What is the latest version of Windows 10? Check the version you have

What is the latest version of Windows 10? Check the version you have

The latest version of Windows 10 is 2022 Update or 22H2, build 19045, and it was released starting October 18th, 2022. This version doesn’t introduce new features, instead including only quality and security improvements. Still, it does keep the evolution process of Windows 10 alive and kicking. If you want to know whether you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed and how to check what version, build, or type of Windows 10 you’re using, read this guide:

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What version of Windows 10 do I have? The quick method!

This method is fast and works the same, no matter what version of Windows 10 you have: use the Search bar next to the Start button, type winver, and press Enter, or click or tap the search result with the same name.

Search for winver in Windows 10

Search for winver in Windows 10

Alternatively, press the Windows + R keys to bring up the Run window, type winver, and press Enter or click or tap OK.

Type winver in the Run window

Type winver in the Run window

This command opens the About Windows box, where you see the Windows 10 version followed by the OS Build and the Windows 10 edition. For example, below, you see a PC with Windows 10 Pro and the 22H2 version, build 19045.

About Windows tells you the Windows 10 version, build, and edition

About Windows tells you the Windows 10 version, build, and edition

Is all this data confusing? Continue reading this tutorial to make sense of the version numbers you see, the OS Build, the Windows 10 edition you have, and so on.

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How to check the Windows 10 version from the Settings app

This method works in all versions and editions of Windows 10, but things can look differently depending on the specific build you’re using. First, open the Settings app (the quickest way is to press Windows + I on the keyboard). Then, click or tap System.

In Windows 10 Settings, go to System

In Windows 10 Settings, go to System

On the left, scroll to the bottom and choose About. On the right, you see information about your system. The amount of information shown differs depending on the Windows 10 version you have installed. On the right, you see the lines with the data that interests you:

  • System type - it tells you whether you use a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 10
  • Edition - it shares the edition of Windows 10 that you have: Pro, Home, Enterprise, Education, etc.
  • Version - displays the version of Windows 10 currently installed
  • OS Build - see the Windows 10 build number

Check the Windows 10 version, OS Build, edition, and type

Check the Windows 10 version, OS Build, edition, and type

These lines of information are positioned differently, depending on your version of Windows 10. For example, here is how the About section looks in the Windows 10 November Update from 2015. The lines we mentioned exist here too but are ordered differently.

The same data in Windows 10 from 2015

The same data in Windows 10 from 2015

How to check the Windows 10 version from PowerShell

If you prefer using a command-line environment, open PowerShell and type or copy and paste this command:

wmic os get version

Then, press the Enter key to execute it and see the information you’re looking for.

wmic os get version

wmic os get version

The Version number tells you the build of Windows 10 you have installed. In the earlier example, the build number is 19045, which comes after 10.0. With this number, you can then make sense of the exact Windows 10 version you’re using, so continue reading.

How to translate Windows 10 version numbers into feature updates

Until November 2021, Microsoft kept updating Windows 10, releasing two major feature updates each year. These feature updates have a specific version and a marketing name (like Creators Update or November 2021 Update) and come with new features, new apps, significant changes, and so on. As a result, Windows 10 has evolved a lot since it was first released in July 2015.

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From November 2021 onwards, Microsoft has changed the Windows 10 release cadence to align with Windows 11, targeting annual feature updates in the second half of each year.

Getting back to your Windows 10 version, if you know the version number for your PC, here is how it translates into feature updates:

  • Version 1507 or build 10240 - The initial release of Windows 10, launched in July 2015, codenamed Threshold 1.
  • 1511 or build 10586 - The first significant update for Windows 10 was released in November 2015, called November Update, and codenamed Threshold 2.
  • 1607 or build 14393 - The second major update is the Anniversary Update for Windows 10. It was launched a year after the initial release of Windows 10, in July 2016, and codenamed Redstone 1.
  • 1703 or build 15063 - The third major update, named Creators Update for Windows 10. It was released in April 2017 and codenamed Redstone 2.
  • 1709 or build 16299 - The fourth major update, also called Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. It was released in October 2017 and codenamed Redstone 3.
  • 1803 or build 17134 - The fifth major update is named April 2018 Update for Windows 10. It was codenamed Redstone 4 and released in April 2018.
  • 1809 or build 17763 - The sixth major update for Windows 10 is named October 2018 Update for Windows 10. It was codenamed Redstone 5 and released in October 2018.
  • 1903 or build 18362 - The seventh major update for Windows 10. It is named May 2019 Update, and its codename is 19H1. The “19” stands for the year when the update is released, and the “H1” stands for the first update of that year. You can learn more about this codename change here.
  • 1909 or build 18363 - The eighth major update for Windows 10, codenamed 19H2. It was named November 2019 Update and began rolling out on November 12, 2019.
  • version 2004 or build 19041 - The ninth update to Windows 10, codenamed 20H1. It was called May 2020 Update and released later than other similar updates on May 27, 2020.
  • 2009 or build 19042 - the tenth major update for Windows 10 is codenamed 20H2. Named October 2020 Update, it was rolled out starting October 20th, 2020. Cool date, isn’t it? 🙂
  • 21H1 or build 19043 - the eleventh major update to Windows 10. Its name is May 2021 Update, and it began rolling out on the 18th of May 2021.
  • 21H2 or build 19044 - the twelfth major update to Windows 10. It is named November 2021 Update and rolled out starting November 16th, 2021.
  • 22H2 or build 19045 - the thirteenth major update to Windows 10. It is named 2022 Update and started rolling out on October 18th, 2022.
  • 23H2 or build 19046 - the fourteenth major update to Windows 10 and probably the last. It’s probably going to be named the 2023 Update.

