When downloading a particular software, be it a useful utility or a computer game, the user may find that the program is not able to work correctly on all versions of operating rooms systems. In this case, it may be necessary to determine the type of Windows system, but far from every user can do this on the basis of external signs alone. In this article, we will talk about how to find out the type of OS on a laptop or a similar technique.
How to find out the operating system of a laptop through Start
The content of the article
- How to find out the operating system of a laptop through Start
- How to find out which Windows on a laptop using the command line
- How to find out which OS is installed using third-party programs
- Why you need to know the version of Windows
The start button is familiar even to novice users of the Windows OS, since it is through it that the basic operations of the computer are carried out, the basic tasks are launched and the settings are adjusted. In order to see which OS is on the laptop, the user needs:
- Click on the “Start” button.
- Go to the Control Panel.
- In the window that opens, find the item "System".
- In the presented window, copy data about the operating system in any convenient way.
Reference! In order not to get lost in the variety of the control panel menus, you can use the settings to replace all the icons with smaller ones.
The procedure becomes even simpler if there is a “My Computer” shortcut on the device’s desktop. In this case, the user just click on the shortcut with the right mouse button, open its properties, and in the window that appears, see the properties of the system. If the above methods for one reason or another do not work or do not suit the user, he can use the command line or third-party software.
How to find out which Windows on a laptop using the command line
You can also find out which version of the OS is on the laptop using the command line. In order to do this, you must:
- Open command prompt.
- Enter the command “systeminfo” in it (this and further commands are entered without quotes).
- Get information about the OS version and other parameters on the display.
In addition, you can go to the "Run" menu, and then write "cmd / k systeminfo" in the menu field, after which the command line will start automatically, displaying the same window with data on system.
How to find out which OS is installed using third-party programs
If the system information obtained using all the above methods for any reason does not satisfy user requirements, then to obtain more complete data, you can resort to the help of a third-party software providing. On the Internet, you can find a huge assortment of various utilities that allow you to get fairly complete information about the version of the installed OS.
Reference! Most of these programs are free, but some require a subscription or a one-time payment for use. You should be careful in installing such software, since attackers often place viruses in such software under the guise of files necessary for operation.
One of the most popular utilities for checking the OS version is AIDA64. The program is available for download on the website of the same name, and has a free trial period of use of 1 month (30 days), which, however, is quite enough for a user who just wants to find out the version of his Windows. In addition to basic information, using this utility you can view records of errors in the system and malfunctions in the operation of the main programs.
Why you need to know the version of Windows
In addition to the fact that not all additional software works with all operating systems, it is necessary to know the version of the system in order to update the drivers on it in time. In addition to the OS variety, in this case it is also necessary to know its bit depth, otherwise the necessary drivers may simply not "stand up" to the wrong version of the system.
Among other things, many versions of systems over time cease to be supported by developers, and the installation of necessary updates to them stops. This allows us to conclude that you need to know your version of the operating system in order to be aware of whether the manufacturing company provides its support.
