Best 3 Ways to Find a Microsoft Office 2013 Product Key

To authenticate your installation of Microsoft Office 2013. Microsoft issued you a product key code. If you ever need it again but can’t seem to find it, you have a few options to locate or recover that code.

A product key is an alphanumeric sequence that serves as a unique identifier. This means that the software decodes this sequence to authenticate your copy of the software, reducing piracy of not only the software but also other products and services associated with that copy, such as professional support.

Not all software uses this method, but it has been popular for Microsoft Office software. 

So, if you have typed in a long serial number to activate your Office installation, that is why you were asked to do that.

Some versions of Windows also use this product key system. Keep in mind that later versions of Windows include a digital entitlement or digital license. Even if you see something like the older product keys, it will likely convert to a digital license, meaning Microsoft will authenticate your entitlement to run Windows 10 on its remote servers. This all happens behind the scenes so that you do not have to mess with product keys. 

1. Double-check a few places you may have missed

It's always smart to look around for something before replacing it. Here are a few places you may find that key:

· Records kept by your company’s IT department, who likely originally installed Office on your computer

· A Certificate of Authenticity that may have been included with your computer or device, if Microsoft Office came pre-installed on it

• An Installation CD or DVD (or its case)
• The back of a card fastened to the product box
• An email from either Microsoft or Digital River that contains the code (if you purchased from Microsoft Online Store)

You may want to just visit Microsoft’s Office 2013 and Office 365 Key Code Help Site. Depending on how you purchased your copy of Office 2013, you will be guided with solutions, many of which are included in the list above.

2. If that doesn’t work, try using a third-party program

One of these Top 3 Free Software Key Code Locator Programs for Microsoft Office can unearth the encrypted product key code from your computer’s registry, for example. These services help you extract your Microsoft Office key code, if possible. Be sure to use a reputable service for something like this.

3. Contact Microsoft Support

If the previous approaches didn’t get you anywhere, you may need to Contact Microsoft for another recovery solution, such as generating a new key code. Online purchases made with your Microsoft Account may require you to sign in to that account. Microsoft Accounts are the new sign-in replacing a number of previous sign-ins or id’s, including the Windows Live ID.

A Note on Uninstalling Before Reinstalling Microsoft Office

While you should not have to uninstall and reinstall Office to activate it with your key code, you may be looking for your product key because you are in the middle of trying to reinstall or move Office.

If you are looking to reinstall, be sure to start with a clean slate by first uninstalling Office. Failing to uninstall before reinstalling Office can create confusion within your computer or device.

This is another example of why product key codes are useful. They are one way Microsoft encourages you to start fresh by uninstalling then reinstalling because they help Microsoft keep track of your rights to the software. because they help Microsoft keep track of your rights to the software.

For more information on product key codes or to find them for versions other than Office 2013 or Office 365, please refer back to the Where to Find Your Microsoft Office Product Key Code index page.