Question

write the significance of a product key while installing software

Answer 1

Product key on a Proof of License Certificate of Authenticity for Windows Vista Home Premium

A product key, also known as a software key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Activation is sometimes done offline by entering the key, or with software like Windows 8.1, online activation is required to prevent multiple people using the same key. Not all software has a product key, as some publishers may choose to use a different method to protect their copyright, or in some cases, such as free or open source software, copyright protection is not used.

Computer games use product keys to verify that the game has not been copied without authorization. Likewise, one is not allowed to play online with two identical product keys at the same time.

Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters. This sequence is typically entered by the user during the installation of computer software, and is then passed to a verification function in the program. This function manipulates the key sequence according to a mathematical algorithm and attempts to match the results to a set of valid solutions.

Answer 2

The product key is a usually unique, alphanumeric code of any length required by many software programs during installation. They help software manufacturers ensure that each copy of their software was legally purchased. Most software, including some operating systems and programs from most popular software makers, require product keys. As a general rule these days, if you pay for a program, then it probably requires a product key during install.