Here are the easiest ways to check exactly which version of Windows you have in Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8. Quick tip: To upgrade your PC to Windows 11, read our Windows update guide.

Normally, your computer should take care of that itself with automatic updates, but there are several ways to check which version you have if you need to know.

A free utility tweaks the Windows ISO image file, thus letting you install whatever version matches your product key.

The first step is to identify the version of Windows currently installed on your computer. If you already know what version of Windows you are using, you can skip here.

For most users, the Antimalware Client version is what you are looking for as it will indicate the overall version for Microsoft Defender installed in Windows.