Finding Your Proof Of Purchase Identifying Numbers

The descriptions below explain how you can find identifying numbers that will document your Microsoft purchase. You can click on a link to see an example.

FOR OPERATING SYSTEMS (All eligible Windows and MS-DOS products)

1. For operating systems that came loaded on a computer you bought after June 1998, you can usually find a Product Key number or Product ID number on a Certificate of Authenticity attached to the chassis of your computer.
   
   
2. The Product Key number or Product ID number may sometimes be found on the Certificate of Authenticity printed on your Operating System product manual.
   
   
3. You can often find the Product Key number on the CD case that came with the software. The Product Key number is on an orange sticker located on the CD case or sleeve.
   
   
4. You can also find the Product ID number for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Professional, and all versions of Windows NT Workstation (except version 1.0) by right-clicking on "My Computer" and then clicking on "Properties." Alternatively, you may click on "Start," then on "Control Panel" and then on "System." Show me how to do this.

FOR APPLICATIONS (Office, Excel, Word, Works Suite and Home Essentials 97 or 98)

1. For products that came on a CD-ROM, there is often an orange sticker with a "Product Key" or "CD Key" number on the CD case or sleeve.
   
   
2. The Product Key number or Product ID number may sometimes be found on the Certificate of Authenticity printed on the product manual, or attached to the CD case or sleeve.
   
   
3. For all versions of Office, Word and Excel, the Product ID number can be found by opening the "Word" or "Excel" application, clicking "Help," and clicking "About [application name]" (e.g., "About Microsoft Word" or "About Microsoft Excel").  Show me how to do this.

FOR OLDER PRODUCTS OR FOR PRODUCTS NO LONGER IN USE ON YOUR COMPUTER

If you cannot find the CD case or sleeve of your product, you should look for the Certificate of Authenticity. Most Certificates of Authenticity have either a Product ID or Product Key number printed on them. You can use this number to document your purchase of that product. The Certificate of Authenticity can be found in three places:

1. Certificates of Authenticity for operating systems are often attached to the computer chassis. Those Certificates of Authenticity have a Product Key number or a Product ID number on them. You can use one of these numbers to verify your purchase of that operating system product.
   
   
2. Certificates of Authenticity are often part of the product manual. Sometimes the entire front cover of the manual is the Certificate of Authenticity, and sometimes the Certificate of Authenticity is a large sticker on the cover of the manual. Often these Certificates of Authenticity have a Product ID number or Product Key number on them. You can use one of these numbers to verify your purchase of that operating system or application product.
   
   
3. Certificates of Authenticity were sometimes located on the box the software product came in. These Certificates of Authenticity generally do not have a number on them. If you cannot find a Product ID or Product Key number on your Certificate of Authenticity, you can enclose a copy of Certificate of Authenticity itself with this Claim Form to document your purchase.