How to find out my operating system. How can I find out what Windows I have and what version it is on?

Is that how it happens there? It seems like it’s not the first day that you have to work on a computer, and with Microsoft Office you can already say so on a first-name basis, and even in “Klondike” and “Solitaire” the number of victories 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 starts, if someone doesn’t remember, 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, but 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 many random access memory(its type), video adapter and much more, as well as the operating system version. 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.



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 bit depth operating system?. Use the methods we provide and ask questions in the comments if something is not clear.

Almost every PC user can distinguish operating Windows systems apart from each other external signs, unless, of course, visual modifications are installed. However, determining a specific version, build, bitness or update without obtaining information from the computer is unrealistic, even for professionals. IN in this case everyone uses system information or third-party programs. Let's take a closer look at how to find out the version of Windows on a PC or laptop.

Properties/About window

Examination installed version The Windows operating system starts with the simplest and fastest operations. Pay attention to your PC desktop. If you use the “This Computer” shortcut in the case of “Windows 10” (for XP, 7 and 8 – “My Computer”), then you need to do this:

1. Right-click on the shortcut and select “Properties” from the menu.

1. A window will appear on the screen containing information about the installed OS. Here you need to pay attention to the marked lines:

Windows Edition (1) stands for common name OS versions. In the “System” subsection you can see the parameters central processor, RAM and bit depth (32 or 64-bit) - the latter also refers to the properties of the OS (2). Below is activation information. If you see the same inscription as in the screenshot (3), this means that the system has already been activated previously.

When installing the operating system, the user chooses between x64 and x86 versions. The software properties themselves indicate either x32 or x64. Beginners should know that the 32 and 86 bit versions are the same thing.

The same window can be opened without a shortcut on the desktop:

1. First, open the “Control Panel”. For example, through the search bar.

1. In the “Small Icons” view mode, open the “System” section.

1. Again we see the same window, which contains information about Windows:

However, the presented method does not contain more detailed information - the build version (OS build) and the installation date on HDD. You can get this information about your “computer” like this:

1. To see which build of Windows is installed, right-click on the Start menu icon. In the menu, select the “Options” section.

1. Go to “System”.

1. Scroll down the left column and find the “About the system” tab.

1. In the “Device Characteristics” subsection you can find: bit depth, product number, computer name, processor model, amount of RAM.

1. In the "Windows Characteristics" section - OS release, update version, build and installation date. You can also go to computer properties from this window using the marked button.

The option with the “Settings” window is only suitable for Windows 8 and 10. The first method is relevant for all operating systems starting from Windows XP SP1.

Executable commands

You can check the version of Windows on a PC or laptop without “travelling” through the OS menu. To do this, you need to use the functionality of the Run application:

1. We use the combination Win+R. Enter the command msinfo32 into the field and start execution.

1. The “System Information” window appears on the screen, where you can find out more more information on the main tab. You can see the data type in the Items column in the screenshot:

1. You can also use this utility to learn more about hardware, components, and programs.

Now another application that is launched via “Run”:

1. We also open the window using the Win+R combination and enter winver.

1. An information window opens in which you can view the version and build of the installed Windows.

The final command for the Run application is described below:

1. Enter the command cmd /k systeminfo and start its execution.

1. On the screen you will see a command line that will automatically collect the necessary information into a table.

1. In addition to a description of the operating system, here you can find out the BIOS version, the size of the paging file on your PC, the number network adapters and “ID” for connecting to the Internet.

The Run application also allows you to quickly open the System Information section, which is described in the previous section of the instructions. To do this, you will need the ms-settings: about command.

The described methods are used by both 32 and 64-bit operating systems from Microsoft.

Now let's look at those methods that allow you to install the exact version and build of Windows via the command line. To do this we do the following:

1. Launch the command line. This can be done through search.

1. In the window, enter wmic os get and press the Enter key.

1. After a second, a list of basic system information will appear on the screen. They are marked in the bottom screenshot:

You can also enter systeminfo, msinfo32, winver through the command line.

Determining "Windows" through the registry

Now let's focus on the option using the system registry editor. Read more about this below:

1. Launch the Run application and enter regedit.

Third party programs

There are a number of utilities that independently collect complete information about the computer. Starting from versions of installed Windows to driver diagnostics - all this can be offered, for example, by AIDA 64. You can download and install it on your PC using the link from the official website. After installation, launch the application and open the marked tab:

You can choose another program for this task. For example, EVEREST, PC Wizard and the like.

Windows version on a new laptop

Manufacturers of laptop computers Lenovo, Asus, HP, Acer and others install licensed versions of the OS on their devices. If you did not reinstall Windows from third-party media, then all relevant information will be on the computer case. Netbook/laptop has special sticker, which indicates the full name, bit depth and serial key. You will need the latter if you install the software again.

If you already have a pirated version on your computer, then this method doesn't fit.

Video instruction

Having difficulties checking the OS on your computer or laptop? Watch this video to fully understand the issue.

