How to find out the version and bitness of Windows. Wasp - description and photos Find out the type of operating system

Any computer needs an operating system, because without it, it is completely incapable of performing any tasks. A common OS, which has already been used, and most users are still ready to use, is Windows.

However, even such a familiar Windows for some PC owners remains not fully explored, because it is fraught with some "secrets". In this regard, every PC owner does not bother at all to know how to determine the system capacity.

This information helps in some cases to solve technical problems. Especially if you plan to perform actions yourself, relying on tips from technical support.

To find out the bitness of the operating system, a couple of clicks will be enough

Determining the bitness of an already installed operating system is not difficult. Each user can follow the indicated steps to find out the bitness of the system and the processor as well.

Definition in Windows XP

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find a computer hardware that has a 16-bit processor installed. They were replaced by more successful and faster ones, the bit depth of which is 32 and 64.

Windows XP, which was quite popular a few years ago, was almost always accompanied by 32-bit processors. Only after a short period of time their 64-bit "colleagues" appeared.

Wanting to be knowledgeable about their computer technology, PC owners are actively interested in how to find out the bitness of the system in Windows XP. It is not difficult to answer such a question.

The PC user must bring up the context menu by right-clicking on the "My Computer" shortcut. A list of submenus will be displayed there, select "Properties". After you click on this submenu, an information table will open, in which its bit rate will be indicated next to the name of the system.

If the user finds one of these inscriptions "x64 Edition", "x64 edition", then the OS is 64-bit. If only the type of the operating system is indicated - Windows XP, without any numerical indications, then the system bitness is 32.

Many experienced users know another option, how to find out the bitness of the system. But, if you use their recommendations, you will have to deal with the command line, which is not always clear for beginners.

Definition in Windows 7 and 8

If the computer is running Windows 7 and 8, you should do almost the same steps as in the above case. The user should right-click on the "Computer" shortcut, go to "Properties" and read the information that will open on the screen.

Among several parameters, the user will be able to find the line "System type", it is in it that the bit depth is indicated.

Also, the user can determine the bitness of the system by looking at the "System Information". Click on "Start", a search-oriented line opens, the word "system" should be entered into it, after the search is completed, the item "System Information" will be displayed. The bitness of the OS will be indicated there.

By the way, there are several more methods that are simple, but at the same time allow you to understand how to determine the processor bit depth - 32 or 64.

It is enough to go to "My Computer", go to the local drive C and look at "Program Files". If the designated folder exists only in a single copy, then the processor's bitness will be 32. If there are two folders, one of which is "Program Files (x86)", then the processor's bitness is 64.

From all of the above, it is easy to understand that there are several ways to easily find out the bit rate of the processor, so even a beginner is able to cope with such a task, having designated the most acceptable option for himself.

Advantages and disadvantages of Windows of different bitness

The bit depth is considered by experts as a property of the OS, which allows one-time operation with a certain amount of information. Beginners, having familiarized themselves with this concept, decide that a 32-bit processor is significantly inferior to a 64-bit one. However, not everything is so simple, each OS has a number of its advantages, which keep pace with the disadvantages, so it doesn't hurt at all to find out which OS to give preference to in each specific case.

Benefits of 64-bit Windows

A 64-bit processor is able to work twice as fast, and accordingly, process twice as much information as a 32-bit one.

Another significant advantage of a 64-bit processor is that it does not have a 4 gigabyte limit on the amount of RAM - there can be much more memory in a computer with such a processor.

However, such an OS is endowed with disadvantages. Experts consider it to be quite "gluttonous" in relation to RAM. The installed memory of 4 GB will not be fully available, since about 1 GB is required to ensure the operability of the OS itself, and a small part is required for the video card, so sometimes only about 2 GB remains to ensure the operability of programs, which is instantly accompanied by some problems.

For correct and fast operation of the processor, experienced users equip computer equipment with additional RAM.

However, along with such advantages, there are also disadvantages of this bit depth. In particular, not all programs are adapted for it, therefore, before downloading applications and programs to a computer, you should first find out whether they are suitable for installation. It is also quite difficult to find the appropriate drivers, therefore, before switching to a new OS bit, it does not hurt to get acquainted with the list of available drivers and make sure that there are those without which it is impossible to subsequently ensure the normal operation of the computer.

So, before taking actions aimed at changing the bitness of the operating system, you should weigh the pros and cons, find out about the availability of the most necessary drivers, without which the performance of the equipment will be reduced to zero. Only after such balanced reflections, the owner of the PC can begin to change the capacity of the system.

