You may not accept really idea nigh Windows build numbers in the past unless it was function of your chore to do and so. But they've become more important with Windows 10. Hither's how to find out what build—and edition and version—of Windows 10 you lot're running.

Windows has ever used build numbers. They correspond significant updates to Windows. Traditionally, most people have referred to Windows based on the major, named version they're using—Windows Vista, 7, eight, and so on. Inside those versions, we as well had service packs to refer to: Windows 7 Service Pack 1, for example.

With Windows ten, things take changed a bit. For one thing, Microsoft claims there volition be no more new versions of Windows—Windows 10 is hither to stay. Microsoft has also done away with service packs, instead moving to releasing 2 large builds each yr and giving them names. If yous really need to refer to a specific version of Windows, though, information technology's easiest to refer to it by its version number. Microsoft has hidden the version number somewhat in an effort to brand Windows 10 look always-up-to-date, but it's not hard to find.

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Notation: In addition to builds, there also are still different editions of Windows 10—Home, Professional, Enterprise, and and then on—with different features. Microsoft is likewise still offering both 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows x, as well.

Find Your Edition, Build Number, and More than with the Settings App

The new Settings app also offers build, edition, and version information in a user-friendly grade. Hit Windows+I to open Settings. In the Settings window, navigate to System > About.  Scroll downward a bit and you'll see the information y'all're later on.

Navigate to Organisation > Nigh and scroll down. You lot'll encounter the "Version" and "Build" numbers here.

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  • Edition. This line tells you lot 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 lot can upgrade to the Professional person edition from within Windows ten. Switching to Windows x Enterprise or Educational activity editions will crave a consummate reinstall and a special key that isn't made available to normal home Windows users.
  • Version. The version number gives y'all the all-time information on what version of Windows 10 you're running. The number is based on the appointment of the almost recent large build release and uses a YYMM format. For instance, in the screenshot higher up, the "1607" version tells us that the version we're running is from the 7th month (July) of 2016. That's the large Anniversary Update of Windows ten. The Fall Creators Update was released in September of 2017, so it's version 1709.
  • 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 afterward version 1607 shipped in July, 2016. This information is somewhat less important to most people than the major version numbers, only it tin can still help you place exactly what you're running. If yous're curious, yous 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-chip version of Windows 10 or the 64-scrap version. It besides tells you lot whether your PC is compatible with the 64-bit version or not. For example, "64-bit operating organization, x64-based processor" indicates you're using a 64-scrap version of Windows 10 on a 64-bit processor. "32-chip operating organisation, x64-based processor" indicates yous're using a 32-bit version of Windows 10, but y'all could install the 64-bit version on your hardware if yous preferred.

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Find Your Edition and Build Number with the Winver Dialog

You can also use the one-time standby Windows Version (winver) tool to notice some of this information. Hitting Kickoff, type "winver," then press Enter. You could too press Windows Primal + R, type "winver" into the Run dialog, and printing Enter.

The second line in the "About Windows" box tells you which version and build of Windows 10 you have. Call up, the version number is in the course YYMM—so 1607 means the seventh month of 2016. A couple of lines down, you'll see the edition of Windows 10 yous're using—Windows x Pro in our example.

The "About Windows" box does not show whether you lot're using a 64-bit or 32-chip version of Windows x, just 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 data—edition, version, build number, and build type—tin be important if you're trying to determine whether Windows 10 has received a specific update, whether you have access to a characteristic available only in certain editions, or whether you should download the 64- or 32-scrap version of a plan. And, if you're super interested in keeping upwardly with it, we even accept a mode to display your build number right on your desktop. Enjoy!

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