First, let's figure out what exactly we are going to learn. With the version, everything is a no brainer: it is indicated by a number present in the system name (relevant for Windows 10, as well as 8/8.1 and 7) or a letter designation (XP or, for example, Vista).
This also works for server systems from Microsoft - for example, Windows Server 2012, and, of course, for other “old-school” operating systems in the line: Windows 95/98/ME (Millennium) and so on. Version also means digital code installed assembly.
Type operating system, also called a release, defines the edition of Windows. Yes, yes, these are the same postscripts indicated after the system number: Home (Home), Pro (Professional) and so on. For example, in Windows 7, the Starter edition was a “stripped-down” inferior distribution with a lot of limitations and was intended mainly for home use on not the most powerful computers and laptops. While Ultimate (Maximum) endowed the PC with enhanced security features and provided more features- for example, the ability to join a corporate network or even deploy a server. But we all mostly played solitaire and Counter-Strike!..
In some understanding, the build number (English build) or, as it was called in Russian localization - system construction, determines the numerical identification of the program code used in the current version of the operating system. As a rule, it is not necessary for the average user to know it. “Build” may be of interest to some developer who is testing his, say, game on the system of a specific build.
Architecture (bit, bit version of Windows) is a set of commands for interaction of the operating system with the central processor of an information device (laptop, tablet or computer, for example).
Microsoft operating systems support the following processor architectures:
- ARM - currently used in the CPU of mobile devices;
- x86 (also known as x32) - used in early processors from industry giant Intel;
- x86-64 (another name is AMD64) - developed by AMD, is an extension to x86 and is used in almost all modern processors;
- IA-64 is a joint development of HP and Intel, which was conceived as a 64-bit analogue of x86 for home computers and laptops, but after the release of x86-64 it did not find use (now it is used mainly in servers).
As mentioned above, most modern CPUs are based on the x86-64 architecture, which allows the user to install both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit versions of the system on the computer. At the same time, the so-called Windows 64 will have an important advantage over Windows 32 - support for a larger amount of RAM and physical memory and, as a result, higher performance and the ability to handle large amounts of data. In other words - 16 GB random access memory, installed on the computer, in a 32-bit system will be defined as 4, “in your hands” you will get no more than 3.5. So it goes.
How to find out Windows version? See what is written on the installation disk of your OS.
If this is not possible, read the article further.
Find out the installed version and bitness of Windows through “Computer Properties”
The easiest way to find out what version of Windows is installed on your computer is to open its properties and look. To do this, open “Explorer”, find “This PC” (or “My Computer” if you are using a system younger than Windows 10), right-click on the icon and select “Properties” at the very bottom of the drop-down list. In the window that appears, you can see the version, release (type) and bit capacity of the system.
The method is preferred by most users. The only drawback is that there is no information about the system assembly.
How to determine the version and other OS parameters using the winver utility
The winver utility is used to collect and provide the user with information about the running system. To initialize, use the command window (go to “Start” - “Run” or press the Win and R key combination), in which enter the winver command as shown in the figure and click “OK”.
The Win key is usually located in the lower left corner of the keyboard!
The interface that opens will contain detailed information about the system. Except for the bit depth!
msinfo - all system information
Another way is to use the good old msinfo32 utility. In the “Run” window, enter msinfo32 , execute and admire the comprehensive result.
How to determine version by key
It is very easy to find out the Windows version by product activation key by using the official Volume Activation Management Tool 2.0 from Microsoft. Simply enter your productkey in the appropriate field and click the “Verify” button.
You can use the same method to find out which version of Windows the key you have lying around in your desktop drawer is from.
But what if the computer won't start?
This method is relevant for operating systems released before XP (including the latest), and allows you to determine the version of Windows by files, or more precisely, the prodspec.ini file, located at C:\Windows\System32.
The method will help people whose old computer does not boot, but it is necessary to find out which system is installed (for example, to restore the system itself or files). To do this, you need to download some RescueDisk or BootCD, then open the above file and find the line with the text - the data located next to it indicates the installed Windows distribution.
other methods
But if suddenly, for some reason, the above methods for determining the version of Windows on a laptop or computer did not suit you...
Find out the OS version via Windows CMD
Command line - best friend both the amateur beginner and the bearded system administrator. Find out the Windows version from command line simple: and enter the systeminfo command, which will almost instantly collect and provide you with detailed information about the system.
You can also use the systeminfo command in PowerShell.
Determine Windows version using the registry
The Windows registry also contains information about the installed OS. To access it, enter the regedit command in the same “Run”. Next, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion and find the necessary information.
