Greetings to everyone who doesn’t know the answer to the simplest question - how to find out what Windows is on the computer... it looks like a simple question, but at work it quite often confuses people, and it is absolutely necessary to find out this point. Actually, after these awkward situations, I decided to quickly write a note with the easiest ways to find out the version of the operating system that is currently in use.

I will not use such points as - what icon does you see when you boot or what does the start menu look like? Yes, you can understand from the interface which operating system you are using, but such leading questions can confuse you even more (and if various system modifications and third-party themes were used, then turn out the lights altogether)

Working on a computer and not knowing the version of Windows installed is not exactly a crime, but it can throw you into a couple of unpleasant moments. For example, you forcibly installed drivers that are not intended for your version of the system and you will receive, sign - ... Any application has system requirements and most new games may not work on Windows 7, perhaps you just need it and everything will work for you.

I have prepared for you several ways to find out what version of Windows is installed on your computer (those who read me know that I like to describe in as much detail as possible any aspect of using a computer)

Find out the version of Windows installed on your computer through system properties

Probably the easiest way to answer our question is to go to the computer properties, for this you should have the “This PC” icon or similar (note that it is an icon, not a shortcut). Right-click on it and select “Properties”...

At the top of the “System” window that opens, we see what Windows is installed on our computer and its edition (in my case it's Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 with Long Term Servicing), and just below we can find the bit depth (system type), but this is a topic for a whole separate note.

As you can see, everything is elementary, but some users display the “My Computer” shortcut on the desktop; there will be properties of the shortcut, not your system. For such cases, there are alternative options.

Determine which Windows is installed using the winver command

Let's move on to the next way to find out which Windows is on your computer. In this case, the winver command will help us, which must be entered into the Run application window. You can open this window by pressing the Win + R keys on your keyboard.

The “Windows: Details” window will open, where you can find out what Windows is installed on your computer (similarly, the build of your operating system is displayed here, which is very helpful when searching for errors on the Internet)

In my opinion, this method provides more complete information about the version of Windows installed on a computer or laptop... but not all that is possible - let’s move on to more interesting methods.

Determining Windows using the systeminfo command

Probably, this method can be called the most comprehensive... this option will not only allow you to find out what Windows is installed on your computer, but will also tell you about the build, installation date and other useful things. To use the systeminfo command we need to open the Windows command line (for those who don’t know how to do this, there is an excellent note “” - there you will certainly find an option that you like).

Once you have opened the command line, enter the command there systeminfo and wait until the end of collecting information about your computer. The second line in the report will indicate the version of Windows installed on the computer.

Or you can get confused and make a kind of sandwich of commands for the “Run” window. Enter the command cmd /k systeminfo and click OK. In this version, cmd launches the Windows command line, the /k key says that you need to execute the command when you start cmd, and systeminfo is the same command that will show the information that interests us.

These three ways to find out which Windows is installed on the computer are enough for any user, but as a bonus I’ll tell you one more option

Bonus. Find out your version of Windows through “System Information”

Well, the last method for today, everything is as usual, only the command is different - msinfo32. It is entered, as you already understood, into the “Run” command window.

The “System Information” window will open, where you can find out what Windows is installed on the computer (in the “OS Name” line)

I did not focus on this option, since it almost completely repeats the ones described above - for general development it is simply useful to know them all.

Everything you need to know about which Windows is installed on your computer

As you can see, it won’t be difficult to find out which Windows is on the computer, but this is only if the system starts and works. I did not use the opportunity to find out the version of the killed system in this note. (for example, when you need to run recovery, but you don’t know the version) since this is not necessary for an untrained user, but a pro already knows how to do it. I'm not even talking about such indirect signs as the folder on the C:\ drive - “Document and Settings” is found only in Windows XP; there are dozens of such differences. Agree that entering a command and finding out the answer to your question is much easier than looking for signs of a particular operating system from Microsoft.

P.S. If the first method to find out which Windows is installed on your computer cannot be used due to the fact that instead of an icon you have a shortcut, this window can be opened with the combination Win + Pause/Break. Good mood to you all…

The most common reason why users are interested in this question is to determine software compatibility. For example, older versions of programs are not always able to work perfectly under a particular generation of Windows. Thus, knowing exactly which OS is currently running, all that remains is to compare it with the software requirements.
The second reason why interest arises is the need for repairs. Service centers almost always ask this question if the source of the problem is in the software part. The newer the OS version, the more you will have to pay. Because software complexity increases every year. New functions appear that have unique algorithms. Accordingly, it is more difficult to restore software.

