Very often at work I come across a situation where many users do not know basic things about their computer, namely, what version of the operating system Windows systems installed. Therefore, in this article I want to tell you in detail how to find out which Windows is on your computer. You need to know this information in the following cases:

  • When installing drivers on equipment;
  • When installing a game or program, you need to know whether it is compatible with your version of the operating system;
  • If, you need to know the version of Windows in order to insert the desired one in the future. boot disk and restore work.

In general, you can give many examples, and if you find yourself in this page, then most likely you need this information now. By the way, it is also important to know whether your system is 32 or 64 bit, because if you need to install drivers for the equipment, then when downloading you need to select the driver depending on the bitness of Windows.

Find out the version of Windows in the computer properties.

Probably the very first thing that comes to mind where to look at the version of Windows is the system properties. There are several ways to enter system properties:

  • Via the control panel;
  • Through the “My Computer” icon;

In order to enter system properties through the control panel, follow the steps:

In order to open “System Properties” using the “My Computer” icon, perform the following steps. On the desktop, right-click on the “Computer” icon and select properties from the drop-down list. This will open the System Properties window.

This is one of the options for finding out which Windows is on your computer. Let's look at other examples to have a complete understanding of this issue.

Find out the version of the operating system using the “WinVer” command.

The next option for finding out the system version is to use the Winver utility utility, which is designed specifically to provide the user with information about the system.

To find out the information we need, follow these steps:


This method is also quite simple, but not all of you probably know about it, so I consider it my duty to enlighten you.

How to find out which Windows is on your computer using the command line.

It is possible to view the Windows version via command line how to do this read below:


Pay attention! There is a slightly different way to run the systeminfo command.

Open the “Run” window, in the “Open” field enter the command cmd /k systeminfo

In this case, the command line will first start and the systeminfo command will be executed in it.

In this option, information about installed system done in a couple of clicks.

Let's look at another way to find out which Windows is installed on your computer using the "System Information" utility. To open it, you need to launch the “Run” line with the keyboard shortcut “Win ​​+ R”. Enter the command “msinfo32” and click the “Ok” button.

A new window will open in which you will get all the information about your installed operating system.

If for some reason the msinfo32 command does not work for you, you can open the “Start” menu and enter “System Information” in the search bar. After the search finds matches, launch the utility.

If you don’t have enough information about Windows that you can view through the system, you can use various utilities. I use the AIDA64 program for these purposes ( old version Everest). You can download it on the official website – www.aida64.com/downloads

The program is paid, but has a 30-day trial period, this will be enough for you and me. Therefore, download and install the program. After launching it, go to the “Operating system” item. The program will provide you with all the information that was collected.

Also in this section there is an interesting tab “Opening hours”. There the program shows information about failures, “ ”, as well as the percentage of system operability. I don't know how much this information objective, but pay attention to this. The AIDA program provides the user with more detailed information about the system than the built-in Windows utilities.

Brief conclusions.

As you can see, it is not very difficult to find out which Windows is on the computer using system tools, as well as using third party utilities. In fact, this information is available to the user in a couple of mouse clicks, but not everyone knows about it and faces difficulties when searching. I hope the information in this article was more than useful to you.

Recently, at the Build conference, representatives of Microsoft Corporation showed the latest version of Windows 8, released the Windows 8 Developer Preview distribution and distributed 5,000 tablets with a pre-installed new generation OS. This gave people interested the opportunity to look a little ahead and see what Windows 8 would look like. But since we didn’t get a free tablet from Microsoft, we will test Windows 8 on a virtual machine running the 64-bit Winodws 7 OS.

Testing platform: MB: M2N68, CPU: AMD Phenom 8450 Triple-Core 2.1- GHz, RAM: 4096 MB, VIDEO: nVidia GeForce 9800 GSO, SSD: SATA-3 120Gb OCZ Agility 3, Index Windows performance: 6.2 (minimum, CPU line). Software: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit 6.1.7601, Service Pack 1, VMware Workstation 8.0.

