01
Press Windows key and R, then run winver
Hold the Windows key and press R to open the Run box. Type winver and press Enter. A small About Windows dialog opens. This is read only, it changes nothing, and it is the quickest answer there is.
Windows Basics
Check your Windows version in ten seconds
Software vendors, IT support and troubleshooting guides all ask which version of Windows you are running, and the answer is more specific than 10 or 11. This guide finds the exact edition, version and build, then explains what support status means for you.
🛡 10 Seconds⏱ No Admin Rights💰 Windows 11 and 10★ Read Only, Changes Nothing
Version And Support
Why the exact version matters
Windows 11 and Windows 10 each have several editions and a string of feature versions behind them. A guide, a driver or a business application will often work on one and not another.
There are three separate things people mean by version. The edition is Home, Pro, Enterprise or Education and it decides which features you have. The version is the feature update level, written as a number and a letter. The OS build is the precise revision, which is what support teams ask for when they are matching a known fault to a fix. All three sit on one small dialog box, and reading it takes a few seconds.
Support status is the part that matters most right now. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. A Windows 10 PC still turns on and still runs, but it no longer receives the monthly security updates that patch newly discovered flaws, and software vendors gradually stop testing against it. Over time that gap widens rather than closes, which is why it is a planning question rather than an emergency. Our Windows 11 support page covers what that transition looks like.
Checking eligibility for Windows 11 is a separate exercise, and it is one where people are told a lot of nonsense. The requirements are real, they include a TPM 2.0 security chip and Secure Boot, and the honest answer for some older machines is that they will not make the jump. The steps below show you how to get a straight answer from Microsoft’s own tool rather than from a forum post.
Write down the build number before you call anyone
Edition, version and OS build together let any technician match your machine to known issues and the right driver. Reading them off a screenshot at the start of a call saves a good chunk of the call.
Step By Step
Find your version and your support status
The first two steps take seconds and give you everything most people need. Continue on if you want to know about Windows 11 eligibility.
02
Read the two lines that matter
The top line says Windows 11 or Windows 10. The line under it reads Version followed by a code such as 22H2, then OS Build and a number in brackets. Note both down. The bottom of the dialog also names your edition, for example Windows 11 Pro. Select OK to close.
03
Open Settings for the fuller picture
Go to Settings > System > About. Under Windows specifications you get Edition, Version, Installed on and OS build, all in one place and easy to screenshot. Under Device specifications you get the processor, installed RAM and the device name.
04
Check 32 bit or 64 bit
On that same About page, look under Device specifications for System type. It reads either 64-bit operating system or 32-bit operating system, and it also tells you whether the processor is x64 based or ARM based. Some software downloads require you to pick the right one.
05
Decide what your support status means
If winver reported Windows 11, you are on a supported product and your job is to keep it updated. If it reported Windows 10, note that support ended on October 14, 2025, and treat moving to a supported system as a planned project rather than something to leave open ended.
06
Run PC Health Check for Windows 11 eligibility
On a Windows 10 machine, search the Start menu for PC Health Check. If it is installed, open it and select Check now under the Windows 11 heading. It gives a plain yes or no and names the specific requirement that failed, which is far more useful than a general guess.
07
Confirm TPM and Secure Boot yourself
Press Windows key and R, type tpm.msc and press Enter. If a TPM is present, the Status box says the TPM is ready for use and Specification Version shows 2.0. For Secure Boot, run msinfo32 the same way and look for Secure Boot State on the System Summary page. It should read On.
Worth Knowing
What the answers actually mean
Context for the numbers you have written down, and the traps that catch people who go looking for an upgrade.
End of support does not mean it stops working
A Windows 10 machine keeps booting and keeps running your software. What stops is the flow of security fixes, and over time browsers, banking apps and business software drop support too. Treat it as a slow increase in risk, which is exactly the kind of thing our cyber security work is meant to reduce.
TPM is often present but switched off
Plenty of machines that fail the Windows 11 check have the hardware and only need the feature enabled in UEFI firmware, where it may be called fTPM on AMD systems or PTT on Intel systems. That is worth checking before writing a machine off, and it is not a change to make blind if you do not recognize the settings screen.
Home and Pro are genuinely different
Pro adds BitLocker drive encryption, the ability to be connected to remotely with Remote Desktop, and joining a company domain. If a workplace tool requires one of those and the About page says Home, that is the reason. It is an edition upgrade rather than a reinstall.
Do not force an unsupported upgrade
There are widely shared tricks for installing Windows 11 on hardware Microsoft excludes. They can work, and they can also leave a machine in a state where updates behave unpredictably. On a computer you rely on for work, that is a poor trade.
Extended security options are a bridge
Where paid extended security update options exist for older Windows, they buy time and nothing more. They are useful when a critical application is not yet ready to move. They are not a substitute for a plan.
Old hardware is sometimes worth keeping
A capable machine that fails only on the security chip can still serve as an offline device. If it is doing real work, look at whether an upgrade or a replacement makes more sense for the way you use it, and we will give you the honest comparison.
Windows version questions
What is the difference between version and OS build?
The version is the feature update level, such as 22H2, and it changes once or twice a year. The OS build is the exact revision including monthly updates, so it changes far more often. Support teams ask for the build because it pins down precisely which fixes your machine already has.
Is it dangerous to keep using Windows 10 now?
It is not dangerous the way a broken brake is dangerous, but the risk rises steadily. Without monthly security updates, flaws found after October 14, 2025 stay open on that machine. If it handles email, banking or customer data, moving it up the priority list is reasonable.
My PC says it cannot run Windows 11. Is that final?
Not always. PC Health Check names the specific reason, and the most common one is a TPM or Secure Boot setting that is present but disabled in firmware. If the reason is the processor generation, that one cannot be worked around properly and the machine has reached its useful limit for supported Windows.
Will I lose my files upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11?
An in place upgrade keeps files, apps and settings, and that is how it is designed to run. Even so, take a backup first. Upgrades occasionally stall, and the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster is whether a current copy of your data exists somewhere else.
How do I tell whether I have Home or Pro?
Both winver and Settings > System > About show it. Look for the word after Windows 11 or Windows 10 in the edition line. If it says nothing but the number, run winver, where the edition appears near the bottom of the dialog.
Wondering whether that PC has another few years in it?
We check the version, the hardware and the actual workload, then tell you whether to upgrade it, replace it or leave it alone.
Talk to Your Pod
Not sure where your PC stands on Windows 11?
We will check the hardware properly, tell you whether an upgrade is realistic on that machine, and say so plainly if it is not. Call (602) 677-0779 or use the form.
(602) 677-0779Family owned in Gilbert, AZ since 2015 · onsite across the Phoenix metro · remote support nationwide · never outsourced
Same-day response
No long contracts
Flat, honest pricing
Five-star service
Get your free IT consultation
A few details and your pod gets right back to you, usually the same business day.