Ways to check Windows version
The quick answer to check Windows version is to press Winkey and Pause Break buttons, you’ll get a Pop explaining your Windows Version, more explanations below.
Windows is undoubtedly the most popular Operating System for desktop computers and with the arrival of Windows 8, we saw Windows trying to win over the smartphone world as well. This is how you can count till ten, Windows-style: 1, 2, 3, 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8 10. Turns out, these numbers are actually different versions of the Windows Operating System. (By the way, this comment was made by the original creator of Windows and the co-founder of Microsoft, William Henry “Bill Gates” III.) Check the History of Windows here [Infographics]
Other than these twelve different versions of Windows, there are a gazillion different number of flavors and editions. You may think you know which version of Windows you are using but knowing exactly which “build version” you might be using is not that popular; it’s rather esoteric and very few people know about it.
Do you know? Now you can Run Windows 98 OS in your Browser
In this article, you will learn how you can find the exact “build version” of your Windows machine. There are many different ways to know which version of Windows you are using and I will try to cover most of them.
1. Shortcut key to check Windows Version:
Press Winkey + Pause/Break.
You’ll get a Pop-up with your system information, Processor, Installed RAM, System type, Computer name, Workgroup and more. This is the best and easiest way to check Windows version of your PC.
2. GUI Method
If you prefer using the familiar Windows environment, you can use the method below to find the same information. This method is sometimes faster and easier on the user’s brain. In most of the cases, this is the preferred way of finding information about your Windows PC.
If you can see a Start button in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then you have Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. If you don’t see a Start button at all, you have Windows 8 installed. We will look at how to see version numbers no matter whether you have a Start button or not.
If You Have a Start Button
Click on the Start button, enter winver in the search bar, and select the first option display or just press the Enter key. You will find all the information you will ever need to know about your PC there.
If You Don’t Have a Start Button
If you have Windows 8, you probably don’t have a Start button. No worries, seeing information about your PC on Windows 8 is just as easy, only a bit different.
Move your mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen and tap Settings. Click on the Change PC settings option, and then click on PC and devices. Next, select the PC Info tab. This will show you the various details of your PC.
3. Command Line Method
If you are a power user, you must be familiar with the command line. You can access it by going to Start and searching for command prompt like shown in the picture below.
Next, you need to type a command to see the version of your Windows PC. The command is called ver. Go ahead and type it. It will respond by outputting the version of your Windows PC.
On newer versions of Windows, you can get even more details using another command called systeminfo. The systeminfo command gives a lot of detail. So, we will only filter the output which contains the version details for Windows. We can filter the output using the findstr command. Below is what you have to type to get the required output.
Bonus: How to Hide a Drive in Windows using CMD
Note: Why Know the Details of Your PC
Although it may not look so, but knowing the basic information about your PC is extremely important. If you have a 32-bit version of Windows and you download a 64-bit version of a software, it will not run. Device drivers are very specific about the specifications of your PC and won’t work for incorrect combinations. The knowledge is even more important if you are going to buy a game. Games require extensive Operating System and hardware support and you should always check your PC details against the game requirements before buying a game. Additionally, you can’t be provided consultancies from someone if you can’t tell them your PC details.
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