How can I figure out which Windows I have? How to find out the version and bitness of Windows
Determining the version of the Windows operating system is carried out in several ways, regardless of its edition. In this article, we will look at the simplest methods of how to find out the version of Windows and get complete information about the build of the operating system installed on your computer and its bit depth using the example of various editions. We will also take a look at several universal methods to find out information about your operating system, even if you don’t know what edition of Windows you are using (7, 8 or 10).
How to determine the version Windows 10
Via "System Information"
To obtain the data, go to the “Settings” menu of Windows 10, where all the necessary data is displayed.
To open the options window, use the key combination “Win + I” or the “Windows” button, where in the drop-down list select “Options”
How to find out the version of Windows 8 and 8.1?
Through system properties
To obtain information about the Windows 8 OS version, you need to call the context menu of the Windows icon located on the taskbar and select “System” from the drop-down menu.
Via "System Information"
Click the “Windows” button to open the drop-down side menu, where we select “Options”.
How to find out which version of Windows 7 is installed?
Through the properties of “My Computer”
- We go to “Start”.
- Call the “My Computer” context menu and select “Properties”.
- Select “System” and a familiar window opens with information about the version of your OS.
If control panel elements are displayed as icons, look for an icon called “System”.
Via the Start menu
Call “Start” and go to the following address:
How to find out the version Windows? Universal method
- "Winver" command.
Launch the window for executing system commands by holding down the key combination “Win + R”. In the text entry line, enter winver and press “Enter”. A window will appear with information about the edition of Windows being used.
- Command "msinfo32"
We open the same window for entering system commands and enter in it msinfo32, confirming the execution of the command with the “Ok” button. The window that appears with information about the operating system displays all the information about its name, version, bitness, build, etc.
If you are asked what operating system you have, but you have no idea what it is, then this article is just for you!
Let's start, as always, with definitions. I don’t think it’s worth remembering this, but it could really be useful for someone.
An operating system is a computer shell that allows you to manage software to perform the necessary tasks and work. There is a graphical operating system, or in other words, a simplified one, which allows you to control a computer mouse and visually present all the actions performed and the results of work, and there is a command operating system (all main actions are performed through the command line), which is most often used to organize servers, which provides to minimize all used computer resources.
Still not clear? I completely agree with you, because in general it is quite difficult to understand what an operating system is, what exactly it includes, and I personally was only able to understand it after reinstalling my OS. However, finding out exactly what it costs is much easier. There are quite a lot of ways to do this:
1). Let's first go to "My Computer", where all local drives are displayed. To do this, most often install a “Computer” or “My Computer” shortcut on the desktop. If there are no shortcuts on the desktop, you can go to “Start” (the farthest left bottom button in the corner) and click “My Computer”. If not here, try opening any folder at all and on the left in the list of folders find “This computer”. You can try right-clicking on "Start" and selecting "System". You can also type “Computer” in the search (in the start or next to the start). Ultimately you should get something like this: 
Here you need to right-click on the empty field and select “Properties”.
Then look for "Windows Edition". Your operating system is listed below. This is what programmers most often mean. The figure below shows an example of the Windows 10 Home operating system:
2). Another method appeared for Windows 10 with the advent of Computer Settings. Right-click on “Start” (bottom leftmost button) and select “Settings”. You will see the following window:
Here we select “System” and then “About”. In the "Windows Features" section, opposite the "Edition" item, your operating system is indicated ("Windows 10 Home"):
3). Another way is to go to Start>Control Panel. Or click "Start">"All Programs">"System">"Run". You can also use the hotkeys: Win (“Start” on the keyboard) + R and enter “control”, as in the next window and click “OK”.
The following control panel will appear, where you need to select “Large icons” and, scrolling below with the mouse wheel, click “System”:
4). You can use the search. To do this, next to the “Start” button, click on the magnifying glass image or on the search bar:
If you don’t have one, then go to “Start” and find the search field at the bottom, or (if there is one) click on the down arrow (bottom left) and find the search line there.
In the search bar you need to type “System” (without quotes). This will quickly take you to a window where you will need to find the current release of Windows.
5). You can open system properties even faster by using the hot keys - WIN+Pause.
If you still haven’t been able to find your OS release, write in the comments. We will definitely try to solve your problem.
Six ways to find out the version, build and bitness of Windows, which is installed on your PC. This question is asked very often by many users via email and in comments, so today we decided to publish a guide on how to find out information about the installed version of the operating system "Windows" on any computer.
Content:
Recently, it is very often possible to purchase a personal computer or laptop with a pre-installed operating system "Windows". This is convenient, since the system is fully configured and checked for errors. But you can purchase a computer without an installed operating system. Then the user has to additionally contact a special service to install the operating system or use the services of his friends and acquaintances. However, the majority of users using the operating system "Windows", do not think at all about its parameters and characteristics. But when it becomes necessary to install additional software or applications, the question arises of the compatibility of such programs and the operating system "Windows" installed on the user. That’s when the user has various questions about the characteristics of the operating system installed on his computer or laptop.
