How to Tell If Windows 10 is Retail, OEM or Volume

March 19, 2017 updated by Admin Leave a reply »

How do I know if I have an OEM or retail copy of Windows 10? There are typically 3 different types of Windows licenses: Retail, OEM and Volume Licensing.

  • Retail – This is a boxed copy, which can be obtained from a retail store or online from the Microsoft Store. You can transfer the Windows 10 Retail copy to another PC.
  • OEM – If your computer comes with pre-installed Windows 10, then an OEM license is embedded in the UEFI/BIOS firmware. These types of Licenses are not-for-resale and is not transferable to another PC.
  • Volume – It’s used mostly for large businesses, government and educational institutions. It cannot be used on PCs other than those associated with the company. The Volume product keys are either used with a KMS server or Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) where a single key can be used on multiple PCs.

This tutorial will show you how to find if your Windows 10 is activated with a Retail, OEM, or Volume license type.

How to Tell If Windows 10 is Retail, OEM or Volume?

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run command box. Type cmd and press Enter.

cmd

When the Command Prompt opens, type slmgr -dli and press Enter.

slmgr

A Windows Script Host Dialogue box will appear with some information about your operating system, including the license type of Windows 10.

windows-license-type

That’s it.