How to find out the version of Windows? How to determine the version of Windows on a computer Find out which windows 8.1

First, let's figure out what exactly we are going to find out. With the version, everything is a no-brainer: it is denoted 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 of the line: Windows 95/98/ME (Millennium) and so on. The version also means the digital code of the installed assembly.

Type of operating system, also known as edition, specifies 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 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 played Counter-Strike! ..

In a sense, the build number (English build) or, as it was called in Russian-language localization - building the system, 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 an ordinary user to know it at all. A "build" may be of interest to some developer who is testing his, say, game on a specific assembly system.

Architecture (bit depth, bit version of Windows) is a set of commands for the interaction of the operating system with central processing unit information device (laptop, tablet or computer, for example).

Operating Microsoft systems support the following processor architectures:

• ARM - currently used in the CPU of mobile devices;
• x86 (also known as x32) - used in the early processors of the industry giant Intel;
• x86-64 (another name is AMD64) - developed by AMD, is an extension for 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 application (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 operational 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 in the computer, in a 32-bit system will be defined as 4, you will receive no more than 3.5 “on hand”. 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 bit depth of Windows through "Computer Properties"

The easiest way to find out which 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 earlier 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 depth of the system.

The method is preferred by most users. The only drawback is that there is no data on the assembly of the system.

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 a running system. To initialize, use the command execution window (go to "Start" - "Run" or press the combination of Win and R keys), in which enter the winver command as shown in the figure and click "OK".

The Win key is usually located in the bottom left corner of the keyboard!

The opened interface will contain detailed information about the system. Except for bit depth!

msinfo - all information about the system

Another way is to use the good old msinfo32 utility. In the "Run" window, enter msinfo32 , execute and admire the exhaustive result.

How to determine the version by key

It is very easy to find out the version of Windows by the product activation key 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 from which version of Windows the key lying around in your desktop drawer.

But what if the computer won't start?

This method is relevant for operating systems released before XP (including the latest one), and allows you to determine the Windows version from files, or rather, 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 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 ...

Check OS version via Windows CMD

Command line - best friend both amateur novice and bearded system administrator. Finding out the version of Windows from the command line is 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.

Detect Windows Version Using 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 information you need.

How to programmatically determine the version of Windows

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 features of the OS, which we wrote about above, so the expediency of using them for these purposes remains doubtful.

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 flash drive, open the media through the "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 as wide application as its desktop counterpart, it still raised a number of questions.

So if you want to find out which version Windows phone installed on your gadget, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and swipe left to select Apps.
2. Then "Settings", "About device", "Details".

Here (column "Software") 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 getting 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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But many users really do not know their version of the operating system. But is it really that important? The question is interesting. If you are a supporter of the installation latest versions operating systems, this can be really important. Therefore, let's talk today about how to find out which version of Windows you are using.

Windows 8.1 or RT 8.1

At the time of writing, these are the most recent and current versions Windows 8 operating system.

Move the mouse cursor to the lower right corner of the screen, then up and click "Settings" - "Change PC settings".

Click on "Computer and Devices", then select "Computer Information" at the bottom of the section.

In the subsection Windows - "Issue" you will see the version of the operating system, and in the subsection "Computer" - "System Type" you can find out the OS you are using.

Windows 8 or RT 8

If you are using earlier editions of Windows 8, then the instructions for you will be as follows.

On the desktop, click on the "Computer" icon, click on the right mouse button, select "Properties" using the context menu.

A window will appear in front of you, in which basic information about your computer will be collected, including the version of the operating system.

Windows 7 or Vista

If your computer is running Windows 7 or Vista, you can find out its version in several ways at once, which I would like to tell you about.

So, the very first and simplest - using the same method that is described in the previous case ("Computer" - right mouse button - "Properties").

The second way is not much more difficult. We click on the "Start" button, in the "Find programs and files" window we write the word winver and we see such a window.

The third method allows you to find out the necessary information through the "System Information" section. To do this, click on the "Start" button, and then click on "All Programs" - "Accessories" - "System Tools" - "System Information". In the window that appears, you can learn a lot of interesting things about your operating system.

Fourth way: command line. Click on the "Start" button, in the "Search programs and files" window, write the word cmd, than you will call the command line. Enter the systeminfo command and after collecting the information, the necessary data will appear in front of you.

Frankly, most of these methods are suitable for other operating Windows systems, just at the moment the seventh version of this OS is the most popular, so I focused on it.

Windows XP

Click on the "Start" button, then "Run", and then type the command winver and press the Enter key. The necessary information will appear in front of you.

