Check Windows 11 Version, Build and Edition in Seconds

Most how-to guides, error messages and support threads assume a particular release of Windows, so knowing how to check your Windows 11 version is the first step to following any of them correctly. There are three pieces of information worth knowing: the version (such as 25H2), the OS build (such as 26200 followed by a revision number) and the edition (Home, Pro and so on). Windows shows all three in two places, and it takes less than a minute.

Method 1: winver (the fastest way)

1. Press Win+R to open Run.
2. Type winver and press Enter.
3. The About Windows box opens. The line under the Windows logo reads something like Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.xxxx).

The box also names the edition in the licence text further down, for example “Windows 11 Pro”. You can also type winver into the Start search box and press Enter.

Method 2: Settings > System > About

This is where Microsoft points people for full details.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Select System, then scroll down and select About.
3. Scroll to Windows specifications. You will see:

Field	What it tells you
Edition	Windows 11 Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, Education, Enterprise and so on
Version	The feature update, for example 24H2, 25H2 or 26H2
Installed on	When this version was installed (a feature update resets this date)
OS build	The exact build and update revision
Experience	The Windows Feature Experience Pack version

Select Copy next to the heading to copy everything as text. The Device specifications section above it lists your hardware; see checking PC specs in Windows 11 for what those lines mean.

What 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 mean

Windows 11 gets one feature update a year, released in the second half of the calendar year. The version name is the year plus the half: 25H2 means 2025, second half. Each feature update is supported for a set time: according to Microsoft’s release information page, 24 months for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations and Pro Education, and 36 months for Enterprise and Education.

Here is how the current versions line up, from Microsoft’s Windows 11 release information page as checked on 14 October 2026. 25H2 and 26H2 are the current versions for Home and Pro, while 24H2 has reached its end of updates for those editions:

Version	Base OS build	Released	Updates for Home and Pro
26H2	26300	29 September 2026	Until 10 October 2028
26H1	28000	10 February 2026	For new devices only; not offered as an update to existing PCs
25H2	26200	30 September 2025	Until 12 October 2027
24H2	26100	1 October 2024	Ended (Enterprise and Education continue)
23H2	22631	31 October 2023	Ended

Microsoft updates that page every month, so treat this table as a snapshot and check the source for the latest dates.

Reading the OS build number

An OS build such as 26200.9711 has two parts:

• 26200 identifies the version (here 25H2).
• 9711 is the revision. It rises every time a monthly cumulative update is installed.

That revision number is the easiest way to confirm a particular update is installed. Microsoft’s release information page lists every build with its KB article. For example, the October 2026 security update, released on 13 October 2026, brought 25H2 to build 26200.9711 and 24H2 to 26100.9711. If your number is lower than the latest listed, open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. If updates will not install, see Windows 11 update stuck.

Home or Pro? Why the edition matters

The Edition line is just as important as the version, because some features exist only in Pro and higher editions. BitLocker management, Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), Hyper-V and Remote Desktop hosting are the usual examples. If a guide tells you to open gpedit.msc and nothing happens, the edition is almost always the reason.

Windows 11 Home has device encryption on supported hardware instead of full BitLocker management, and uses Settings for most of what Pro users do in Group Policy. Our comparison of Windows 11 Pro vs Home lists the differences, and the same About page shows whether Windows is activated if you follow the link to Product key and activation. For more on that, see checking Windows 11 activation status.

Why your version matters when following guides

• Menus move between versions. Settings pages are reorganised from time to time. If a step does not match what you see, compare the guide’s version with yours.
• Some features arrive with a specific version. If an article says a feature needs a newer version, winver tells you whether you have it.
• Support ends. If your version is past its end of updates date on Microsoft’s table, Windows Update should offer the newer feature update. Install it to keep getting security fixes.
• Troubleshooting. Support forums and Microsoft’s known issues lists are organised by version and build. Quote both when asking for help.

If the version looks wrong

If Settings says you are on an older version and Windows Update does not offer the newer one, the PC may have a temporary compatibility hold, or the update may not have reached it yet. Run Check for updates a few times over several days. Microsoft’s Windows release health site lists known issues and holds for each version. If you are still on Windows 10, winver will say so, and our guide to upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11 is the place to start.