How to find out the version of Windows. How many versions of "Windows" and how to find out which Windows is on the computer at the moment

Don't know what windows is on your computer? Determining this is simple. Of course, to most such a question may seem silly, or even ridiculous, but such a situation can really arise. For example, someone else's laptop/computer was brought to you and asked to install some program, but for which version of Windows should I download it? It is for such cases that this article is written.

1. Using system properties. Open my computer, and right click on an empty area, then click "properties". Or, without opening the computer, do the same with its shortcut on the desktop.

AT open window you will have all the information about this computer, including which version of the operating system is installed.

1. In my opinion, the easiest way. Minimize all windows, let only the desktop remain in front of you and press 2 keys at the same time windows + R. In the window that opens, enter / paste the command “WinVer.” (with dot, no quotes). Everything, before you the desired result.

1. Through command line, using systeminfo. Enter the command as shown in the screenshot and you will receive a response with your windows version.

You can also use the command (as in the second case) cmd /k systeminfo

1. We execute the command again. We call it using the Win. + R keys and enter msinfo Then press ok or Enter

And you will see this window:

Here are 4 of the most simple ways, find out what Windows is on a computer or laptop.

By old tradition, for those who do not like to read, and prefer to watch the video, I add it:

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 the 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 next to it will be exactly indicated installed on this moment operating system computer or laptop. 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 follow 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.

Many users ask themselves the question: "How to find out which Windows is on the computer?" You need to know if you are running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows for many reasons. Most importantly, knowing this, you will be sure that you can install desired type software and drivers designed to work with the operating system.

What is it for?

For example, if you're running Windows XP 32-bit and want a device, you'll need to install the 32-bit hardware-specific drivers. 64-bit drivers will not work in 32-bit Windows XP and vice versa.

Fortunately, it's really easy to figure out what flavor your copy of Windows XP is.

How to do it

Click on "Start" and select "Control Panel" from the menu. Click on the "Performance and Maintenance" link. Note: if you are browsing classic look control panel, you won't see this link. Just double click on the "System" icon and go to step 4.

How to find out which "Windows" is on the computer if the XP version is loaded? In the Performance and Maintenance window, click on the System. When the System Properties window opens, locate the System area to the right of the Windows logo.

Note: You must be on the "General" tab in the "shell" properties.

In the "System" section, you will see basic information about the version of the OS installed on the computer:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional version [year] means that you are running Windows XP 32-bit.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 edition version[year] means you are running a 64-bit version.

Important: There are no 64-bit flavors of XP Home or XP Media Center Edition. If you have any of these editions of XP, then you are running a 32-bit operating system. This will help you decide how to find out which "Windows" is on your computer.

Now that you've figured out which flavor of Windows XP you're running, you can have peace of mind choosing the right drivers and software for your device.

How to accomplish this in Windows 7?

How to find out which "Windows" is installed in the seventh version? Click on "Start" and find "Control Panel" in the menu. Click on "System" and select the "Security" link. Click on the link System.

When the system window opens, under its name you will be able to see basic information about your computer below the Windows logo. Under the System section, look for the System Type tab among other statistics about your computer. The system type will tell you whether the computer is running a 32-bit or 64-bit OS.

Important: There is no 64-bit version of Windows 7 Starter Edition.

How to find out which "Windows" is in version 8?

There are two main editions of Windows 8 - Standard OS and Pro version. Each of them can be in either 64-bit or 32-bit format. As with previous releases of the shell, knowing what type is being used on a computer is very important in the first place in order to correctly install drivers and software.

Open the "Control Panel" in Windows 8.

Tip: You can check your Windows 8 system type much faster from the Power User menu, but this is only available if you're using a keyboard or mouse.

Touch on the touch screen or click with the cursor on "System and Security" in the control panel, then select the "System" tab. After that, you should open the menu item called "View basic information about your computer" and find the System tab, located under the large Windows 8 logo. The system type will indicate which system is installed on your device. This is the answer to the question "how to find out which "Windows" is on the computer." As you can see, this process is quite simple, and its execution is similar in all versions of the operating system.

Remember that you should not install applications designed for a 64-bit shell on a computer with a 32-bit OS installed. Otherwise, you can cause serious problems with the device, which can lead to the loss of many saved data and even the need to reinstall Windows.

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 the number present in the system name (relevant for Windows 10, as well as 8 / 8.1 and 7) or 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.

The operating system type, also known as edition, determines 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 restrictions 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 - system building, 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 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 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 more 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 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 the version of Windows? 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

The mobile version of the operating system from Microsoft, although not found so wide application, as its desktop counterpart, but 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:

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!

Please tell your friends about our article in social networks. Thank you!

Users of personal computers sooner or later face the need to determine the version of the installed operating system. This is usually required when installing any applications or device drivers. Let's consider all the ways to determine the version of Windows, both using standard OS tools and using third-party programs.

Standard ways to determine the version of Windows

There are several standard ways obtaining all the necessary information about the installed Windows operating system.

Viewing System Information

This method works on all Windows, including XP or later. To view system information:

• Find the shortcut "My Computer" (Win XP), "Computer" (Win Vista, 7) or "This PC" (Win 8, 8.1, 10) on the desktop, in the start menu or in Windows Explorer.
• Right-click on the icon, select "Properties" from the context menu.
• The System Properties, View basic information about your computer, or other window will open (the name depends on the version of Windows). In this particular case, the version of the operating system is listed under "Windows Edition".

In the latest Windows 10 versions, system information can be obtained even faster:

• Open the Start menu, then click Settings (the gear icon).
• Go to the "System" section.

• On the left side of the window, open the "About" tab.
• Scroll right side window to the "Windows Specifications" section, which will contain all the necessary information about the operating system.

Command line

To view information about the operating system from the Windows command line (console), follow these steps:

• Press the key combination "Win + R".
• Enter the command "cmd" (without quotes) in the window that opens, then click the "OK" button.
• The command line will launch.
• At the top of the console window, there will already be some information about the operating system. For example:

In most cases, this information is not enough. To view all other information about the system, just run the "systeminfo" command in the console (just type it into the command line and press the enter key). After executing the command, the following information will be displayed on the screen:

In the selected fragment of the image, the version and name are indicated installed system Windows.

In Windows 7 generation and higher, there is a small Winver system utility, by running which you can view system information:

• Press "Win + R" on the keyboard, then enter "winver" in the window that opens, click "OK".
• A small "Windows: Details" window will appear on the screen with all necessary information about the system:

Programs for determining the version of Windows

Exists a large number of paid and free utilities capable of reading a wide variety of computer information, including installed version operating system. Such programs include, for example, Speccy and AIDA64. Consider how to determine the version of Windows using the Speccy utility:

• Download the program from the SoftSalad.ru website (the free version of the utility is enough to complete the task).
• Install and run the program.
• Immediately after launch, information about the system will be displayed in the central part of the application window: