious code can’t steal it. For MAK and KMS host keys, that’s the default.
Once the key is gone from the registry, no tool can read it back from there.
Finding your key without it
Windows has built-in ways to check your license with no extra software.
| Method | Command or path | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | Settings, System, Activation | Edition and activation state, no key |
| slmgr.vbs | slmgr /dli |
License type and the last five characters of the key |
| PowerShell | (Get-CimInstance -ClassName SoftwareLicensingService).OA3xOriginalProductKey |
The OEM key in the firmware, if the PC has one |
| The old WMIC line | wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey |
Nothing on current builds |
Older guides typically use that WMIC line. It doesn’t work on current builds.
Microsoft lists WMIC as removed on Windows 11, version 24H2 and later, in its features list on Microsoft Learn.
The slmgr options are documented there too, under Slmgr.vbs options.
It can’t activate Windows
The tool only reads and checks keys. It can’t activate Windows, create a key or turn an unlicensed copy into a genuine one.
To activate, you need a valid product key or digital license for your edition. You enter it under Settings, System, Activation, Change product key.
If an “Activate Windows” watermark shows after a hardware change or a reinstall, our guide to the Activate Windows watermark explains why. It also shows how to clear it.
The article on fixing Windows 11 activation errors covers the common error codes.
Not sure which edition your key is for? Our comparison of Windows 11 Home vs Pro sets out the differences.
Need a key? Our Windows 11 Pro key comes as a genuine license. We email it instantly after payment.
Mistakes we see most
- Taking the tool from a download portal with its own installer.
- Expecting it to activate Windows.
- Treating a generic key as a personal key and trying to reuse it elsewhere.
- Saving the key file to a shared folder.
- Running the newest build on Windows 7 and expecting full retrieval.
- Pasting the old WMIC line into a current Windows 11 build.
Terms used on this page
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Installed key | The key the running Windows uses |
| OEM key | The key a PC maker stores in the firmware |
| Generic key | A default key for an edition; it doesn’t activate anything on its own |
| Digital license | An activation tied to your hardware, with no unique key to type |
| Portable build | A version that runs from a folder without installation |
| UEFI firmware | The low-level software on the motherboard |
| MAK and KMS | Volume activation methods used by organizations |
A few cases from support
The key that wasn’t on the sticker
A customer compares the key on screen with the sticker, and they differ. The PC was upgraded, and Windows runs on a digital license. The sticker shows the older key.
The generic key
Someone copies the key the tool shows and tries it on a second PC. It’s a generic key, so nothing activates. The second PC needs its own license.
The portal installer
A download from a software portal arrives wrapped in another installer with extra offers. The Store version has none of that.
FAQ
Is ShowKeyPlus made by Microsoft?
No. It's a free third party tool from Superfly Inc. It's distributed through the Microsoft Store and GitHub, but Microsoft doesn't make it.
Is ShowKeyPlus safe to use?
The copies on the Microsoft Store and the official GitHub releases page come from the developer. I'd avoid download portals that wrap the file in their own installer. Scan any file with Microsoft Defender before you run it.
Does ShowKeyPlus need to be installed?
The Store version installs like any app. The GitHub builds are portable: unzip and run. That makes them handy on a USB stick.
Why is the key ShowKeyPlus shows different from the key on my sticker?
The sticker key may be an older key. Or Windows may use a digital license with a generic key. The OEM key from firmware and the installed key can also differ on upgraded PCs.
Can ShowKeyPlus check Office keys?
From version 1.1.18, it can tell you which edition an Office 2010 to 2021 key belongs to. It doesn't activate Office.
Does ShowKeyPlus work on Windows 11?
Yes. The Microsoft Store version runs on Windows 10 and 11, on x86, x64 and Arm PCs. The 1.1.18 build introduced a Windows 11 style interface.