Windows 10?

At the time of writing this material, the Windows 10 operating system is the newest. To find out if it really works at the moment, just follow the steps below.

1. Go to menu "Start" .
2. In the menu that opens, select the option "Options" .
3. A section will open in front of you "Options" . It contains a tab "System" .
4. By clicking on it, you need to select the option in the window "About the system" .
5. The interface will display information about when Windows 10 was released, what version is currently running, what build code is installed on the computer, and what type of system is supported.

Windows 8?

As a rule, you can already determine the presence of Windows 8 through a unique visual interface. However, some users also need to know a number of other details. To view the full details, simply follow these steps:
1. Activate the panel. To do this, just hover the cursor on the right side of the interface, then click on the option "Options" .

2. Click on the option "Change computer settings" .

3. Select an option "Computer and Devices" , as shown in the screenshot below.

4. A new window with sections will appear in front of you. In this case, we are interested in the very last of them - "Computer Information" .

After all the steps have been completed, a new window will appear on the screen, which displays information about the type of operating system used. To obtain additional information, just use the points "System type" And "Release" .

Windows 7?

Today, Windows 7 is the most popular version of the operating system in the world. The reason for this is the simplicity of the interface and minimal processor load. The simplest and most effective way to obtain information is to right-click on the icon "My computer" . It is usually located on the desktop. If for one reason or another it is missing, you can always find the shortcut in the menu "Start" . After clicking, just select the last option from the context menu.

As you can see from the screenshot below, in the case of the menu "Start" There are absolutely no differences. Of course, the result is similar, but it takes longer to complete.

Current methods for all versions of Windows operating systems

Despite the emergence of new generations of Windows software, the commands still remain the same. Accordingly, if you remember them, in the future it will be possible to quickly execute them, regardless of the type of interface.

Teams

Regardless of the current version of Windows, just hold down two buttons on the keyboard - Win+R. A new window will open in the interface called "Run" . We need to write the command into it "winner" . Having entered it, press the button "OK" , or "Enter" on keyboard.

The new window will contain all the relevant information regarding your build, bit depth, account name with administrator rights, and so on.

Advanced option via commands

Call the window again "Run" using the command we provided above. Enter the command in the input field msinfo32 .

An expanded version of the system information will become available in a new window. As a rule, this information is used by programmers and service center employees who want to reinstall, restore or improve software.

Online service

It may seem that the operating system version is only available in offline mode. In fact, this is not true. There are specialized portals that you just need to go to to get basic information about the version of your software.

In addition to the name of the operating system, using this service you can determine the type of browser, screen resolution and a number of other little things. The next question arises - in what cases can this be useful? The answer is obvious - for example, when, as a result of a virus attack on the device, icons "My computer" disappeared everywhere, or when you right-click on them, the pop-up menu does not open. Although such situations occur extremely rarely, they still occur.

Through the registry

For untrained users, the registry is a rather dangerous thing, since changing any values ​​here can lead to a complete failure of the operating system. To avoid encountering software problems in the future, you must strictly follow the instructions below.

• Call window "Run" and enter the command in the appropriate field regedit .

• Using the navigation available on the left side of the new window, you need to go through the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE – SOFTWARE – Microsoft – Windows NT – CurrentVersion.
• Having accessed the directory above, the main window area will include all the required information. For example, file ProductName allows you to get acquainted with the name and version of the operating system, and CurrentBuild – with the current build.

Based on the information above, if you know where to find the information in the registry, it will be very easy in the future to find the information you need about which OS is installed on a particular PC. Strictly adhere to the following rule - never change anything in it if you do not know what specific data is written for and how it works.

Via the console

A rather non-standard option for determining the operating system version. It is enough to execute just one command to obtain a huge package of information regarding your OS version. To use this method, just follow these steps:

• Open the window "Run" .
• In the text input line, write the command "cmd" and confirm the action.

• Enter the text in the console "systeminfo" and confirm your entry using the button "Enter" on keyboard.

As you can see from the screenshot below, you have a huge amount of information available for review.