How to programmatically detect Windows version
There are a large number of programs from third-party developers, the functionality of which allows you to determine the installed system and collect information about it - for example, AIDA64. However, all such programs only use the built-in capabilities of the OS, which we wrote about above, so the advisability of using them for these purposes remains questionable.
How to find out the version of Windows recorded on a disk or flash drive
To find out the version of Windows on the installation disk or bootable USB flash drive, open the media through Explorer, find the setup.exe file, right-click on it and select “Properties” in the context menu. In the file properties window that appears, go to the “Details” tab and pay attention to the “Product version” column.
How to find out the version of Windows Phone
Although the mobile version of the operating system from Microsoft has not found such widespread use as its desktop counterpart, it still raised a number of questions.
So, if you want to find out which version of Windows Phone is installed on your gadget, follow these steps:
- Open the Start menu and swipe left to select Apps.
- Next “Settings”, “About device”, “More details”.
Here (in the “Software” column) you will see the name of the installed operating system (for example, Windows Phone 8). Additionally, you can find out the build version in the “OS Version” column.
The version of Windows CE (which, in fact, is a completely different OS and is used mainly in Chinese navigators) is determined in a similar way.
P.S
Thank you for reading our article to the end, thereby gaining the most complete understanding of how to find out the version and other parameters of your system. We hope you didn't do it in vain!
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Most people use their computer very often, but have no idea how to find out which version of Windows is installed on their computer or laptop. However, sometimes even an advanced user may not know whether he has 32 or 64 bits “under the hood”.
For example, at work you always use a computer to perform certain functions, working in the same programs. At the same time, it somehow doesn’t occur to you to think about what version of Windows you are using. In general, this is not so important, unless we are talking about some specific actions that require accurate information about the OS.
Most people start looking for information about this on the Internet, typing the question that interests them into the search bar. However, finding out the bitness of Windows is much easier than it seems at first glance. There are several ways to do this.
How to see the Windows version
You need to login My computer, and find the tab there Properties. A window will open in front of you in which you will immediately see the information of interest. The top line will indicate the version you are using.
Winver utility
You can also use a utility called Winver. It is usually present in Windows 7 - 10 by default, in most versions. It is located on drive C, in the folder System. The utility can be launched from there and entered: Winver. As a result, you will see a window open that will tell you what version of Windows is installed on your computer.
Open menu Start, at the bottom you will see a line with the word Execute. Type the command in it. After this, a window with the relevant information will also open.
As you can see, it is very easy to find out which version of Windows you have installed. To do this, you do not need to download any programs from the Internet or disassemble them to read the necessary information on the components.
Currently, the most popular operating systems are: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, Mac OS. Linux and Mac OS users usually know the name on their computer. But the large army of Windows users are often at a loss as to how to recognize the operating system on their computer.
This may be necessary before subscribing to a course or, moreover, purchasing an information product or installing a new program or game.
Unfortunately, the authors of paid (and free) courses do not always indicate which operating system they use to teach computer literacy and similar things. And if you have Windows computer XP, then a course on Windows 7 or Windows 8 is unlikely to help you. In addition, many programs and games are designed for a specific operating system.
To find out the computer system there are at least three ways:
- win team,
- right-click (right mouse button) on the “Start” button or on the “Computer” icon,
- Microsoft to help us.
The second and third methods provide more complete information about the operating system on the computer, but let’s start with the first method.
1. How to find out the operating system of a computer using the Winver command
How to enter the winver command? Fast way(we will talk about another method):
1) press two keys simultaneously: with the Windows logo + R,
Rice. 1. Two keys are highlighted in red: the bottom one with the Windows logo and the top one with the letter R
2) the “Run” window will appear, in which you should enter the “winver” command without errors and without quotes:
Rice. 2. The “Run” window in Windows 10 (the window looks the same in Win 7, 8.1, XP), where in the “Open” line we enter “winver”
3) then select OK (Fig. 2).
Don't have a Windows logo key on your keyboard? You can do without it; we’ll consider it separately for four different versions.
1.1.Windows 10 and the winver command
If the above option in Figures 1 and 2 is not suitable, for example, due to the absence of a key with the Windows logo, we will use the search system, which is available in all Windows systems.
Rice. 3. Search for the winver command in Windows 10
- 1 in Fig. 3 – click the magnifying glass icon, which opens Search on your computer,
- 2 – type in the search line that appears: winver,
- 3 in Fig. 3 – click on “winver Execute command”.
As a result, a window will appear describing the operating system on your device:
Rice. 4. Result of the Winver command: information about the operating system
The information provided in Fig. 4 is sometimes not enough. To learn more about the 10-ke system, see
1.2. winver for Windows 8 (8.1)
To use this command, you can use the Windows logo button + R, more details.