When will we get the last version of Windows 10?

According to this page on Microsoft.com, the retirement date for Windows 10 is October 14th, 2025. This means that we shouldn’t expect to get a new Windows 10 version past 2023 at the latest since that would imply the need to support this operating system past its October 2025 retirement date. However, these dates may change, and we’re keeping an eye on what Microsoft communicates about its future plans for Windows 10.

Windows 10 editions - what is different about them?

You can have one of the following editions of Windows 10 installed on your computer or device:

  • Home - the most used edition of Windows 10. It is designed for home users and new devices sold in the retail space. It includes only consumer-oriented features and lacks business features like BitLocker encryption or virtualization.
  • Pro - this version adds features for small business environments and power users, like BitLocker encryption.
  • Enterprise - provides all the features of Windows 10 Pro, with additional features to assist network administrators and technology-oriented companies.
  • Enterprise LTSC - the long-term servicing channel of Windows 10 Enterprise, released once every two or three years. It is supported with security updates for ten years after each new version.
  • Education - it initially had the same features as Windows 10 Enterprise and was designed for academic organizations. Since the Fall Creators Update, its feature set has been lowered.
  • Pro Education - a special edition of Windows 10 for the educational sector. It includes a “Set Up School PCs” app that allows provisioning settings using a USB flash drive. It does not have Cortana, Microsoft Store suggestions, or Windows Spotlight.
  • Pro for Workstations - this edition is designed for high-end hardware, intensive computing tasks, and the latest server processors and file systems.
  • S - a feature-limited mode of Windows 10 designed for retail and education. Its most important limitation is that you cannot install desktop apps unless distributed through the Microsoft Store. Also, Microsoft Edge is enforced as the default web browser, with Bing as its search engine. Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Pro Education can be run in S mode. Other editions cannot.
  • N and KN - N versions are available only in Europe, while KN versions are available only in Korea, to comply with antitrust laws in those regions, where Microsoft has been found abusing its monopoly to hurt competing video and audio applications. These editions of Windows 10 remove Windows Media Player, Media Player, and other multimedia features. N and KN can apply to all other editions of Windows. Therefore, you can have Windows 10 Home N, Windows 10 Pro N, and so on.
  • IoT - this edition is designed for low-cost devices like Raspberry Pi and specialized machines like robots, ATMs, POS terminals, or barcode scanners. There are two editions of Windows 10 IoT: IoT Enterprise and IoT Core.

NOTE: If you need help deciding what Windows 10 edition to buy, read: How much is Windows 10? Where to buy Windows 10 Pro or Home?

What is the Windows 10 OS build?

The OS Build number changes with each Windows 10 update you install. To help you understand, let’s take the following situation:

When Windows 10 October 2018 Update was released, it had version number 1809, and the OS build showed the value 17763.1. After the first update to Windows 10, the OS Build changed to 17763.55, while the version number remained the same. After the most recent update to Windows 10, launched in October 2022, the build number is 19045.2130.

The OS Build for Windows 10 version 22H2

The OS Build for Windows 10 version 22H2

The OS build number changes with each update made by Microsoft to Windows 10. This information is helpful for troubleshooting purposes. For example, when you encounter a bug and talk to a tech support engineer, the OS Build is critical to understanding the exact version of Windows 10 you’re using and what updates are necessary to fix the problem. You can learn more about the evolution of Windows 10 build numbers from this Windows 10 release information.

What is the Windows 10 system type?

This information only tells you whether Windows 10 uses the 32-bit or 64-bit register of the processor. Modern processors tend to be 64-bit, and their advantage is they can address and process much more data than 32-bit processors. So in most cases, Windows 10 should be 64-bit, which is a good thing.

Did you check what Windows 10 version you have?

Now you know how to find the Windows 10 version you have and what it means. Before closing this article, share your Windows 10 version, edition, and build number with us. We are curious to discover the most popular versions and editions with our readers.

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