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.
Aug 18, 2015 - In case you ever need to check which build of Windows you are on, we. Should not have to know the exact build of the OS they are 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 names. If you really need to refer to a specific version of Windows, though, it’s easiest to refer to it by its version number. Microsoft has hidden the version 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
The new Settings app also offers build, edition, and version information in a user-friendly form. Hit Windows+I to open Settings. In the Settings window, navigate to System > About. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see the information you’re after.
Navigate to System > About and scroll down. You’ll see the “Version” and “Build” numbers here.
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Find Your Edition and Build Number with the Winver Dialog
You can also use the old standby Windows Version (winver) tool to find some of this information. Hit Start, type “winver,” and then press Enter. You could also press Windows Key + R, type “winver” into the Run dialog, and press Enter.
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 1607 means the 7th month of 2016. 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.
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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!
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