In this guide, we tried to answer the following questions about the operating system:
- Which version "Windows" installed on your computer ( "Windows XP", "Vista", "Windows 7" etc.)?
- What version option "Windows" installed on your computer (home, professional, etc.)?
- What type of operating system "Windows" Is your computer installed 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)?
- What service update package is installed on your system? "Windows"(SP1, SP2, SP3, etc.)?
- What build version "Windows 10" installed on your computer?
- What update version "Windows 10" installed on your computer (update versions 1511, 1607, 1703, etc.)?
There are many ways to get answers to these operating system questions "Windows" installed on your computer. We will show different methods suitable for different operating systems "Windows", you can try them all and choose the ones that suit you best.
Method 1: Using a command "winner"
This method is very simple and allows you to quickly find out information about the installed version of the operating system "Windows" with a simple command "winner". This is a universal method and it works for any version "Windows".
Press the keyboard shortcut together "Windows + R" to open the dialog box "Run". In the command line field, enter "winner" and press the button "OK" or key "Enter" on the keyboard to execute the command.
The command will launch a dialog box.
The window displays basic information about the installed operating system "Windows", shows its version, system build number, service pack, etc. You can also find out what username or organization it is registered under.
Method 2: Using a window "Properties"
In all versions "Windows" By default, a standard set of applications is enabled, which must include an application "System". It contains a large array of useful and detailed information about the version of the installed operating system "Windows", and it can always be easily viewed.
You can open the window "System" in different ways, but we will only show two of them.
Method 1: In the lower left corner of the screen on "Taskbars" click the button "Start" and open the main menu. Move the installed programs and applications slider down to the section "Service - Windows" and select a section "Control Panel".
In the window "All Control Panel Items" Choose a section "System".
Method 2: Find the icon on the desktop of your computer or laptop "This computer"(icon "Computer" or "My computer" for earlier versions "Windows"), right-click on it and select section from the pop-up menu "Properties".
In the window "System" all basic information is reflected. You will be able to see which version "Windows" ("XP", "Vista", "7", "8/8.1" or "10") installed on your computer, and also determine the edition of the operating system "Windows" ("Home", "Professional", "Home Basic", "Home Premium" etc.), check whether the service pack is installed or not.
In point "System type" you can determine the bitness of the operating system "Windows"(32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)) installed on your computer.
Also in the list of basic computer parameters indicated in the window "System", includes information about the processor, installed memory (RAM), computer name, product ID, etc. Here you can easily find all the necessary information about your operating system "Windows".
Method 3: Using an app "Options" V "Windows 10"
If you are using an operating system "Windows 10", you can find information about the installed version "Windows", its publication, updating, etc. using the application "Options".
Method 4: Using an app "Registry Editor"
If you are a confident user, then you can use the application "Registry Editor" to find out information about the installed version "Windows". However, it is important to remember that any actions with the registry must be performed carefully and with extreme caution. Any incorrect changes to the registry can cause errors or system crashes, which will result in the inability to launch individual applications or the crash of the operating system as a whole. Before you start working with the registry, be sure to create a working copy of it. In the window main menu ribbon "Registry Editor" click tab "File" and select a section "Export". Select a location to store a copy of the registry, name the file and click the button "Save" to complete.
To view operating system information "Windows" follow these steps:
Method 5: Using a command "systeminfo"
You can also get detailed information about the installed operating system "Windows" and parameters of your personal computer using the command – "systeminfo".
Method 6: Using the WMIC Command
You can also use the WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) command in the command line window to get brief information about your system and installed version "Windows".
As time goes on, people require more and more functionality from the OS, which forces manufacturers to release more and more new systems. They differ in purpose, take up different amounts of space on the hard drive, and each loads the system in its own way.
Universal methods
Using the Start Panel
The first method is the most common. If your Windows operating system has a Start bar (the checkbox at the bottom left of the screen), click on it and find “Control Panel” in the drop-down menu. In the window that pops up, find “System”, where in the “Windows Edition” section you can view data about your system.
If there is no panel
If it is not there, then look for the “Computer” icon on the desktop, click on it and go to the section with hard drives. At the top right there will be a “System Properties” button, clicking on which will take you to the section with the characteristics of your OS.
Let's use the command line
The following method will help more experienced users learn more about their systems.
Press the key combination Win (the checkbox, the second button from the bottom left on the keyboard) + R. In the window that appears, switch to the Latin alphabet and enter the cmd command. This will launch the command prompt.
In the window that pops up, enter systeminfo, it looks like this:
Then press Enter and after collecting statistics, scroll up the window, where there will be information about your OS.
DxDiag
The next method is good if you need to find out a complex characteristic of the OS and send data on it for analysis.
By clicking on Win+R, enter dxdiag in the window that appears:
Click on OK, after which you will be presented with a document with information about your Windows OS.
Third party programs
AIDA64 Extreme
A simple and understandable utility with a detailed view of data about the operating system. Launch the program and select “Operating system”;
By selecting one of the options, you will be taken to a window with detailed data about your system.