The most common reason users are interested in this issue is to determine software compatibility. For example, older versions of programs are not always able to work perfectly under the control of one or another generation of Windows. Thus, knowing exactly which OS is running at the moment, it remains only to compare it with the software requirements.
The second reason that generates interest is the need for repairs. Service centers almost always ask this question if the source of the problem is in the software part. The newer the OS version, the more you will have to pay. For the software complexity is increasing every year. New functions appear with unique algorithms. Accordingly, it is more difficult to restore software.

Windows 10?

At the time of this writing, Windows 10 is the newest operating system. To find out if it really works at the moment, just follow the steps below.

Go to the menu "Start" .
In the menu that opens, select the option "Parameters" .
A section will open in front of you "Parameters" ... It has a tab "System" .
By clicking on it, in the window you need to select the option "About the system" .
The interface will display information about when Windows 10 was released, what version is running now, what assembly code is installed on the computer, and what type of system is supported.

Windows 8?

As a rule, you can already determine the presence of Windows 8 through a unique visual interface. However, some users also need to know a number of other details. To see the complete information, just follow these steps.
1. Activate the panel. To do this, just hover the cursor on the right side of the interface, then click on the option "Parameters" .

2. Tap on the option "Changing computer settings" .

3. Select an option "Computer and Devices" as shown in the screenshot below.

4. You will see a new window with sections. In this case, we are interested in the very last of them - "Computer Information" .

After all the actions taken, a new window will appear on the screen, which shows information about the type of operating system used. For more information, just use the points "System type" and "Release" .

Windows 7?

Today it is Windows 7 that is the most popular version of the operating system in the world. The reason for this is the simplicity of the interface and the minimum load on the processor. The simplest and most effective way to get information is to right-click on the icon. "My computer" ... It is usually located on the desktop. If for one reason or another it is absent, you can always find a shortcut in the menu "Start" ... After clicking, just select the last option from the context menu.

As you can see in the screenshot below, in the case of the menu "Start" there are no differences at all. Of course, the result is the same, but it takes longer to complete.

Relevant methods for all versions of Windows operating systems

Despite the emergence of new generations of Windows software, the commands are still the same. Accordingly, if you remember them, in the future it will be possible to quickly execute them, regardless of the type of interface.

Commands

Regardless of the current version of Windows, just hold down two buttons on the keyboard - Win + R... A new window will open in the interface called "Run" ... In it we need to register the command "Winver" ... Having entered it, we press the button "OK" or "Enter" on keyboard.

A new window will contain all the relevant information regarding your build, bitness, account name with administrator rights, and so on.

Advanced option through commands

Call the window again "Run" using the command we provided above. In the input field, write the command msinfo32 .

An expanded version of the system information will become available in a new window. As a rule, this information is used by programmers and employees of service centers who want to reinstall, restore or improve the software.

Online service

It may seem that the version of the operating system is only available offline. In fact, this is not the case. There are specialized portals that you just need to go to in order to get basic information about the version of your software.

In addition to the name of the operating system, using this service, you can determine the type of browser, screen resolution and a number of other little things. The next question arises - in what cases can it be useful at all? The answer is obvious - for example, when, as a result of a virus attack on a device, icons "My computer" disappeared everywhere, or right-clicking on them does not open the pop-up menu. Although such situations occur extremely rarely, they still have a place to be.

Through the registry

For unprepared users, the registry is a rather dangerous thing, since changing any values here can lead to a complete failure of the operating system. In order not to face software problems in the future, you must strictly adhere to the instructions below.

Call the window "Run" and enter the command in the corresponding field regedit .

Using the navigation available on the left side of the new window, you need to go through the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - SOFTWARE - Microsoft - Windows NT - CurrentVersion.
By accessing the directory above, the main area of the window will include the entire amount of information required. For example, the file ProductName allows you to view the name and version of the operating system, and CurrentBuild - with the current build.

Based on the information above, if you know where to find the information in the registry, in the future it will be very easy to find the information you need about which OS is installed on a particular PC. Strictly adhere to the following rule - never change anything in it if you do not know what the specific data is for and how it works.

Through the console

Quite a non-standard way of determining the version of the operating system. It is enough to execute only one command to get a huge package of information regarding your OS version. To use this method, just follow these steps.

Open the window "Run" .
In the line for entering text, write the command "Cmd" and confirm the action.

In the console, write the text "Systeminfo" and confirm its entry with the button "Enter" on keyboard.

As you can see in the screenshot below, a huge amount of information opens before you, available for review.

A distinctive feature of using the presented method is that the user cannot make changes in the fields available in the open window. Thus, if you have never started the registry, or are afraid to work with it, calling the command line is ideal.

