How do I Find the Windows Version on a PC?

In many situations it is extremely important to know which version of Windows software your computer is running. While it is obvious whether or not a computer user is running Windows 98 compared to Windows XP from the welcome screen, knowing the version and other information about the operating system can help a user avoid problems loading software that is not incompatible with the current version installed. For instance, with Windows XP, Microsoft has produced several versions - each sometimes requiring a specific driver for hardware and software devices. In order to ensure the most stable software on your computer, knowing the exact version of your Windows operating system is crucial.


Quickly find the Windows version on your PC
You can quickly find out which version of Windows you are running on your PC. Once your operating system has launched, click on the start menu and then click on Run. Once the Run window has opened, in the empty field type the following: "winver" (without quotes). Once you have typed winver click OK - a new window should pop up giving you details of the version of Windows you are running on your PC.

For instance - in the window that has popped up you will see the name of the product (e.g. Windows XP Home Edition), the version number (e.g. version 5.1), and other important information such as which updates you have loaded (e.g. service pack 2).

Finding the Version of other types of MS Software
If you would like to know which version of MS Word, MS Excel, or almost any other piece of MS software that is running on your computer, the most effective way to accomplish this task is to open the program, then on the toolbar click Help, then About. The About window will open and give information on the version who the software is registered to, amongst other things.