Select the “Tools” - “System Status” - “Information” tab. After a few seconds, a window with statistics of your OS installed on your computer will appear. It looks like this:
Definition for dummies
There are users who cannot control the computer at all, so they can find out which Windows is installed on their computer.
If you have a blue address bar (at the bottom of the screen) and at the bottom left it says “Start” on a button with a green icon, this means you have Windows XP. In addition, you may find a “My Computer” icon on your desktop.
A distinctive feature of Windows 7 is the “Computer” icon and the presence of the “Start” panel in the form of a circle with a flag at the bottom left.
Windows 8 is a particular headache for a PC user. Its features:
- Availability of a “tablet” desktop with program cells;
- Complete absence of the Start panel at the bottom left;
- If you move your mouse to the far right side of the screen, the tablet menu will be displayed, and the time will appear on the left.
8.1 has similar features, only now there is a “Start” checkbox that looks like 4 rectangles.
Windows 10 is a new operating system that has many differences from its older brothers.
- “This computer” is the main distinguishing feature. If you see him, know that there is a “ten” in front of you;
- The new “Start” has a more regular shaped icon, a very large menu that includes settings and Windows Store bookmarks. The taskbar is slightly wider than other systems;
- The Cart icon will be in the shape of a box rather than a regular cart;
- The general design of the operating system is made in a strict and minimalist style with many straight lines and no frills.
Conclusion
Thus, we looked at how to find out the operating system of a computer. We have chosen the most universal and OS version-independent methods that are suitable for both ordinary users and more advanced users.
OC is an acronym for operating system, which is software that instructs the computer on how to run a queue of tasks. The OS manages the computer components and all peripherals, launches and executes programs, manages tasks and resources, and provides the user with an interface for working with the computer.
The number of existing operating systems reaches several dozen, if we take into account computer and mobile OS releases.
Let's find out what operating system is installed on your device: computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet.
Windows
- Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016- Open the menu Start, enter About the computer. In the window that opens Options find the line Release, in which your version and edition of Windows is written below.
- For Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 move your mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen, then up, click Options and then select Change computer settings. Click Computer and devices and select Computer information. In chapter Windows
- Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012- Open the menu Start, enter Computer, press and hold a key or right-click on Computer, and then select Properties. In chapter Windows Find your version and edition of Windows.
- Windows 7 And Windows Server 2008 R2 - Click Start, right-click on Computer, select item Properties. In the window About Windows Check the version and edition of Windows OS installed on your computer.
- Windows Vista And Windows Server 2008- Click Start, Select Control Panel -> System and service -> System.
For all the above options, you can try pressing the button Start and then enter the command WINVER and select in the search results winver.exe.
- Windows XP And Windows Server 2003- Click Start -> Execute, enter WINVER and then click the button OK. Alternatively, you can try entering msinfo32 or sysdm.cpl, as an additional option. Finally, you can try entering DXDIAG. In this case, Windows may prompt you to check your drivers, click the button No.
- Windows 95/98/ME- Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel. Next double click System select tab Are common. Find the version number under the system title. To more accurately determine the version of Windows installed, follow the link.
- Windows CE- Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel, select applet System. If it doesn't work, check the system version on the tab Are common.
Using exactly the same methods, you can find out the bitness of the Windows operating system: 32-bit or 64-bit.
Macintosh
- OS X (Mac OS X)- Select menu button Apple at the top of the screen, then click About this Mac. To find out if your installed version of Mac OS X is up to date or if it is possible to update to the latest OS, please visit the following link.
- iOS (iPhoneOS)- on your iPhone select Settings -> Basic -> About this device. In chapter Version the current version of the iOS operating system is specified.
Linux
- Launch a terminal (command line on Linux), enter username -a and press Enter. The output will contain the kernel version. You can try entering in the terminal lsb_release -a or cat /etc/lsb-release or cat /proc/version if you have Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora or Alt Linux installed.
FreeBSD / NetBSD / OpenBSD / DragonFlyBSD
username -a. The command will tell you the version (release) and type of BSD system installed.
Android smartphone
Open Main screen. To do this, click on the button home or button back(repeatedly). Then open the screen Applications. Find the icon Settings. Scroll to the end of the list and then tap About the phone. Look for the lines that will say firmware version or Android version.
Blackberry (RIM OS)
Go to menu Settings and select About the phone. In the first line you will see the model of your BlackBerry smartphone, in the third line - the firmware version.
Solaris (SunOS)
Open a terminal (command prompt on Linux) and type username -a. The command will tell you the version (release) and type of BSD system installed. For a large amount of information (on new Solaris machines) enter showrev -a.
AIX
Open a terminal (command prompt on Linux) and type oslevel -r or Username -a or lslpp -h bos.rte.
iOS (Cisco)
On the command line in mode enable enter show version.
XOS (Extreme Networks)
show version.
IronWare OS (Foundry)
At a command prompt with administrator privileges, enter show version.
If you don’t want to deal with the intricacies of the listed methods in order to find out the version of the operating system, then simply go to the article in which I talked about several useful resources on the Internet, including those that help you find out what operating system you have installed.