By key number

At official points of sale, the vast majority of laptops already have installed, completely ready-to-use software. To ensure the possibility of conducting warranty service within the established period, there is a sticker at the bottom of it with a unique serial code of the OS version. To use this method, just go to the official Microsoft website, and then find a special program called Volume Activation Management Tool. Please note that you can only download it from the official website.
Despite the fact that the presence of a Russian-language interface is not provided, it will be very easy to understand the main features of the program. After starting, you need to turn the laptop over, write down the serial code on a piece of paper or take a photo of it, and then write it down separately in the field "Product Key" ... Having entered all the symbols, click on the button "Verify" .

You will see information about the current version of the software running on the computer.

Note! The presented method is not relevant for the Windows 10 operating system.

How to find out the operating system using special programs?

The most complete list of information about a specific system, presented in one clear interface, can be done by downloading third-party programs. Some of them allow not only checking the version, but also getting information about the current processor temperature, memory load indicators, analyzing the hard disk for errors, and so on.

Aida

One of the most popular programs. Almost all information about the software and technical characteristics of the computer is available here. It is also possible to test the computer for a number of parameters. Although the application is very functional, it is paid for. On the other hand, thirty days is more than enough for a one-time receipt of the required information. Launching it, a window will open, which in appearance strongly resembles the usual "Device Manager" ... But to improve convenience, all components are divided into several categories.

HWInfo

The utility in question is less comfortable from the point of view of the interface, but at the same time it is characterized by the presence of a number of features that may seem comfortable to use. So, for example, not far from the section on updating drivers, an actual link to the official website of the manufacturer is displayed. You do not need to search for it yourself. To make the use of your computer safer, the block that indicates the current temperature of the processor informs about the recommended limit parameters specifically for your device. It remains only to check from time to time whether the specified level is not exceeded. The program works quite fast, but the interface is not translated into Russian.

conclusions

As you can see, there are many ways to determine the version of the operating system you are using. With the information above, you can brag to your friends and quickly solve your own hardware problems.

You've probably heard something about the processor capacity and the operating system. Do you know what it is, what it affects and how it is determined? Today we will figure out the current issues: how to find out the bitness of the system in Windows XP, 7.8, 8.1 and 10 and what it is.

Nowadays there are two bitness (bitness) Windows: x32 (or x86) and x64. What is it like? Bit depth of Windows - its ability to simultaneously process a given number of bits of information (32 or 64). The most important difference between 32-bit Windows and 64-bit Windows is the amount of address space that the OS can "see". If in the first case this figure is theoretically equal to 2 32 bits - about 3.5 GB, and for 64-bit Windows this figure reaches 192 GB, which is more than enough for work and play on a PC.

If you figured out the concept of the bitness of the operating system, let's move on to practice. And let's start with an old XP-shki. For those who do not know how to determine the bitness of the system in Windows XP, right-click on the computer (the icon is on the desktop) and select "Properties". Most likely you have a 32-bit XP installed, and you will see an information window with similar data on the screen.

When using a 64-bit system, the information in the "System" line will differ, namely, it will be written that you have a 64-bit system.

Windows 7

For the "seven" all actions are similar. We go to "Properties" (by right-clicking on the computer that is on the desktop).

There are other ways at the bottom of this article to help you sort out this issue.

You can right-click on your computer (may be on your desktop) and select Properties. As you have already noticed, this procedure is the same with other systems, and it is rather difficult to get confused.

You can also click on the "Start" button (the button is displayed at the bottom left) and in the Metro menu you need to find the computer icon, then right-click on this image and click on "Properties" in the menu that appears.

In the line "System type" we will find the information of interest.

Windows 10

We call "Start" (the button is displayed at the bottom left). Click "Options".

Open the "System" section and go to the "About the system" tab (it will be at the very end).

The line with the name "System type" indicates the bitness of the used OS.

You can also use other methods: go to "Control Panel" - "System and Security" - "System" or right-click on the computer and select "Properties" (in the window that opens, you will find your Windows version). If you go through the control panel, then you need to select "Category" in the "View". In this case, you will have something like ours in the picture below.

Alternative methods to find out the bitness of Windows

The classic methods for determining the bitness of Windows have considered. Now let's move on to finding the same information using less popular methods.

Command line

The method is applicable to any edition of the desktop OS from Microsoft. Launch the command line - click on the "Search in Windows" button and enter "cmd" or "command line". After that, the utility will be displayed, to start it press "Enter". You can also launch this program by pressing the Windows button (between Ctrl and Alt) + R. In the window that opens, enter cmd and press "Enter".

When the program is open, you need to type "systeminfo" and press "Enter". The program will start scanning the data and after that we find the line "System type" (14th).

