How to determine the version of Windows on a computer
You must be logged in to Windows to utilize any of these methods.
All users who are using Microsoft Windows can find what version of Windows they’re using by following the steps below.
See our Windows definition for information about Microsoft Windows including all versions of Windows and the history of Windows.
Determine version with latest Windows
Windows 8 and 10
- Go to the Windows desktop screen.
- Press the Windows key + R on the keyboard.
- Type winver in the text field and press Enter.
If you need more information about the system type (e.g., 32-bit vs 64-bit) see the below alternative methods.
Windows 7 and earlier
- Click Start, usually found in the lower left corner of the main desktop screen.
- Click the Run or Search field, type winver, and press Enter.
An About Windows window opens and displays the version of Microsoft Windows, the build info, and service pack information, if any service pack is installed. Below is an image and example of this window.
Windows 7 Windows Version window
If you need more information about the system type (e.g., 32-bit vs 64-bit) see the below alternative methods.
Alternative methods
Below are some additional methods of determining the version of Windows.
Windows 10
Open the System window by pressing the Windows key and pause key at the same time.
- Open a File Explorer window by pressing Windows Key + E.
- On the left, right-click This PC.
- In the context menu, select Properties to open the System Properties window.
- In the System Properties window, find the System type entry, which lists your operating system and CPU type.
Windows 8
Open the System window by pressing the Windows key and pause key at the same time.
- Go to the Windows Start screen.
- Type about your PC and select the About Your PC option.
Windows 7 and earlier
Open the System window by pressing the Windows key and pause key at the same time.
- Right-click on My Computer on the Windows desktop or in the Start menu.
- Select the Properties option.
- In the System Properties window, as shown below, the version of Windows and the Service Pack (if installed) is displayed.
On the System Properties window, under the System section, the System type entry shows if the version of Windows on your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Doing the above method may not always work and is dependent on the version of Windows you’re running. In some cases, it may display Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000] or something similar, which is the command prompt version. However, some versions of Windows, such as Windows XP, display the Windows version.
Determine Windows version on mobile devices
If you’re running Windows CE on a mobile device, such as a cell phone or PDA, you can determine the version of Windows CE by following the steps below.
- Click Start, Settings, and then Control Panel.
- Click the Systems icon. In the System Properties, you’ll see the version of Windows CE and the build.
How to check your Windows version easily and quickly?
Are you trying to update your drivers? Do you plan on buying a new software program for your PC? If so, then you probably need to ask yourself, “What is my Windows OS version?” This information is crucial for several things you’ll need for your computer. If you want to learn how to check the version of Windows on your PC, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to share with you the easy steps to get the details of your operating system.
How to Check the Version of Windows on my Computer
- Accessing the About Windows Box
- Opening the System Properties Window
- Looking at the System Information
- Using Command Prompt
Option 1: Accessing the About Windows Box
You can get the essential information about your operating system by accessing the About Windows box. You can do that by following these steps:
- Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Windows Key+R on your keyboard.
- Once the Run dialog box is open, type “winver” (no quotes), then click OK.
- The About Windows box will pop up. On the second line, you will see the OS build and version for your Windows. The fourth line tells you the edition of your operating system.
Option 2: Opening the System Properties Window
You can also access the System Properties window to find out the version of Windows installed on your computer. The steps vary depending on the OS you have. Here are the instructions:
Windows 10:
- On your keyboard, press Windows Key+S.
- Now, type “This PC” (no quotes).
- Right-click This PC from the results, then select Properties from the options.
- The System Properties window will pop up. Here, you will be able to see the basic details about your computer, including its OS type and edition.
To get more information about your operating system, you need to open the Settings app. Here are the steps:
- Press Windows Key+I on your keyboard. This should launch the Settings app.
- Select System.
- Click About in the left-pane menu,
- Go to the right pane to see the version, edition, installation date, and build of your operating system.
Windows 8.1:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Inside the Search box, type “This PC” (no quotes).
- In the results, right-click This PC.
- Choose Properties from the menu.
- You will see the important details about your computer, including the edition and type of operating system you have.
To get more details about your Windows system, you can access PC Info. To do that, follow the instructions below:
- On your keyboard, press Windows Key, then type “PC Info” (no quotes).
- Select PC Info from the results.
- A new window will pop up. It will contain the information about your computer, including the activation status and edition of your Windows 8 OS.
Windows 7:
- Go to your taskbar and click the Windows icon.
- Right-click Computer, then select Properties from the menu.
- You will see the service pack, edition and system type of your Windows 7 OS in the pop-up window.
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Option 3: Looking at the System Information
- Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Windows Key+R on your keyboard.
- Inside the Run dialog box, type “msinfo32.exe” (no quotes), then hit Enter.
- You will see the System Information window. It will contain the details about your Windows operating system.
Option 4: Using Command Prompt
- Press Windows Key+R to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type “cmd” (no quotes), then click OK. This should open Command Prompt.
- The first line you see inside Command Prompt is your Windows OS version.
- If you want to know the build type of your operating system, run the line below:
systeminfo | findstr Build
If you followed the steps we shared to a tee, you probably won’t need to ask, “What is my OS Windows version?” On the other hand, you might wonder if your operating system is the reason why you’re experiencing longer application startup times. Well, in some cases, the culprit is disk fragmentation. Many things can cause this issue, but we will discuss those in a different post. Meanwhile, the easiest way to resolve this problem is to install Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro. This reliable tool optimizes your drives for top speed and maximum efficiency.
Do you have other Windows-related woes you want to resolve?
Ask questions in the comments section below!
How to check which version of Windows your computer is running
- If you need to check your version of Windows, you can find out by typing «winver» in the Start menu search box.
- Depending upon which version of Windows you have, you might also be able to open a window that displays additional information.
- This information is important if you have Windows 7, because support for that operating system ends in January 2020.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Do you know which version of Windows you’re running? Most of the time, there’s little reason to care. But sometimes you need to know. Some programs and computer hardware will only work with a specific version of Windows, for example.
You might also need to know if it’s time to upgrade. Microsoft generally supports each version of its operating system for about ten years, and «extended support» for Windows 7 ends on January 14, 2020 .
That means Microsoft won’t offer any updates or technical support after that date. If you have Windows 8, you have a little more time – support ends for that operating system on January 10, 2023.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
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How to check which version of Windows you’re running
1. Click the Start button.
2. Type «winver» in the search box and press Enter.
3. You should see the About Windows box with your Windows version information.
If you want to know more than simply the version of the operating system, you can display a dialog box with additional information, but the process varies depending upon which version of the OS you are running.
How to get additional information about Windows 10
1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings icon (which looks like a gear and is above the power icon).
3. Click «System.»
4. In the left pane, click «About.»
How to get additional information about Windows 8
1. Move the mouse to the lower-right corner of the screen and swipe it up to display the sidebar.
2. Click «Settings» and then click «Change PC settings.»
3. Click «PC and devices,» and then click «PC info.»