Conclusion

Having comprehensive knowledge of the installed operating system is necessary for the user. With their help, it is determined by how many gigabytes the amount of RAM can be expanded (system capacity), whether an update or activation using a serial key is required. The problem of OS compatibility with many applications also disappears - the user selects suitable programs and games as required.

We told you about all existing options collect data about Windows, and you can choose the best one yourself! Share your experience or ask for advice in the comments!

How to see which Windows is installed on your computer

There are many ways to find out what operating system your computer is running. For example, by visiting this page of the Microsoft website. Immediately below the title it will be indicated which OS you logged in with.

Windows 32 or 64 bit?

If the previous manipulations were not enough, and you want to know the answer to the question about the system capacity, read this paragraph. Knowing which version of Windows (32 or 64 bit) is installed on your machine will have a significant impact on your choice and installation software, computer games, hardware configuration, sometimes even its arrangement in slots motherboard. So:

• go to “Start”, find “My Computer” and right-click on the icon.
• at the very bottom of the context menu select “Properties”;
• The “System” window opens with detailed description main characteristics of the OS, including indication of the bit depth;
• if nothing is said about it, the system is 32-bit.

Commands for obtaining system information on a computer

You can find out the version of Windows installed on your PC using the console line command. Let’s call the latter by writing run in the “Start” search bar or pressing the Win + R buttons. We enter the winver command and get a description of the assembly, the current service pack, and the owner of the OS license. An alternative command that will also show the numerical version of the assembly is systeminfo. By indirect signs you can also understand something. For example, if there is no familiar Start button on the screen, you have Windows 8 or higher. You can easily find out information about the type of operating system using special programs, which will be useful to you in the future. For example, these are Everest, ASTRA32, SIW, Eset Nod and others. To download Everest to diagnose your computer, go to the official page of the manufacturer’s website.

System information in Windows 8

Win 8 is easily recognizable by its beautiful tiled design (which, however, can easily be switched to a more traditional one). If you need to understand which version of the G8 we are using, move the mouse cursor to the lower right corner and click “Find”. Enter “System Information” here, click on the “System” -> “Information” icon, see the build type, bit capacity, hardware characteristics, performance index. In OS X, the type of “OS” is written in the “About This Mac” section, which is easy to find through the main menu. Full information We will learn about the Mac system using the built-in utility of the same name. It opens from the program directory, in the “Utilities” folder -> “Information” subsection.

If you know nothing at all about the operating system with which the computer came to you, be guided by external signs. On OS X there will be a long animated panel with icons at the bottom, on Linux there will be a “Menu” button instead of “Start”, a complete absence of a graphical interface and command line– ms dos, *nix without a graphical shell and some others. In OEM versions of Windows, you need to look at the activation key - the OEM letters in it are the answer.

The proposed instructions will help you understand how to find out the version of Windows 10 using the operating system and third-party utilities. The first methods do not require the user to install any applications or even have an Internet connection. In the second case, you will have to download one of the many tiny utilities, which will provide the user with the required information.

What does it mean to find out the version of ten? This concept includes several definitions, which we will understand right now. Edition or Edition: Windows 10 comes in three editions - Home, Enterprise, Professional. Version - this Windows value changes after fairly important or major updates are released. Assembly or build is the build number of the operating system in its current version. The bit depth can be 32-bit (also referred to as x-86) and 64-bit.

In this section, we will look at how to find out the version of Windows 10 using the tools provided by its developers, without downloading any applications.

Options menu

The simplest method to see information about the installed tenth version of the system is to go to the new “Options” menu.

It is called via Win+I or via “Start”.

In the window that appears with tiled look elements, click on the icon labeled “System”.

Go to the last tab “About the system”.

Here all the information the user needs about the version, release and bitness of the system being used is visualized. It also displays information about the processor used and the amount of RAM.

About Windows

We execute the “winver” command by entering it into the command interpreter line (called using Win + R) or into the search line. After this, an information window will open with information about the installed version of Windows 10. It contains all the required information.

System Information

Another way to view information about the installed OS is the extended system information window. It is called by the “msinfo32” command, which is launched through the command interpreter, command line or search line.

The window that appears contains all the information about Windows 10: its edition, version and build, bit depth (type).

You can call the Start context menu and select “System” from the list that appears. In the information window that opens, you can find out the bitness and edition of Windows 10.

Command line

A universal system tool - the command line allows you to visualize data about the version of the installed OS.

To launch it, use the Start context menu.

In the very first line of the window that opens, you can get data about the “tens” assembly.

After entering and executing the “systeminfo” command, the command line will display information about the bitness, build number and edition of the Windows 10 you are running.

Windows Registry

Direct access to the registry is provided by the registry editor built into the system. It is launched by the “regedit” command.

Then select the HKLM branch. In it we go to the “Software” section and then through the subsections: “Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion”.

Knowing English language, the required information can be easily retrieved.

There are quite a few methods to find out information about Windows 10, but for beginners it is recommended to use the very first one - through “Settings”. Who can't get enough Windows tools 10, it is recommended to use one of the popular information utilities, for example, CPU-Z.

After launching the application, go to the last tab About or About the program. In the frame “Windows version or Windows version"contains all the information you need.