We enter the command "dxdiag" in the search line (which is in Windows) or the command interpreter line ("Win" + "R") - we talked about it in the last paragraph. The line "Operating system" contains the necessary information about the bitness of Windows of any edition.

System Information Window

Another common method for determining the bitness of Windows is using the System Information tool. It is called by means of the query of the same name in the search line or by executing the command "msinfo32".

We are interested in the "Type" line located in the first tab of the application's vertical frame, where the menu is located.

The last way to find out the bitness of Windows is to use utilities to collect and visualize data about the computer. These are AIDA, Speccy, CPUZ and other analogues. But these programs still need to be downloaded, installed, and only then you can see all the necessary information. Therefore, we recommend using the methods described above.

It is easy to find out the processor bit in the Windows operating system: right-click on the icon My computer and select the item in the context menu Properties... The method works for any version of Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10). The system processor can be 32-bit or 64-bit. It depends on which programs, games and drivers can be installed on a particular computer.

In short, x32 processors can only run applications designed for the appropriate bit depth. X64 processors can run applications written for both 32-bit and 64-bit processors. Almost all modern games and applications are designed for 64-bit processors: this is due to the speed of data processing and the maximum possible RAM that the system can use.

The bit depth check method differs depending on the system version:

Viewing the system bitness in Windows

The easiest way to find out the processor bit on a computer with Windows OS is to right-click on the icon My computer on your desktop and go to Properties... The "System" tab will open (as in the screenshot above), where the processor bit capacity will be indicated.

You can open the same tab through the menu Start -> Control Panel -> Show All Control Panel Items -> System... The processor can be single-core (x32) or dual-core (x64). The frequently encountered inscription x86 has nothing to do with the bitness and refers to the designation of the processor architecture.

Windows XP

The morally and technically obsolete Windows XP is still actively used around the world due to the simplicity and lightness of the system. Using a 32-bit (x32 or x86) version of the system limits the maximum possible amount of RAM to 4 gigabytes - not enough for new applications. 64-bit architecture speeds up work and allows you to install many times more RAM (up to 32GB).

First way to check:

Open the menu Start, press Execute.
In the window that opens, enter sysdm.cpl and press OK or Enter.
Open tab General and view system information.

If the OS name in the section System bit width is not specified, for example Windows XP Professional version then it is a 32-bit system. The year of issue does not matter.
Otherwise, the bitness will be immediately written in the name of the assembly. For instance, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition... The build year does not matter.

Second way to check:

Press Start -> Execute.
In the window that appears, enter winmsd.exe, press OK or Enter.
In chapter System Summary find item CPU.
If the processor starts with x86, it means that the 32-bit version of Windows XP is installed.
If the value is called IA-64 or AMD64, then the processor is 64-bit.

Currently 64-bit versions of Windows only work with Itanium and AMD64 processors. 64-bit processors will run programs designed for 32-bit architecture without any problems, but vice versa will not work.

Windows 7 and Vista

In Windows 7 and Vista, as in XP, there are two standard ways to view the bitness of the system. The first is the "System" window in the control panel, the second is the information in the "System Information" window.

View through Control Panel:

Open Start, in the "Start Search" window enter System.
In the list that appears Programs select System.
In the window that opens, find System type... It will say "32-bit operating system" or "64-bit operating system".

View through System Information:

Press the button Start, in the "Start Search" field enter System.
In the "Programs" section go to the section System information.
If the section System type indicated x64-based PC, then the system is 64-bit.
If under the heading Element indicated x86-based PC, then the system is 32-bit.

Windows 8 and 10

In the latest versions of the Windows operating system (8 and 10), the processor bit is checked in the standard ways: through the system information and through the Control Panel. If none of these methods helped, you can always use the console commands that are relevant even for.

Method 1:

Press the button Search... For touch devices - swipe from the right side of the screen towards the center and press Search.
Enter a query in the search bar system, among the proposed options choose Parameters.
Click or tap an item System.
Under the heading System it will be written whether 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 8/10 is installed on the device.

Method 2:

Open up Search, enter the query in the search bar system information.
Select item System, then System information -> System Summary.
The "System Type" field will indicate: X64 based computer or X86 based computer.

"X64-based computer" indicates a 64-bit OS installed. "X86-based computer" stands for 32-bit OS.

Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 also has two standard ways to view the system (processor) bitness: in the system properties in Control panels and window view System information.

Method 1:

Press Start -> Execute.
In the window enter sysdm.cpl, press OK or Enter.
In the window that opens, go to the tab General.
If the section System written Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition, then the OS is 64-bit.
If the section System written Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, then the system is 32-bit.