The use of Windows 8 Developer Preview has been recommended for educational purposes only. To run the system on a current platform (Windows 7) we used virtual machine VMware Workstation. After starting the system, we enabled full screen mode. Time Windows startup 8 on the virtual platform took 32 seconds. It doesn’t match the promised 3 seconds, but it’s too early to judge this, so we’ll omit the 10-fold difference and go directly to the interface. After the long-awaited loading of the system, a screen appears in front of us with a landscape vaguely reminiscent of the cover of the famous book by Bill Gates “The Road to the Future”, a digital clock and an icon network settings.

Windows 8 Welcome Window


Next, a nice green Windows login window appears, where a pre-prepared user asks us to enter his password. Naturally, there is a form of failure and shutdown/reboot of the system, as well as special features for visually impaired users. All items in this menu are spoken out loud for the same purpose. Here you can also call on-screen keyboard. It is likely that on tablet computer it will appear automatically. After successfully logging into Windows 8, we are presented with new interface Metro.


Metro interface in Windows 8


Externally, UI Metro is very reminiscent of the 7 interface and differs from, in addition to visual changes, the increased functionality of the buttons is noted. In general, the Metro interface looks more dynamic than that of mobile devices. Comparison operating systems gives an overview of both interfaces. All icons can be dragged and sorted. Unlike iOS, Metro interface icons have two types: square and rectangular. In this regard, the user has more opportunities to realize flights of fantasy and express their own taste. After launching an application, the icon changes and begins to display some information about that particular application. So, for example, the game icon begins to show the maximum number of points you have scored, the notepad shows the number of entries in it, and the weather icon, after being configured, regularly updates weather information.

By the way, the weather utility in Metro is made in a rather original way, but, as you might expect, it is crude. Thus, a video loop is used as a nature-themed background, which enlivens the picture and makes the waves crash against the shore and the fog float over the rocks. Moscow was found in the database without problems, but we were unable to switch the program to the Celsius scale, so the weather utility showed 52 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, it’s convenient, beautiful and, most importantly, informative. However, the video slowed down a little, but for now we’ll chalk it up to system virtualization and move on.


Weather program interface in Windows 8


Built-in applications new Windows 8 is enough to start working comfortably on the tablet. There are built-in Facebook and Twitter clients, RSS reader, browser Internet Explorer, stock rates, touch drawing, several arcade toys, alarm clock, RDP client and much more, there is even a built-in piano. The Windows Store is not available in this version of Windows.


Cooper game on Windows 8.


The drawing application for Windows 8 is PaintPlay.


What immediately catches your eye is that the interface is designed primarily for touch and voice control. In the first minutes of using Metro, you feel the urge to run your fingers across the monitor, but common sense still prevails. Not all applications work fully. The new Internet Explorer looks extremely minimalist, using black by default, which is very un-Microsoft. However, before official release It's still a long way off, although perhaps IE 10 will be just like that and won't change in appearance. There is no Flash player for IE 10, so it was not possible to thoroughly test the functionality of the browser.


This is, apparently, what Internet Explorer 10 will look like.


At first glance, it may seem that all the novelty of the operating system lies in this green Metro interface, and a reasonable question arises: “What does Windows have to do with it?” This is where the fun begins. The Metro panel has several icons that lead not to applications, but to the system itself. Externally, if you do not take Metro into account, Windows 8 is very similar to its predecessor - Windows 7. But, as the developer states, the new operating system has a completely rewritten kernel, but the Aero interface, which has already become familiar, takes place in Windows 8. It has been stated more than once that that the new Windows will be without the windows that everyone is so used to. This is wrong. All windows remain and work fully in Windows 8 with minor changes in the interface. Also, the Taskbar and the Start button are still there. Is that the latter now carries within itself new feature: it calls up the same Metro main screen and is analogous to the "Home" button on mobile devices Apple.



As you can see in the image, the desktop interface Windows desktop 8 has not undergone major changes. Recall that the Start menu now brings up the Metro interface, therefore in new version Windows will not have the familiar utilities that you have become accustomed to since version 3.11... This means the presence of the "Standard" and "Service" packages. Most likely, they will appear in the Metro interface closer to the release of the first beta version in some original form. It is possible that there will not be any at all, but will be offered alternative replacement from third party developers. Of the usual things in the new Windows 8, Explorer remained, which was external. The Control Panel with system settings has also been completely preserved.