A distinctive feature of using the presented method is that the user cannot make changes to the fields available in the open window. Thus, if you have never opened the registry, or are afraid of working with it, calling the command line will be an ideal option.

By key number

At official points of sale, the vast majority of laptops already have installed software that is completely ready for use. To ensure the possibility of warranty service within the established period, at the bottom of it there is a sticker with a unique serial code of the OS version. To use this method, just go to the official Microsoft website, and then find a special program called Volume Activation Management Tool. Please note that you can only download it from the official website.
Despite the fact that the presence of a Russian-language interface is not provided, it will be very easy to understand the main capabilities of the program. After starting, you need to turn the laptop over, write down the serial code on a piece of paper or take a photo of it, and then write it separately in the field "Product Key" . After entering all the characters, click on the button "Verify" .

You will see information about the current version of the software running on your computer.

Note! The presented method is not relevant for the Windows 10 operating system.

How to find out the operating system using special programs?

The most complete list of information about a specific system, presented in one clear interface, is possible by downloading third-party programs. Some of them allow you not only to check the version, but also to obtain information about the current processor temperature, memory load indicators, analyze the hard drive for errors, and so on.

Aida

One of the most popular programs. Almost all information about the software and technical characteristics of the computer is available here. There is also the opportunity to test the computer using a number of parameters. Although the application is very functional, it is paid. On the other hand, thirty days is more than enough to obtain the required information one-time. Once you launch it, a window will open that looks very much like the usual one. "Device Manager" . But to increase convenience, all components are divided into several categories.

HWInfo

The utility in question is less comfortable from an interface point of view, but it is characterized by the presence of a number of features that may seem convenient to use. For example, near the section regarding driver updates, a current link to the official website of the manufacturer is displayed. You don't need to look for it yourself. To make using your computer safer, the block where the current processor temperature is indicated tells you the recommended maximum parameters specifically for your device. All that remains is to check from time to time whether the specified level is not exceeded. The program works quite quickly, but the interface is not translated into Russian.

conclusions

As you can see, there are a huge number of ways to determine the version of the operating system you are using. With the information above, you can brag to your friends, as well as quickly solve your own equipment problems.

Many users do not know how to find out the Windows version.

And this is very important for those cases when it is necessary to understand, for example, whether the computer meets the system requirements for a particular game.

This is also necessary if the user wants to see some features of his system, the nuances of working with it, and so on.

Sometimes you need to find out not the version, but the bit depth - 32 or 64 bits.

In fact, finding out which version of Windows is installed on your computer is quite simple. Different versions have their own special methods for this, but there are also several universal ones.

Let's look at each way to find out the operating system version.

Using the My Computer shortcut

In fact, this is the simplest method that works in almost all versions of Windows, at least on one of the most popular ones now, Windows 7.

It consists of performing the following actions:

• Right-click on the “My Computer” shortcut.
• In the drop-down menu, select the item called “Properties” (highlighted in Figure “1”).

• In the window that opens, we can see all the operating system data, including its build version and other features. This window is shown in Figure 2.
  There, the place where you can see the system version is highlighted in red (as we see, in our case it is Windows 7 Home Basic).
  The assembly version is underlined in blue, the bit depth (32 or 64 bits) is in lilac, and the so-called performance index is highlighted in green. The latter involves rating the system on a scale from 1 to 10 depending on its performance.

Nuances

Advice! Actually, this method is applicable for a variety of versions of Windows. .

To put it there, you need to right-click on an empty space on the desktop, select “Personalization”, then in the window shown in Figure 3 go to the “Themes” tab (highlighted in green).

After this, all that remains is to click “OK” and restart the computer.

In Windows XP, the window shown in Figure No. 2 will look slightly different - as shown in Figure No. 5.

In Windows 8, this window looks like shown in Figure 6.

This method often does not work in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, as well as RT 8.1. Therefore, let’s look at what users of these OSes should do.

For Windows 10

To find out what version of the installed system is on this operating system, you need to do the following:

• Using the command line, launch the “Options” window. To do this, first press Win + R (without the plus sign) on your keyboard, enter “winver” in the input line and press Enter. After this, the window shown in Figure 7 will appear.
  The version there is underlined in red.

• Press the keyboard shortcut Win + I. In the window that opens, open the “System” item and in the menu on the left go to the “About the system” tab. After this, the user will see the window shown in Figure 8.
  It looks very similar to the corresponding window in previous versions of Windows.

