When you have been installing programs on your pc, chances are you have already used a product key before. Also known as a software key or cd key, it’s a specific key for computer programs that certify whether or not the program is a copy of the original. This is commonly found if you have a genuine copy of the software you are about to install.
Product keys usually consist of a series of alphanumeric characters that is used during the installation process, typically found in the beginning parts. Different programs require different product keys. In this article, we will focus more on the Microsoft office 2016 keys and where to acquire them.
Starting up
Let’s say your officemate gave you a copy of the installer to the program and you installed it on your pc, after the initial installation it prompted you for the product key or the option for a 30-day trial. You have no idea where the product key is, even your officemate doesn’t know where since he just asked a friend of a friend of a friend who has an installer. Good for you there are authorized resellers for genuine product keys online. For a few bucks, you can get started on your work.
Why go through the hassle of buying genuine keys online when you can generate one from a keygen program you ask? Well, for starters, generating a keygen for a specific program isn’t 100% accurate and the chances are the site that offers the keygen may have malware that may compromise your personal files and data and ultimately your computer.
Is there some other way to find it other than purchasing?
Yes, there is another way to find the key for the program, you can use a key finder program, it’s pretty straightforward, it’s a program that locates your product key, the only hitch is that the software must still be installed or it recently was. Or you can try searching for the product key manually by looking in the registry but the keys are usually encrypted so unless you’re a hacker of some sort (in which case you could’ve just hacked a new cd key or something) it’s pretty much a waste of time in trying to find it there.
As said above, there are also different methods of installing without the use of genuine product keys. You probably have already stumbled upon these in your quest to find the product key, these are usually software cracking tools, keygens, or even a list of free key codes, what you should know about these is that they are an illegal way of obtaining keys and when caught, you might possibly be charged with software theft.
When all else fails, the only legal way to acquire a product key is through purchasing the genuine software online from the site or other authorized resellers, sure it will cost you a bit but it will be useful in the long run as you only need to install it once in your computer and the key will bind into your motherboard and will never expire, forever. Or until you decide to upgrade and overhaul your entire rig.