System properties and configuration virtual system in Windows 8.


This concludes our first acquaintance with Windows interface 8, you can download the distribution kit for your own experiments with the new OS. It’s too early to draw conclusions, because to adequately evaluate the new OS you need to wait for at least the first beta version, but first impressions of Windows 8 are purely positive.

Which is installed on the computer, can arise in a variety of situations. For example, in most cases, in order to download, you must first specify your version of Windows.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and don’t know your version of Windows, then this article should help you. We offer you several ways to find out which Windows is on your computer.

Method number 1. Computer properties.

If there is one on your desktop (namely an icon, not a shortcut), then you can find out which Windows is on your computer using it. To do this, right-click on this icon and select the “Properties” menu item.

After this, a window will open with information about your computer. It will be indicated here Windows version, as well as basic information about the computer (processor name, amount of RAM).

There is also information about the bitness of your operating system. Almost at the very bottom of the window, opposite the “System type” item.

It should be noted that if you do not have a computer icon on your desktop, then you can call up this window using the Windows key combination + Pause/Break.

Method number 2. WinVer command.

The second way to find out which Windows is on your computer is the WinVer command. Press the Windows + R key combination and enter the WinVer command in the menu that appears.

After this, a window will appear on the screen with basic information about your operating system. Here you can find out which Windows is installed on your computer, as well as its version and build number.

Method number 3. Systeminfo command.

One more useful command, which will allow you to find out what Windows is running on your computer, is the systeminfo command. To use this command, type systeminfo and press enter. After this, basic information about your computer will appear on the screen. Among this information you will be able to find your Windows version.


Also you can do this command and in another way. To do this, press the Windows + R key combination and enter cmd /k systeminfo in the window that opens.

In this case, the Command Prompt will be launched first, and only then the systeminfo command will be executed in it.

Method number 4. System Information window.

The last method we'll look at is the System Information window. To open this window, press the Windows + R key combination and enter the command msinfo32 in the window that appears.


After this, the “System Information” window will open in front of you, in which you can find out which Windows is installed on your computer. Finding this information will be easy because it will immediately appear before your eyes.


If you have any difficulties executing the msinfo32 command, you can open this window by searching in the Start menu. To do this, simply enter “System information” into the search and open the found program.

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 in practice it often confuses people, and it’s absolutely necessary to find out this point. Actually, after these awkward situations, I decided to quickly jot down a note with the most in simple ways 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 installed Windows- this is not exactly a crime, but it can throw you 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 of the 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 key combination 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 gives 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 a command prompt Windows string (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 option, cmd launches the Windows command line, the /k key says that you need to run the command when launch cmd, and systeminfo is the very command that will show the information we are interested in.

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 everyone...

11.01.2015

In the first minutes of my acquaintance with Windows 10, I felt real envy. The system looks much better than the previous version, and I wanted to install it on my PC right now.

Mark Hachman. Hands-on with Windows 10: Looks great at first blush. PCWorld, November 2014.

Initial experience using Windows 8 left me bewildered and disappointed. And in the first minutes of getting to know Windows 10, I felt real envy. The system looks much better than the previous version, and I wanted to install it on my PC right now.

In Windows 10, both Windows itself and Windows Phone. Microsoft Executive Vice President Terry Myerson, who oversees the company's operating systems division, called the new OS "the most open, shared project that has ever been implemented." Indeed, here we can talk about a common project. The developers constantly support feedback with users, and the system I briefly tested may not be what users get this year.

At Microsoft, its current state is not even called an alpha version, but a “build.” And considering that the release of Windows 10 is scheduled for the middle of this year, many system functions can still be changed, removed or added.

Redesigned Start Menu: Transparent and Intuitive

Frankly, I didn't really like the new Start menu. From an aesthetic point of view, it looks like a surgical stitching together of pieces cut from Windows 7 and Windows 8. This excursion into the past does not seem very elegant, but you can’t deny its usefulness. On the left is a list of frequently used applications, links to PC settings, as well as folders with documents and images. At the bottom we see a shortcut to go to the Applications view.

