You may not have really thought about Windows build numbers in the past unless it was part of your job to do so. But they’ve become more important with Windows 10. Here’s how to find out what build—and edition and version—of Windows 10 you’re running.Windows has always used build numbers. They represent significant updates to Windows. Traditionally, most people have referred to Windows based on the major, named version they’re using—Windows Vista, 7, 8, and so on. Within those versions, we also had service packs to refer to: Windows 7 Service Pack 1, for example.
With Windows 10, things have changed a bit. For one thing, Microsoft claims there will be no more new versions of Windows—Windows 10 is here to stay. Microsoft has also done away with service packs, instead moving to releasing two big builds each year and giving them fun names—the next big one being the Creator’s Update in Spring, 2017. If you really need to refer to a specific version of Windows, though, it’s easiest to refer to it by its build number. Microsoft has hidden the build number somewhat in an attempt to make Windows 10 look always-up-to-date, but it’s not hard to find.
Note: In addition to builds, there also are still different editions of Windows 10—Home, Professional, Enterprise, and so on—with different features. Microsoft is also still offering both 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows 10, as well.
Find Your Edition, Build Number, and More with the Settings App
Navigate to System > About and scroll down. You’ll see the “Version” and “Build” numbers here.
- Edition. This line tells you which edition of Windows 10 you’re using—Home, Professional, Enterprise, or Education. If you’re using Home and you’d like to upgrade to Professional, you can upgrade to the Professional edition from within Windows 10. Switching to Windows 10 Enterprise or Education editions will require a complete reinstall and a special key that isn’t made available to normal home Windows users.
- Version. The version number gives you the best information on what version of Windows 10 you’re running. The number is based on the date of the most recent large build release and uses a YYMM format. For example, in the screenshot above, the “1607” version tells us that the version we’re running is from the 7th month (July) of 2016. That’s the big Anniversary Update of Windows 10. When the Creator’s Update comes along in (probably) April of 2017, you could expect that version to be 1704.
- OS Build. This line shows the specific operating system build you’re running. It gives you sort of a timeline of minor build releases in between the major version number releases. In the screenshot above, the “14393.693” build was actually the 13th build released after version 1607 shipped in July, 2016. This information is somewhat less important to most people than the major version numbers, but it can still help you identify exactly what you’re running. If you’re curious, you can check out the whole history of versions and builds for Windows 10 on Microsoft’s TechNet site.
- System Type. This line tells you whether you’re using the 32-bit version of Windows 10 or the 64-bit version. It also tells you whether your PC is compatible with the 64-bit version or not. For example, “64-bit operating system, x64-based processor” indicates you’re using a 64-bit version of Windows 10 on a 64-bit processor. “32-bit operating system, x64-based processor” indicates you’re using a 32-bit version of Windows 10, but you could install the 64-bit version on your hardware if you preferred.
Find Your Edition and Build Number with the Winver Dialog
The second line in the “About Windows” box tells you which version and build of Windows 10 you have. Remember, the version number is in the form YYMM—so 1703 means the 3rd month of 2017. A couple of lines down, you’ll see the edition of Windows 10 you’re using—Windows 10 Pro in our example.
The “About Windows” box does not show whether you’re using a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows 10, but it does give you a quicker way to check your version and build than navigating through the Settings app.
All this information—edition, version, build number, and build type—can be important if you’re trying to determine whether Windows 10 has received a specific update, whether you have access to a feature available only in certain editions, or whether you should download the 64- or 32-bit version of a program. And, if you’re super interested in keeping up with it, we even have a way to display your build number right on your desktop. Enjoy!!!
WE HOPE THAT YOU ARE FINDING OUR POSTS HELPFUL,KEEP CLICKING AND HELP US REACH TO GREATER HEIGHTS.
- THANKS FOR VIEWING.
PLEASE DO COMMENT IF U NEED OUR POSTS TO BE MORE BETTER AND APPEALING
Comments
Post a Comment