Simply put, the x64 bit depth is specified separately. If the system version is indicated without bitness, then it is a 32-bit version.

Method 2:

Press Start -> Execute.
Enter command winmsd.exe and press OK or Enter.
In the navigation area, select System Summary, find item CPU under the heading Element.

If the value CPU begin with x86 means the computer is running 32-bit Windows.
If the value CPU begin with EM64T or IA-64, then the system is 64-bit.

Also, in any version of Windows you can open Command line(Start -> Run -> cmd.exe), enter the command systeminfo and press Enter. Among other information about the system, there will be a line indicating the bit width, for example: System type: x64-based PC.

Alternatively, run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool by typing dxdiag... The bit size of the processor will be indicated in the window System information, in the line Operating system(as shown in the screenshot).

About bit change and compatibility

Changing the bitness, even if it is technically permissible (the processor must be able to handle 64-bit addresses), is possible only with a complete reinstallation of the operating system. All data on your computer may be lost if it is not backed up to external media.

64-bit applications run faster on 64-bit processors, while on 32-bit processors they may not work at all. 32-bit apps work slower on 64 bit systems, not faster. This is due to the need to visualize the registry, but the difference is completely invisible to the user.

It should also be understood that the installer (installation files) can be designed for 32-bit systems, and the application itself - for 64-bit systems, and vice versa. Usually, when downloading the installation files, it is always possible to select not only the OS version, but also the processor bit.

Viewing the bitness of programs

With the operating system, everything is relatively clear: if the 64-bit version of the OS is not installed, then the processor only supports 32-bit systems. But how can you find out how a particular application was compiled if the processor capacity was not indicated in the name of the installation file?

For this there is a special program - EXE 64bit Detector... You need to run it in the Command line (cmd.exe) as administrator. The program weighs almost nothing, a free download is available on the developer's official website (https://securityxploded.com/exe-64bit-detector.php).

To determine the bit depth in the command line launched as an administrator, you need to enter the command Exe64bitDetector.exe –f "The_file_name_name".

A simple computer user can work with the installed Windows operating system for a long time and not even think about what bit depth it has. However, time will pass, and he will need to install a program on his computer that can work only with a 64-bit version of Windows, and here problems will arise if the current operating system is x32 or x86. In this regard, the question may arise: how to find out the bitness of Windows? Let's answer it and take a closer look at the differences between 32- and 64-bit versions of the operating system.

Table of contents:

Basic versions of the Windows operating system have been developed for a long time, and with the release of new software options from Microsoft, they were only being finalized. In fact, 32-bit (32-bit) operating systems have become a thing of the past, and they are rarely used, only in cases where the hardware of the computer does not support 64-bit Windows.

The bits themselves, in relation to the Windows operating system, are the way the computer's central processing unit processes information. RAM is used as the processed information, and 32-bit Windows can work with no more than 3.5 GB of RAM, while on 64-bit this limit is about 200 GB. With the development of the power of programs and their requirements for RAM, computers began to en masse move to a 64-bit operating system.

The main disadvantage of a 64-bit system is its demand on the computer's central processor. If a PC has a 32-bit central processor, it will in no way be able to work with a 64-bit version of the operating system, that is, it does not support more than 3.5 GB of RAM.

Many computer users who choose the bitness of the operating system when installing Windows are confused by the lack of a 32-bit version. This is due to the fact that the 32-bit version of Windows for a 64-bit processor is designated as x86, not x32. To understand what this is connected with, it is possible only if we study the processes of interaction of the operating system with the computer "hardware". The user just needs to remember that the 32-bit and 86-bit operating systems are practically the same, and only the 64-bit version of the software can handle more than 3.5 GB of RAM.

If the central process of the computer supports the 64-bit version of Windows, then during installation it is necessary to select it. It should be understood that the 32-bit version of the operating system is the last century, and here are just some proofs of this:

After the release of a 64-bit version of Windows, you should install a 32-bit version only if the processor or drivers for it do not support work with a 64-bit operating system.

How to find out the bitness of Windows installed on a computer?

You can determine the bitness of the version of Windows installed on your computer using a dozen third-party applications. There are ways to find out the x32, x64 or x86 version of the operating system installed on a computer using standard Windows tools.

The first way

You can find out the Windows bit depth on your computer through the system information menu:

Second way

The third way

View the bitness of the system through the "System Information":

You can see that it is quite simple to find out the bitness of the operating system, and this must be done if there is a desire to expand the amount of the computer's RAM. Also, knowledge of the bitness of the operating system will be required if you wish to reinstall the operating system.