What operating system is on your computer? Users usually answer: Windows (or say something else if they use Linux or Mac). Sometimes a version is added to this (8, 10, etc.) But often this is not enough. You need to know not only the name and number of your OS, but also the build number, version of the service pack (if provided), etc. Let's look at how to find out the computer's operating system exactly depending on its version.

For Windows 10

The most promoted OS from Microsoft today has become famous (not in in the best sense) intrusive offers to upgrade. Sometimes these updates are really helpful and worth installing. Sometimes, on the contrary, it is better to skip the next sentence containing errors and wait until they are corrected.

But in both cases, you need to know the exact version of your OS in order to decide whether to accept the offer from Redmond or refuse.

How to find out what operating system is on your computer in the case of Windows 10? The simplest way is this:

  1. Press Win+R keys on your keyboard
  2. Enter the command “winver” (from English words Windows Version). Quotes or any other symbols other than winver are not needed
  3. Press the Enter key or the OK button

After this, a small window will appear on the screen, which provides all the key information about your OS version:

  • Name and generation (in our case Windows 10)
  • Version number
  • Assembly
  • License status (whether the copy is licensed and the user's name and organization)

When it comes to updates, the key element is the OS build number. This is what you need to look at to understand whether to update or wait for now.

If for some reason you don't have a Windows key on your keyboard (let's say you're using a Bluetooth keyboard for mobile devices), there are other ways to send a command to the system:

  1. Click on the search icon (the magnifying glass icon, to the right of the Start button in the lower left corner)
  2. Enter winver
  3. When the “Run command” prompt appears below the text, click on it with the mouse

As a result, you will get the same window as when you entered the command through Win-R.

For Windows 8

The winver command also works for previous versions of Windows. If you run a command through the Win+R keyboard shortcut, there will be no differences either in the launch process or in the window in which the system displays the results.

If you run a command through the search menu, then instead of the command, the search will show you the winver.exe file that you are prompted to run. Run it: it will give the same result.

For Windows 7 or Vista

The operating system, released before the mass craze for touch screens, has a slightly different interface. In particular, the Start menu is launched there using a round button, although the button is located in the same left corner. But there is no separate “Search” button on the desktop.

  1. Left click on the Start button
  2. In the search field that opens at the bottom of the menu, enter the winver command we are already familiar with
  3. Press Enter
  4. When the search offers a result - the Winver.exe program, click on it, after which you will see a window with the title “About the program”.

This is the description of your version of Windows. Similar to more recent versions, this window also shows the Windows generation, version number, build number, service pack and licensing information.

The window title also shows which edition of Windows 7 you have installed (Elementary, Home Basic, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate, etc.) Please note that in Windows 10 the title is not so informative.

For Windows XP and earlier

If you use good old XP, then the algorithm for finding out what OS is on your computer will be like this:

  1. Click on the "Start" button
  2. Select “Run” from the list
  3. In the “Run a program” window that opens, there is an input field. Enter the same “winver” command into it
  4. Click on the "OK" button in the window or press Enter

An information window will appear before your eyes, the design of which will be in the style of Windows XP. In terms of information content, it will be more reminiscent of Vista than 8 or 10. In the window you can read the following data:

  • OS edition (Home, Professional, etc.)
  • Version number
  • Build number
  • Service pack
  • User License Information
  • Available volume random access memory

The last item on our entire list is unique to Windows XP.

We will not go deeper and explore ways to find out the version of Millennuim, 98 or 95. If such rarities work on your computer, then you probably have special reasons for this, and therefore you already know how to find out the version of the operating system on your computer .

Universal method

We have reviewed the simplest way get information about the version of your operating system. However, it produces relatively sparse data. There are enough of them to decide whether to accept or not accept the update. But sometimes you need to find out more about your system - for example, its capacity or information about hardware.

There is a more advanced method for finding out the OS on a computer. It is based on key element Windows - control panels.

  1. Click on the Start menu with the RIGHT mouse button.
  2. Select “System” from the menu that opens.
  3. Click on it.

In the window that opens, more modern versions of Windows (for example, 10) will not show the classic Control Panel, but its modern version, adapted for touch control. However, it will show key data:

  • Device code
  • Product code (i.e. Windows)
  • System type (that is, its bit capacity – 32- or 64-bit)

To go to the classic “System” tab of the traditional Control Panel, in versions 8 and 10 you need:

  1. Click on the “Search” button next to the “Start” menu
  2. Enter “system” in Russian
  3. Click on the proposed “best match” (this will be the Control Panel tab we need)

The panel that opens will contain much more data than the window that opens using the winver command. In particular, you can read there:

  • System capacity
  • Windows activation status
  • License key (product code)
  • Computer name
  • The working group he belongs to
  • Hardware information (processor, amount of RAM, touch screen availability)

Sometimes this data turns out to be more informative than a simple winver panel.

In other versions of the OS, you can enter this tab by launching the Control Panel using the method provided for this particular edition of Windows.

In Windows XP, to view system properties you need to:

  1. Find the My Computer icon on your desktop
  2. Right click on it
  3. In the context menu, find the “Properties” line and left-click on it

The System Properties tab will open, showing roughly the same information as the System tab in Control Panel.

Via Microsoft website

Finally, if you have a working internet connection, you can simply follow , and the site will automatically recognize your version (though not with such precise details). There will also be instructions for more precise definition, specifically for your OS.

