Which version of Windows do I have? How to check it quickly

Written on 16 September 2026

You need the version of Windows at the most awkward moments: with a support question, with software that sets certain requirements, or with the question of whether your laptop still gets security updates. The answer is two keystrokes away.

In this article you see the quickest ways to read it out, what the numbers mean, and what to do with that information if you are still on an older version.

How to see which Windows version you have

The command winver is the shortest route, and Microsoft includes it as standard in every Windows version from Windows 7 onwards.

1. Press the Windows key and R together.
2. Type winver and press Enter.
3. Read the first lines: there it says Windows 10 or Windows 11, with the version and the build number.

The window also states the edition, for example Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Home. With those three pieces of information together, any helpdesk can proceed.

Which edition and version is in Settings?

If you want to see more than winver gives, go to Settings, System, About. There the edition, the version of Windows you use, the installation date and the system type sit side by side.

This route also shows your hardware: processor, memory and the name of the device. Handy if someone asks what is inside your laptop and you do not know the specifications by heart.

In Windows 10 the same section is called Settings, System, About. The information is the same, only the layout of the interface differs.

Seeing Windows 10 or 11 without opening anything

Look at your taskbar. In Windows 11 the start menu sits in the middle of the bar by default, in Windows 10 in the left-hand corner.

The windows give it away too: Windows 11 has rounded corners and a different settings screen. For a quick glance that works, and for a support question you still want the exact version number alongside.

Seeing which version of Windows you use on a desktop

The route on a desktop PC is the same as on a laptop, because the command sits in Windows and not in the hardware. On a desktop without keyboard shortcuts you simply type winver in the start menu.

If you work on a computer issued by an employer, the administrator may have locked down certain settings. The winver window remains openable in that case, because it only shows information.

Which Windows versions exist and which are still supported?

It pays to know where your system stands, because the end date of support determines whether you still get security updates. These are the versions of Windows you still come across in practice.

If you see a version of Windows 10 in winver, your laptop is running a system that no longer receives regular security updates. Windows 8 and Windows 7 stopped longer ago, and software is dropping support for them too by now.

The difference between Windows 10 and 11 is, for daily use, mainly in the interface and the system requirements. What exactly changes is in the difference between Windows 10 and 11.

What do 23H2, 24H2 and the build number mean?

The versions of Windows are labelled with the year and the half of the year in which they came out. So 24H2 stands for the second half of 2024.

The build number goes one level deeper and changes with every update that comes in through Windows Update. Two laptops can have the same version of Windows 11 and still a different build, because one of them has picked up a newer update.

On older systems you still come across numbers such as version 1709, from the time Microsoft used that notation. Which version is currently the newest is in the release history from Microsoft.

Do I have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows?

Go to Settings, System, About and look for the System type line. There it says whether you have a 64-bit operating system and whether your processor supports 64-bit.

That distinction counts for two reasons. A 32-bit installation can only use a limited amount of memory, and Windows 11 only exists as 64-bit.

If it says 32-bit, you are still on an older version of Windows and the hardware is probably of that generation too. How much memory you actually need is in how much RAM a laptop needs.

Home, Pro or Enterprise: what is the difference?

Windows 11 Home and Windows 10 Home are the consumer editions. Those do everything you need at home, without the management functions for a company network.

Windows 11 Pro and Windows 10 Pro add things such as BitLocker drive encryption, remote desktop access and joining a domain. Ex-business refurbished laptops therefore often come with a Pro licence.

Enterprise is the variant large organisations take in bulk, with central management through Windows Server. Those licences are tied to the organisation, so a refurbished device is given a valid licence again before sale.

Does your version still get updates?

Regular support for Windows 10 stopped on 14 October 2025. Since then no ordinary security updates arrive, while the system does keep working.

Microsoft has also offered a paid arrangement for extended updates. What that costs and until when it runs is on the Microsoft support page, because those conditions have been adjusted over time.

For Windows 11 a separate end date applies per version. If you stay within the supported versions by installing updates, you keep security updates without having to pay anything.

If you want to keep using Windows 10 for now, weigh up the risk. What is involved is in continuing to use Windows 10.

Can this laptop go to Windows 11?

Windows Update tells you straight away: if it says your device qualifies, you can move to Windows 11. Microsoft offered that free upgrade for laptops that meet the system requirements.

Those requirements are about more than speed. Besides TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, Windows 11 asks for a processor from the supported list, and for Intel that starts at the 8th generation Core. It is precisely those requirements that rule out older laptops.

If your laptop falls outside the list, a newer device is the practical route. Business refurbished models are interesting here, because the top series from Dell, HP and Lenovo have had TPM 2.0 on board as standard for years.

If you get stuck because the window shows something other than you expect, write down the three lines from winver and set them against the release history from Microsoft. That shows you at a glance which updates you are missing.

If you work with software that demands a minimum version, check both the version number and the build. A program that asks for 22H2 or higher looks at that number and not at the name of your Windows.

In brief

With winver you see in seconds which Windows version, edition and build you have, and through Settings, System, About the system type and your hardware are added. The start menu in the middle means Windows 11, on the left means Windows 10. Regular support for Windows 10 stopped on 14 October 2025, so that version no longer gets ordinary security updates. Whether your laptop can go to Windows 11 depends above all on TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and the generation of your processor. Looking up a term? Our glossary explains them.

Why refurbished at DSL Tech?

Every laptop at DSL Tech is checked on more than 30 points and comes with a 2-year warranty. Customers rate us 9.0 on average, you pay securely by iDEAL or in three instalments with in3, and order before 12:00 and your laptop arrives tomorrow.

This article is part of our complete guide buying a refurbished laptop, with grades, warranty, the right specs and the brands set out side by side.

Sources

• Microsoft: end of support for Windows 10 (14 October 2025)
• Microsoft Learn: Windows 11 system requirements
• Microsoft Support: which version of Windows am I using
• Microsoft Learn: Windows 11 release history