XDA Basics: How to check my Windows 11 version and edition

Windows 11 is going to be the next major version of Windows, and it’s coming this holiday season. It’s an interesting launch because Windows 10 was supposed to be the last major version of Windows, and it got feature updates twice a year. That means there are multiple versions of Windows 10 out there, and Windows 11 is going to be the same. Just like Windows 10, it will get feature updates over time that change the version number. However, those big updates will only come once a year now. If you want to know what version of Windows 11 you have, here’s how to check.

How to check your Windows 11 version

Finding out what version of Windows 11 you have is fairly easy. All you need to do is open the Settings app, which will launch into the System section by default. Scroll down to find the About option and click it. You’ll see all the information about Windows 11 under Windows specifications, including the edition, version, and build number.

Windows 11 Edition

These are all things you may want to remember. First off, the Windows 11 edition dictates some features you may or may not have access to. Windows 11 Home is the base edition, and it includes most things a regular user will need. Windows 11 Pro adds features like BitLocker encryption and Hyper-V virtualization. There are a few editions of Windows 11 with different feature sets, but these two are the most common.

Windows 11 version

The version number refers to when your current Windows version/feature update was released. New Windows 11 updates should arrive in the second half of each year. The initial release is version 21H2, which refers to the year 2021 and the fact that the update released in the second half of the year. As new updates come out, you’ll likely see versions 22H2, 23H2, and so on.

Build number

Finally, the build number is a bit more specific in helping determine what updates you have installed. Even though feature updates will only come once a year, you’ll get cumulative updates every month. These are focused on security and stability, but they can also enable smaller features. When you get a cumulative update, it will change the minor build number. So, for Windows 11 version 21H2, you’ll see build 22000.xx, for example, with xx increasing with every cumulative update.

Windows Feature Experience Pack

Another thing you’ll find on this page is the Windows Feature Experience Pack you’ve installed. Microsoft hasn’t talked a whole lot about this, but they’re supposed to enable new features without having to update all of Windows. We’ve seen a few of them released for Windows Insiders in the past, but we still don’t know clearly the scope of what they can include. Still, this might be important to know for troubleshooting or when getting support regarding a problem.

Check your Windows version with winver

Another way to check your current Windows 11 version is the winver command. This is the most easily recognizable way to check your Windows version, since it applies to almost every Windows version. Doing this is really simple: All you need to do is open the Start menu and type winver, then press Enter. This will bring up a window that displays your version of Windows in a similar way.

The downside to this is that it isn’t been updated to include the Feature Experience Pack version you have. However, everything else is there, and it’s a little faster to get to.

How to update Windows 11

If you notice you’re not running the latest version of Windows 11, you can always check for updates to get the latest bits. To do that, open the Windows Update section of the Settings app, and click Check for updates, which will search for any available updates.

Feature updates are optional, so they won’t be downloaded automatically, but they’ll show up under your update list. You can choose to download and install them whenever you’re ready.

You may also be able to download and install the latest updates in the Update Assistant tool from Microsoft. Currently, it’s only available for Windows 10, but a Windows 11 version should also be released once the operating system is available.

That’s all you need to know about checking and updating your Windows 11 version. Knowing this information can be important for troubleshooting any problems you might be having. It can also help explain why you can’t find a specific feature you’ve heard about.

If you’re looking for a PC that will be supported by Windows 11 when it releases, all the best laptops we recommend are going to work just fine. We also have a list of the best Microsoft Surface PCs, all of which will also support Windows 11.

The post XDA Basics: How to check my Windows 11 version and edition appeared first on xda-developers.

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