By the way, the first method (using the command line) also works in most other versions of Windows.

For Windows 8.1

Here, to find out the version of the installed system, you need to do the following:

• In the menu that is located on the right (in most cases, for it to appear, you need to hover the mouse cursor over the right edge of the screen), you must select the so-called “Settings” charm button. Its appearance is shown in Figure No. 9.

• In the window that opens, select the “Change computer settings” button (shown in Figure 10).

• In the next window, you need to select the “Computer and Devices” button, and then go to the “Computer Information” item (shown in Figure No. 11). There, in the “Windows” section, you can see the version of the installed operating system.
  The “Computer” section shows the most basic parameters of the device.

By key

This method is intended for those who are more or less well versed in computers and are, so to speak, “advanced” users.

Although in some cases the situation forces one to become one.

Indeed, the version of the operating system can be found out by the key, which is indicated on a sticker located on the case of a personal computer or laptop.

To do this, we need a program called Volume Activation Management Tool, which can only be downloaded (!) on the official Microsoft website, here is the link - www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11936.

On this page you need to click the “Download” button. Unfortunately, there is no Russian language in it, but even without it it will not be difficult to understand.

No. 12. Volume Activation Management Tool download page

After this, you need to run the downloaded file, go through the standard installation process and launch the program itself. The user will see the window shown in Figure 13.

On the left side there is a section tree.

In it you need to select “Product Key” (highlighted in green).

After this, the version of your operating system will appear in the place highlighted in Figure 14.

BUT! This method does not work on Windows 10.

For users of this OS, it would be better to download the development of young enthusiastic programmers called ShowKeyPlus (link - github.com/Superfly-Inc/ShowKeyPlus/releases

Cheat sheet 1 How to see the version of the operating system Windows XP Vista 7 8/8.1

How to find out the version of Windows on a computer? Simple instructions

Competition among manufacturers of both computers and smartphones and tablets has led to the market being overcrowded with a huge number of applications that are not compatible with a particular device. As a rule, the compatibility criterion is the operating system installed on it. In this article we will try to find out what operating systems there are and how to find out which operating system you have installed.

How to find out your computer's operating system

In Russia, most computers run the Windows operating system. If, when working with a computer, you see a button with a four-color flag and/or Start in the lower left corner, then this is the brainchild of Microsoft. If you are interested in how to find out what operating system is installed and how to find out the bitness of the operating system, then right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select “properties”. In the window that appears, you will see all the information you are interested in. The same window will appear if you click on "System" in the Control Panel.

If there is no Start button, and the taskbar is at the top, and instead of a checkbox there is an apple, then most likely you have an Apple computer with MacOS installed. To find out the version of the operating system, click on the apple in the upper left corner and select "About This Computer". A window will appear with the product version and the characteristics of your computer.

If neither option suits you, then most likely you have Linux installed, which has various shells that simulate both Windows and MacOS. Go to the console and type the command “cat /etc/issue” there, after which you will find out the answer.

How to find out the operating system of a smartphone/tablet

Before we find out the operating system of your device, let's first figure out who its manufacturer is. If you have an iPhone or iPad, then you have one of the versions of iOS (this, of course, does not apply to Chinese crafts like CiPhone with a built-in TV). To find out which operating system is installed, go to “settings - general - about device”, or go to iTunes, where you can also see the OS version.

If you have a Nokia smartphone, then most likely it has Symbian OS installed, the version of which can be found out from the description of the characteristics of your smartphone in the documentation or on the seller/manufacturer’s website. The version will also be displayed when you connect your smartphone to your computer via Nokia Suite.

Many manufacturers, including Nokia, install mobile versions of Windows on devices. It can also be identified by the famous colored flag. You can find out the specific version from “settings - more details - about the device”.

One of the most popular mobile OS is Android. If the above options do not suit you, then most likely you have this particular OS. To find out its version, go to settings and select "Information about phone (tablet)". The line "Android Version" will contain the value you are interested in.

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 a new program or game.

Unfortunately, the authors of paid (and free) courses do not always indicate which operating system they use to teach 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 the operating system on the 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? A quick method (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 Windows” window appears (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 on 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 window “How can I find out my version of the Windows operating system?” will open.

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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