It does not matter for what, but you may need to find out what version of the operating system is installed on the computer or what the width of the tires is. The main thing is that it is necessary. There are quite a few ways to find out about the operating system version. Some of them are accurate, others not so much. Well, let's start figuring out how to find out the version of Windows. For ease of understanding, a small theoretical introduction follows, the most popular operating systems for today are considered.

What you need to know

It should be said that versions (with sufficient experience) can be distinguished even visually. But there are two concepts of this word in relation to computer technology. The first relates to the operating systems themselves. They improved along with the development of technology, and within the framework of the article the most popular ones will be considered. The second concept mutually follows from the first one and refers to the capacity. The operating system version can be 32-bit or 64-bit. Conventionally, this means how many actions take place in one unit of computer working time, which is negligible. In general, it should be noted that there are a number of signs with which you can determine the version and bit depth of the computer. You may notice the differences yourself, or you may be able to learn about them in other ways. But in this case, we are interested in the exact establishment of data.

Windows XP

How to find out the version of Windows in this case? Click on the start menu. A window will open, find the "My Computer" button. If you found it, then you really have this version of the operating system. But how do you know the capacity? Right-click on "My Computer" and select "Properties" from the action menu that appears. Next, a window will open, you need to find the "System" section. In this section, look for the line "x64 release". It is located at the top, closer to the right side of the window. If, after a detailed examination, it was not possible to find such words, it is safe to say that you are the owner of a 32-bit system. If your search is successful, congratulations! You have a 64-bit system. The sequence of such actions determines the Windows XP version.

Windows 7 or Vista

How to find out the version of Windows in this case? Start work again from the start. In the window that opens, look for just the line "Computer". If you found it, then you have this particular version. Call Then in the window that appears, look for the words "System Type". Next to them will be written the bit depth inherent in your PC. Also, the currently installed operating system of the computer or laptop will be accurately indicated nearby. Also at the top you can notice "Release". This is the exact version you are using.

Versions of Windows 8 and 8.1

How to find out the version of Windows, and what exactly this instruction is right for you? If the initial screen type looks like it was designed for touch control, you are the owner of such an operating system. Here, in addition to the bit depth, it is also necessary to determine which version of the operating system. With the eighth version, everything is simple: first you need to enter "Computer" on the initial screen, then right-click on the item that appears and select "Properties". Further, in the window that opens, opposite "Release" and "System Type" it will be indicated what's what. If you can't use this advice, then you have a different version of the operating system that is more adapted for touch technology.

With version 8.1, it's a little more complicated: you need to move it to the lower right corner, then up. Click on Options, then on Modify. Next, select "Computer and Devices" and click on "Details". On the page that opens, the version and bitness of the operating system will be indicated.

Finding out the version of the installed operating system from Microsoft is quite simple. This action does not require additional downloads. software products- Windows has all the required tools built in out of the box.

For example, you can use console. To refer to command line necessary:

1. Keyboard shortcut win+R call utility " Run", enter in it cmd and press the key Enter;
2. You can also just write cmd in the search.

Here you need to use the system command systeminfo, after which all the detailed information will appear on the screen:

The first value of the first checked parameter shows system version, number after the dot changes after a major update, and last value provides information about the assembly or as they say "build". Type data systems show 32 or 64 bit system. The difference between the two is that the former can use no more than 4GB RAM, and the second is able to use much larger resources than even 32GB RAM.

During download

releasing new system, Microsoft is developing a unique logo for it, so you can draw initial conclusions already in the launch process.

This is what it looks like Windows 7:

Interface Windows 8:

This is what it looks like when loading Windows 10:

For more information, it is recommended to use system information.

Using system information

Windows 7

The interface in different versions of Windows has its own individual characteristics, so the algorithm of actions may differ. For example, in Window 7, the easiest way to get the required information is as follows:

red the version of the operating system is marked with a marker, blue the building is highlighted in color, violet indicates the bitness of the system. Green the final performance of the device is underlined in color, and the maximum possible score here is at around 10 points.

Windows 8

Getting information in this version of the operating system is also quite simple. This requires:

Windows 10

The latest version of the operating system of the American corporation is also accessible and simple. There is an alternative command for the console, after the introduction of which the following window pops up:

To display it, enter cmd line winter. This window does not provide as much detailed information as the one that opens with systeminfo, however, copes with the main task.

Alternatively, you can use the following guide:

Go to " Options» you can also use the keyboard by pressing the buttons Win +I.

In addition, there is the possibility of using the shortcut " My computer", which is called " This computer' and is missing by default. To display it on the desktop, right-click anywhere in it and go to the " Personalization". In the window that appears, click on " Desktop icon options»:

After that, a small window will open where you can customize the desired shortcuts by marking them with markers.