Find out which version of Windows 10 is installed

Microsoft changed how feature updates are released on Windows. While updates are still delivered via Windows Updates and other update options, updates on Windows 10 are not reflected in the operating system's name.

There is no Windows 10 Service Pack 1, or Windows 10.1, for instance, and Microsoft has no plans to change that.

This makes it a tad difficult to find out which version of Windows 10 is installed on a device.

Microsoft does have internal names for updates, the Anniversary Update for instance which will come out August 2, 2016. Those names are not added to the version of Windows 10 on the other hand.

Checking the Windows 10 version

Probably the best option to verify which version of Windows 10 is installed on a device is to use the winver command.

1. Tap on the Windows-key, type winver.exe and hit enter.

This launches a small About Windows program that lists information about the installed version of Windows. The program is also available in previous versions of the Windows operating system.

The program lists a version and build number, and both help you understand which version is installed.

Finding out can be useful in making sure that you got the most recent version for example.

Version

The version uses a four digit code that refers to the year and month of release.

• 1507 - The initial release of Windows 10 (July 2015).
• 1511 - The first major update for Windows 10. (November 2015).
• 1607 - The second major update, also called the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 as it is released a year after the initial release of the operating system (July 2016).

OS Build

The OS Build number offers the same information as the version. It is a bit harder to decipher though as you cannot draw a direct link between the build and version.

The major builds of Windows 10 Stable are the following ones:

• 10240 - The initial release build that Microsoft released back in July 2015.
• 10586 - The build of the first major update released by Microsoft in November 2015.
• 14393 - The build of the Anniversary Update, the second major update, released on August 2, 2016.

Note: The Anniversary Update is released in August 2016, but the version states 1607 meaning July 2016.

Note 2: The About Windows screen highlights the edition of Windows 10 as well. You find it listed in the first sentence after the copyright notice.

You may check winver to find out if you have installed the most recent Windows 10 updates on a computer.