The live tiles on the right reproduce the functionality of the initial Windows screen 8. Resizable tiles let you know at any time, for example, how many unread emails you have. Live tiles are more like notifications than app shortcuts, although they can be used as such. In Microsoft's demo, a huge calendar tile announces all the upcoming events, which seems quite appropriate.

If you want to resize the Start menu itself, there is nothing stopping you from doing so.

As evidenced by leaked videos, if desired, the user can go to the Windows 8 Start screen. However, attention is not focused on this feature, and therefore I realized that most people still prefer the Desktop view.

New World of Windows: Task View, Virtual Desktops and +

One Microsoft executive I spoke with called the new Task view a "poor man's multi-monitor setup." And I understand why.

In fact, all Windows users are accustomed to using the + key combination to quickly switch between applications. A great way to move from one task to another. This feature is also supported in Windows 10.

But now the Task View button has appeared on the screen. Look down at the Windows 10 taskbar, and third from the left you will see a button that, when clicked, displays an array of virtual desktops on the screen.

What is a virtual desktop? You can think of it as a virtual display. If you have multiple monitors connected to your computer, chances are you already have different apps displayed on different screens: a browser window on one display, Outlook on another, and a chat app on your laptop screen. In Windows 10, Microsoft allows you to snap more than one app to your screen. So if you want, you can fill the second monitor with the Outlook panel and PowerPoint file, which a colleague sent by email.

If there is only one monitor, the Task View button (or the + key combination, which seems more convenient to me) will switch between desktops, which are displayed at the bottom of the screen. So, from a "project" screen with PowerPoint, a browser window and OneNote, you can instantly switch to a completely different virtual desktop or workspace, which will feature, say, Facebook and Xbox Music. The applications themselves are displayed only on Desktops, and you can see which of the Desktops the application you are interested in is on only by switching to it.

The following feature will probably not make it into the final version. On the previous taskbar Windows versions you can observe several open browser windows located next to each other at once. In Windows 10, such an application will be underlined with a horizontal line, thereby indicating that it is located on the virtual Desktop.

Currently, virtual desktops mainly provide additional convenience, but they can also perform security functions if the user has different access rights to different desktops. We don’t know yet whether the Desktops will be completely isolated from each other, like in a sandbox.

The new Task View button displays an array of “virtual desktops”.

Snap Assist and windowed apps

What about the Snap feature that allows you to fill half the screen in Windows 8? IN new system it has also been improved. Dimensions Windows applications 10 in the window can change dynamically. It remains to be seen how well it all looks in practice.

In Windows 8, you can snap apps to one side of the screen by pressing the left or right arrow keys while holding down Windows keys- the application in this case is tied to the left or right side of the display, respectively, occupying half the screen. Windows 10 allows you to display up to four apps on your screen, helping you be more productive.

After binding Windows programs 10 suggests placing another, similar application nearby. This function saves you from having to wade through the jungle of menus when building a virtual Desktop. Time will tell whether such a proposal will be justified, but so far the start seems quite good.

You can see that a number of functions - Snap Assist, applications in windows, virtual desktops - organically complement each other. It would be interesting to experiment with them and see what new they bring to my daily activities.

Search improvements

A search button has appeared on the Windows 10 taskbar, bringing one of the main functions of the Windows 8 Start screen to the Desktop environment. Personally, I no longer need to click on app icons on the Start screen or use bookmarks when searching the Internet. Now returning to recently used applications and documents is much faster.

This is what Windows 10 is all about. Microsoft announced that Search and File Explorer will now display recently opened files and frequently visited folders, making it easier to access the necessary files much easier and faster.

Microsoft's Windows 10 demo is designed to highlight the best features of the new OS first. And now that the developers have added millions of interested users, any shortcoming will be identified very quickly. It's encouraging that Microsoft welcomes criticism by offering "developer partners" (i.e. Windows users) share your opinions more actively.

Do you have a love or hate relationship with the new system? Microsoft wants to know. But I still think you'll like Windows 10.


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