Is that how it happens there? It seems that it’s not the first day that you have to work on a computer, and with Microsoft Office you can already say so on first hand, and even in “Klondike” and “Solitaire” the number of victories has exceeded a hundred. However, it is enough to hear one single question like “what version of Windows do you use?” to again feel like a complete “dummy” in all this computer science. And what should I say in response? How can you basically find out which version of Windows OS is originally installed on your PC? The funny thing is that the solution turns out to be so simple that it couldn’t be simpler!

Option No. 1: Access through the “Properties” of the system

Perhaps the simplest, but at the same time very effective method To find out the version of Windows OS installed on your computer, look at the “Properties” section of the system. How to do it? To begin, right-click the “Computer” (“My Computer”) shortcut on the desktop or in the “Start” menu, and then select “Properties” from the list that appears:

That's all! As a result of such simple manipulations, the “System” window we need will appear on the screen with all the data about what is installed on the Windows computer, including its type and version:

The situation is somewhat different with obtaining information about Windows 8. In this case, in order to find out the type and edition of such an operating system, first you need to click on the “Options” button that pops up in the upper right corner of the panel, and then select the “Information ...” tab in the context menu. :

One way or another, in the end the same “System” window will be displayed, which contains a mini-dossier on the operating system used when working on the computer. If desired, of course, access to it can be simplified altogether by using the well-known “hot keys” +Pause Break on the keyboard.

Option #2: View details using the Run utility

Another equally simple way to find out what type and edition of Windows is installed on a PC is directly related to the use of the Run system utility. It is launched, if someone doesn’t remember, by a simple combination +R. Moreover, in order to use it to gain access to information about the system, it is enough to run the standard winver.exe command in it, using this illustrated hint:

In addition, you can install it on your PC by running the cmd command. It is intended, however, for quick launch command line, however, the first item in it, if someone has forgotten, always displays information about the version of Windows installed on the computer:

Many inexperienced users often ask the question of how to find out which Windows is installed on the computer. There are two classifications of the question: operating system version and bitness. It’s easy to find out both, let’s figure out how it’s done.

Find out the version of Windows on your computer

How to find out which Windows is installed on your computer? It's not difficult to see the OS version. This can be done through the interface of the OS itself or with special programs.

Method 1: AIDA64

AIDA64 is a program that allows you to obtain extended information about your PC. Using it you can find out what components you have installed: processor, motherboard, how much RAM (its type), video adapter and much more, as well as the version of the operating system. Algorithm of actions:

  1. Install the program.
  2. Launch the AIDA64 application.

  3. On the left side there are sections, you need to open "Computer".

  4. Among the dropped subsections you need to go to "Summary information".

  5. There in the line "Operating system" there will be the necessary information.

    6. Method 2: Through the OS interface

    How to find out which Windows is installed on your computer? You can use a special command:


    Method 3: Find out the OS version on the laptop

    If you have a laptop and you have no idea how to find out what Windows is installed on your laptop, look for a sticker that will indicate the version of Windows. If you bought a laptop with Windows installed, there is definitely a sticker somewhere.

    You can use one of the previous methods: download the program, or enter a special command.

    How to find out the bitness of the operating system

    The system has a built-in command for this:


    Here's how to find out which Windows 32 or 64 is installed on your computer. This method It’s simple and works on all versions of Windows, including XP, so we recommend using it.

    If x86 bit depth is indicated, it means that you have x32 bit Windows.

    Conclusion

    You should no longer have the question: “How can I find out what Windows I have?” or “What bitness is the operating system?” Use the methods we provide and ask questions in the comments if something is not clear.

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 new program or a game.

Unfortunately, the authors of paid (and free) courses do not always indicate which operating system they teach using as an example. computer literacy and similar things. And if you have Windows XP on your computer, 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:

  1. win team,
  2. right-click (right mouse button) on the “Start” button or on the “Computer” icon,
  3. Microsoft to help us.

The second and third methods provide more complete information about operating system on a 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 will consider this 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 are probably running Windows 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 according to 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 “How to find out your operating system version” window will open. Windows systems?»

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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Many users ask the question: “How can I find out which Windows is on my computer?” You need to know whether you're running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows for many reasons. The most important thing is that knowing this, you will be sure that you can install the desired type software and drivers created to work with the operating system.

What is it for?

For example, if you are running Windows XP 32-bit and want a device, you need to install 32-bit drivers designed for the hardware. 64-bit drivers will not work in the 32-bit version of Windows XP and vice versa.

Luckily, it's really easy to find 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're viewing the classic view of Control Panel, you won't see this link. Simply double-click on the "System" icon and go to step 4.

How can I find out which Windows is installed on my computer if the XP version is downloaded? In the Performance and Maintenance window, click the System link. When the System Properties window opens, look for 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 OS version 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 that you are running the 64-bit version.

Important: There are no 64-bit versions 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 rest easy in choosing the right drivers and software for your device.

How to do this on Windows 7?

How can I find out which Windows version 7 is installed? Click on "Start" and find "Control Panel" in the menu. Click on "System" and select the "Security" link. Click on the System link.

When the system window opens, under its name you can see basic information about your computer below the Windows logo. In the System section, look for the System Type tab among other statistics about your computer. The system type will indicate 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 version 8 is installed?

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

Open 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 are using a keyboard or mouse.

On the touch screen, touch or click with the cursor on System and Security in 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 what system is installed on your device. This is the answer to the question “how to find out which Windows is on your 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 running a 32-bit OS. Otherwise, you may cause serious problems with the device, which may result in the loss of much saved data and even the need to reinstall Windows.