How can i tell which windows i have

Related links If you're having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows. Find operating system info in Windows 8. If your device is running Windows 8. Related links If you're having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8. Find operating system info in Windows 7 Select the Start button, type Computer in the search box, right-click on Computer , and then select Properties.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, We recommend you move to a Windows 11 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft. Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. See our Windows definition for more information about Microsoft Windows, including its versions and history. If you're curious about whether it's bit or bit, see: How to determine if you have a bit or bit CPU.

Some network administrators restrict access to the run prompt. In this case, you can find Windows version info using the alternative methods below. Open the System window by pressing the Windows key and Pause key at the same time. The Windows version number for Windows 10 is You have Windows 8. You have Windows 8 if you don't see a Start button at all on the desktop.

The edition of Windows 8 or 8. If you're not sure if you're running Windows 8. Windows 8. You have Windows 7 if you see a Start menu that looks like this when you select the Start button. The Windows 7 Start button, however, fits completely inside the taskbar, unlike the one for Windows Vista. Information on which Windows 7 edition you have, as well as whether it's bit or bit, is all available in the Control Panel in the System applet.

Windows 7 is the name given to Windows version 6. You have Windows Vista if, after clicking the Start button, you see a menu that looks a lot like this. As you read in the Windows 7 section above, both versions of Windows have similar Start buttons and menus. One way to tell them apart is to look at the button itself—the one in Windows Vista, unlike in Windows 7, extends above and below the taskbar. Information on the Windows Vista edition you're using, as well as whether your version of Windows Vista is bit or bit, are all available from the System applet, which you can find in Control Panel.

Windows Vista is the name given to Windows version 6. In newer versions of Windows, as you can see above, this button is just a button without text. Another way the Windows XP Start button is unique when compared with newer versions of Windows is that it's horizontal with a curved right edge. The others, as seen above, are either a circle or square. Windows XP is the name given to Windows version 5.

Unlike with newer versions of Windows, the bit version of Windows XP was given its own version number: Windows version 5. Most of the time, there's little reason to care. But if you're trying to upgrade your system or use a program that requires a specific version, you'll need to know.

Luckily, every version of Windows lets you check the current version in a few ways. Here are the easiest ways to check exactly which version of Windows you have in Windows 11 , Windows 10, and Windows 8. This method will work in every version of Windows. The only difference between them is where the Search feature is; in Windows 10 and 8 it'll be in the Start menu on the left side of the toolbar, and in Windows 11 it'll be the magnifying glass icon in the middle of the toolbar.

Type "winver" in the search box and press Enter. You should see the About Windows box with your Windows version information appear. Click the Start icon , and then select the Settings option. On the System page, and click About. This will be the last option at the bottom of the System page.