How to check which Windows version you have

Windows is the world’s most popular operating system for laptops and desktop computers, running on a vast majority of computers across the world. If you are reading this article on a computer, then chances are good that you are running Windows and not macOS or a Linux distribution. But Windows comes in many versions, and you may need to know which version you have exactly to judge app compatibility. Here’s how you can easily check which Windows version you have on your computer.

How to check which Windows version you have

Checking the Windows version of your PC is very easy, and you have two ways to check for it.

Easy method: Checking on the About page

This method works for relatively newer Windows versions. So if you don’t know your exact Windows version but you are confident that your machine is relatively newer, then you can try this out.

• Click the Windows Start button and locate the Settings icon.

• Navigate to System > About.

• Here, you will find a lot of information about your device. You just have to look in the Windows Specifications section for your Windows version. You will also find the OS build version, whether you have the Home or Pro version, and other details on this page.

Running the winver command

If you are having any difficulties finding your Windows version with the above steps, or you know you are running an older computer, you can run the winver command to find your OS version.

• On your keyboard, press the Windows key and the R alphabet key.
  • The Windows key is located on the left corner of your keyboard, between the Ctrl key and the Alt key. It is the key with the four square window-like icon on it.
• Pressing this button combination will open the Run app, which further allows you to run other commands and apps.

• Type winver in the text field beside Open, and press OK.

• An About Windows screen will open, showing you your version of Windows. This screen will also mention the Home or Pro version of your OS.

How to check if your Windows version is 32-bit or 64-bit

You often need to determine if your Windows version is 32-bit or 64-bit, namely to help you determine the compatibility of the app you are about to install.

Windows 11

All Windows 11 installations are 64-bit. Windows 11 is the first release from Microsoft not to have a 32-bit version at all. You can still run 32-bit apps on Windows 11 as it has an x86 compatibility layer, but you cannot install Windows 11 on a 32-bit PC.

Windows 10

Follow the steps below:

• Click the Windows Start button and locate the Settings icon.
• Navigate to System > About.
• Look for the System type field in the Device specifications. This will mention whether your operating system installation is 64-bit or 32-bit.

Windows 8

You can make use of the steps below:

• If you’re using a touch device, swipe inwards from the right edge of the screen. If you are using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen.
• Tap/click on Settings, and navigate to Change PC settings > PC and devices > PC info > PC.
• Under the System type header, you will see if you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista

On older Windows 7 and Windows Vista PCs, follow these steps:

• Click the Windows Start button.
• In the Search box text field, type “computer.”
• A program called “Computer” will surface in your results. Right-click on the icon for it.
• Select Properties.
• Under the System type header, you will see if you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

We hope these steps were helpful in helping you identify your Windows version. If you’re looking to get onto the latest version of Windows, you should learn how to install Windows 11 and try it out on your PC. But before you make that jump, it is worth assessing whether you should upgrade to Windows 11 or not in the first place. You can still give it a shot, knowing that you can always downgrade back to Windows 10.

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