Another option that does not require commands is to use Windows 8 (8.1) search:
Rice. 5. Search for the winver command in Windows 8
- 1 in Fig. 5 – open Search,
- 2 – enter winver,
- 3 in Fig. 5 – click on winver.exe.
As a result, we get something like this:
Rice. 6. Winver execution summary - information about Windows 8
At one time, I updated Win 8 to 8.1 and everything was fine, until one unlucky day after the update, the tablet with 8.1 suddenly stopped working. Samsung was disappointing: only the native Win 8, which was originally installed by the manufacturer of the tablet computer, and no updates to 8.1. Therefore, in Fig. 6 the inscription is with 8, not 8.1.
How to find out more about your 8, read
1.3. Windows 7 and the winver command
1.4. Windows XP and the winver command
If the Start button looks like in Fig. 9, then you probably have an operating room Windows system XP.
Rice. 9. Where is the Run command for Windows XP?
- Click on .
- In the menu that appears after this, click on the Run command (Fig. 9).
The “Launch the program” window appears (Fig. 10).
Rice. 10. Entering the Winver command for Windows XP
Enter the winver command, as shown in Fig. 10, and click on the “OK” button.
The "About" window appears. Windows program"(Fig. 11), where you can find out information about the operating system on your computer, including its version:
Rice. 11. Result of running the Winver command for Windows XP
You can also talk about the Windows XP system in the following way.
There is an easier way to find out more about your operating system, without entering any commands.
2. How to find out the operating system of your computer using RMB (right mouse button)
Briefly, the essence of this method is that you need to right-click (Right Mouse Button) on the “Computer” or “My Computer” or “Start” icon.
If the RMB method is not suitable, then enter “system” or “computer” into the Search bar without quotes. All that remains is to click on the option that will be found as a result of the search. Then a window will open with complete information on your computer’s operating system.
2.1. About Windows 10
To get more information about your operating system (RAM size, processor, 64 or 32 bit, etc.), you can
- right-click (right mouse button) on the “Start” button,
- or click on the magnifying glass icon (next to the Start button) and enter “system” in the search bar without quotes.
Rice. 12. Right-click on the Start icon
- 1 in Fig. 12 – click “Start” with the right mouse button,
- 2 in Fig. 12 – in the menu that appears, click the “System” option.
As a result, the “About System” window will open:
Rice. 13. Windows 10 system information
2.2. About Windows 8
Rice. 14. Search for the Computer application using Search
- 1 in Fig. 14 – click Search,
- 2 – enter “computer” into the search bar without quotes,
- 3 in Fig. 14 – click on the “Computer” application,
In the window that appears after this, click with the left (or right) mouse button on the “Properties” option. As a result, the “View basic information about your computer” window will open (Fig. 15):
Rice. 15 (click on the picture to enlarge it). Windows 8 Basics
2.3. About the system in Windows 7
Rice. 16. RMB (right mouse button) for the Computer option in Windows 7
If the Start button looks like in Fig. 16 (number 1), which means you have Windows 7.
- 1 in Fig. 16 – Click on the Start button.
- 2 – Then right-click (right mouse button) on the “Computer” icon.
- 3 in Fig. 16 – A context menu appears, in which we click on the “Properties” link.
The “View basic information about your computer” window will appear (Fig. 17), in which you can find out the operating system installed on your computer, as well as information about the processor, RAM, etc.
Rice. 17. Computer Basics for Windows 7
2.4. About the system in Windows XP
If there is a “My Computer” icon, as in Fig. 18, which means you have Windows XP operating system. Click on this RMB icon (right mouse button), and in the drop-down menu click on the “Properties” link (Fig. 18).
Rice. 18. Properties for the My Computer icon in Windows XP
The “System Properties” window appears (Fig. 19):
Rice. 19. System properties with Windows XP
In this window, on the “General” tab, you can find out the name of your operating system, as well as information about the processor and RAM (random access memory).
Microsoft to help us
1) To go to the official Microsoft website, click on the link
2) The window “How can I find out my version of the Windows operating system?” will open.
Rice. 20. Microsoft determines the version of Windows after going to the page on its official website
Here you will immediately see which Windows you have (if the system is licensed).
By clicking on the small triangle (framed in Fig. 20) and selecting the Windows version: 10, 8.1 or 7, you will see instructions from Microsoft on how to find out the computer’s operating system and get more information about it (how much RAM, what processor , 32 or 64 bit system).
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operating room Windows system 7 exists in 6 versions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Advanced, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. Each of them has a number of limitations. In addition, the Windows line has its own numbers for each OS. Windows 7 received the number 6.1. Each OS also has a build number, which can be used to determine what updates are available and what problems may arise in this particular build.
The OS version can be viewed using several methods: specialized programs and standard Windows tools. Let's take a look at them in more detail.
Method 1: AIDA64
(formerly) is the most common program for collecting information about the state of a PC. Install the application and then go to the menu "Operating system". Here you can see the name of your OS, its version and build, as well as Service Pack and system bitness.
Method 2: Winver
Windows has a native Winver utility that displays system information. You can find it using "Search" on the menu "Start".
A window will open containing all the basic information about the system. To close it, click "OK".
Method 3: System Information
More detailed information can be found in "System information". IN "Search" enter "intelligence" and open the program.
There is no need to go to other tabs; the first one that opens will show the most detailed information about your Windows.
Method 4: "Command Line"
"System Information" can be launched without a GUI via "Command line". To do this, write in it:
and wait a minute or two while the system scan continues.
As a result, you will see everything the same as in the previous method. Scroll up the list of data and you will find the OS name and version.
Method 5: “Registry Editor”
Perhaps the most original way— viewing the Windows version via "Registry Editor".
Run it with "Search" menu "Start".
Open the folder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
Please note the following entries:
- CurrentBuildNubmer — build number;
- CurrentVersion - Windows version (for Windows 7 this value is 6.1);
- CSDVersion - Service Pack version;
- ProductName - the name of the Windows version.
Using these methods you can obtain information about the installed system. Now, if necessary, you know where to look for it.
Many users do not know how to find out the Windows version.
And this is very important for those cases when it is necessary to understand, for example, whether the computer meets the system requirements for a particular game.
This is also necessary if the user wants to see some features of his system, the nuances of working with it, and so on.
Sometimes you need to find out not the version, but the bit depth - 32 or 64 bits.
In fact, finding out which version of Windows is installed on your computer is quite simple. Different versions have their own special methods for this, but there are also several universal ones.
Let's look at each way to find out the operating system version.
Using the My Computer shortcut
In fact, this is the simplest method that works in almost all versions of Windows, at least on one of the most popular ones now, Windows 7.
It consists of performing the following actions:
- Right-click on the “My Computer” shortcut.
- In the drop-down menu, select the item called “Properties” (highlighted in Figure “1”).
- In the window that opens, we can see all the operating system data, including its build version and other features. This window is shown in Figure 2.
There, the place where you can see the system version is highlighted in red (as we see, in our case it is Windows 7 Home Basic).
The assembly version is underlined in blue, the bit depth (32 or 64 bits) is in lilac, and the so-called performance index is highlighted in green. The latter involves rating the system on a scale from 1 to 10 depending on its performance.
Nuances
Advice! Actually, this method is applicable for a variety of Windows versions. .
To put it there, you need to right-click on an empty space on the desktop, select “Personalization”, then in the window shown in Figure 3 go to the “Themes” tab (highlighted in green).
After this, all that remains is to click “OK” and restart the computer.
In Windows XP, the window shown in Figure No. 2 will look slightly different - as shown in Figure No. 5.
In Windows 8, this window looks like shown in Figure 6.
This method often does not work in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, as well as RT 8.1. Therefore, let’s look at what users of these OSes should do.
For Windows 10
To find out what version of the installed system is on this operating system, you need to do the following:
- Using the command line, launch the “Options” window. To do this, first press Win + R (without the plus sign) on your keyboard, enter “winver” in the input line and press Enter. After this, the window shown in Figure 7 will appear.
The version there is underlined in red.
- Press the keyboard shortcut Win + I. In the window that opens, open the “System” item and in the menu on the left go to the “About the system” tab. After this, the user will see the window shown in Figure 8.
It looks very similar to the corresponding window in previous versions Windows.
By the way, the first method (using the command line) also works in most other versions of Windows.
For Windows 8.1
Here, to find out the version of the installed system, you need to do the following:
- In the menu that is located on the right (in most cases, for it to appear, you need to hover the mouse cursor over the right edge of the screen), you must select the so-called “Settings” charm button. Its appearance is shown in Figure No. 9.
- In the window that opens, select the “Change computer settings” button (shown in Figure 10).
- In the next window, you need to select the “Computer and Devices” button, and then go to the “Computer Information” item (shown in Figure No. 11). There, in the “Windows” section, you can see the version of the installed operating system.
The “Computer” section shows the most basic parameters of the device.
No. 11. System Information item in the Computer and Devices menu
