How to Tell If You Have Windows 64-Bit or 32-Bit

See if your Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, or XP install is 32-bit or 64-bit

Not sure if your installed version of Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit?

If you’re running Windows XP, chances are it’s 32-bit. However, if you’re on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, the chance that you’re running a 64-bit version goes up considerably.

Of course, this isn’t something you want to take a guess at.

Knowing if your copy of Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit becomes very important when installing device drivers for your hardware and choosing between certain kinds of software.

One quick way to tell if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows is by looking at information about your operating system installation in Control Panel. However, the specific steps involved depend a lot on which operating system you’re using.

See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you’re not sure which of those several versions of Windows is installed on your computer.

Another quick and simple way to check if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows is to check the «Program Files» folder. There’s more on that at the very bottom of this page.

Windows 10 & Windows 8: 64-Bit or 32-Bit?

You can check your Windows system type much faster from the Power User Menu, but it’s probably speedier that way only if you’re using a keyboard or mouse. With that menu open, select System and then skip to Step 4.

Choose System and Security within Control Panel.

You won’t see a System and Security link in Control Panel if your view is set to either Large icons or Small icons. If so, select System and then skip to Step 4.

Choose System.

This screen can also be opened by executing the control /name Microsoft.System command from Run or Command Prompt.

Find the System area, located under the large Windows logo. Within there, next to System type, it will say either 64-bit Operating System or 32-bit Operating System.

The second bit of information, either x64-based processor or x86-based processor, indicates the hardware architecture. It’s possible to install a 32-bit edition of Windows on either an x86 or x64 based system, but a 64-bit edition can only be installed on x64 hardware.

You should now know for certain whether Windows 10/8 is 32-bit or 64-bit

Windows 7: 64-Bit or 32-Bit?

Go to Start > Control Panel.

Choose System and Security.

Don’t see it? Just choose System and then proceed to Step 4.

Select System.

Locate the System area below the oversized Windows logo, and look for System type among the other statistics about your computer.

This will report either 32-bit Operating System or 64-bit Operating System.

There is no 64-bit version of Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Now you know whether you have Windows 7 64-bit or 32-bit.

Windows Vista: 64-Bit or 32-Bit?

Select Control Panel from the Start menu.

Choose System and Maintenance.

If you’re viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, you won’t see this link. Just open System instead and then proceed to Step 4.

Select System.

Locate the System area below the big Windows logo. Within that section is one called System type.

Look here to see if you have Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit, indicated by either 32-bit Operating System or 64-bit Operating System.

There is no 64-bit version of Windows Vista Starter Edition.

You should now know whether you have Windows Vista 64-bit or 32-bit.

Windows XP: 64-Bit or 32-Bit?

Select Start and then choose Control Panel.

Select Performance and Maintenance.

If you don’t see this link, open System and then go down to Step 4.

Choose System.

Locate the System area to the right of the Windows logo.

You should be on the General tab in System Properties.

Under System is basic information about the version of Windows XP installed on your computer:

• Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version [year] means you’re running Windows XP 32-bit.
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Version [year] means you’re running Windows XP 64-bit.

There are no 64-bit versions of Windows XP Home or Windows XP Media Center Edition. If you have either of these editions of Windows XP, you’re running a 32-bit operating system.

Now you know if you’re running Windows XP 64-bit or 32-bit.

Check the ‘Program Files’ Folder Name

This method isn’t as easy to understand as using Control Panel but it does provide a quick way of checking on whether you’re running a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows, and is especially helpful if you’re looking for this information from a command line tool.

If your version of Windows is 64-bit, you’re able to install both 32-bit and 64-bit software programs, so there are two different «Program Files» folders on your computer. However, 32-bit versions of Windows have just one folder since they can only install 32-bit programs.

Here’s an easy way to comprehend this.

Two program folders exist on a 64-bit version of Windows:

• 32-bit location: C:\Program Files (x86)\
• 64-bit location: C:\Program Files\

32-bit versions of Windows have just one folder:

Therefore, if you find only one folder when checking this location, you’re using a 32-bit version of Windows. If there are two «Program Files» folder, you’re for sure using a 64-bit version.

How to Check Windows version 32-bit or 64 bit

Many software provide 32-bit and 64 bit edition for different Windows Version, and Macrorit Partition Expert has 2 separate package for Window 32 bit and Windows 64 bit system, here’s how to check Windows Version

Navigate to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > System; System type shows Windows OS Version;

Or just Right-click on «This PC» and select «Properties», it accesses to the same window;

System info to check 32 bit or 64 bit

CMD command line

Here’s how to check system version in command line:

Check the folder path listed in the command line, /program files (*86)/ means the OS version is 64 bit while /program files/, only one program files folder means 32 bit OS The same to File Explorer.

File Explorer

Press Windows Key + E to open File explorer or Quick Access, click This PC, and Double Click on C Drive, check the folder name, if /program files (*86)/ shows, means 64 bit is the OS Version.

If you see this folder, you’re running the 64-bit Windows

Partition Software

In Macrorit Partition Expert, OS Version is at the bottom of the interface, or you can click About to check it.

Partition Expert will show the System info

Partition Expert provides both 32-bit and 64-bit edition in both the installation package and the portable package, choose the right edition to run after checked the system into on your Windows will improve speed of operations

What version of Windows do I have?

As a Windows user, it’s important to know which operating system version you are using. You need this information when installing new programs and also for troubleshooting.

Microsoft provides details about the Windows version installed on your computer in several places in the operating system, e.g. in the Control Panel. There are three different ways of accessing the relevant system information. Let’s take a look at them now.

Checking your Windows version using a keyboard shortcut

The quickest way to find out your Windows version is using a keyboard shortcut. On newer systems, the steps are as follows:

1. Simultaneously press the [Windows] key and the [Pause] key.
2. A system information window will appear.

Under the heading “View basic information about your computer”, you will see the name of your operating system, e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise.

The window also contains an overview of the technical characteristics of your system, for example: processor architecture, installed memory (RAM) and system type (i.e. 32-bit or 64-bit). The next section shows the name of your computer and network domain settings. You can also see whether or not your Windows version is activated.

The system information window therefore contains all the information you need in order to install new programs.

However, it does not give you detailed information about your Windows version, such as the version number or the OS build number. You need this information if you want to check whether your operating system has all of the latest updates for example.

The [Windows] key + [Pause] key shortcut does not work on older Windows systems.

How to: Determine which .NET Framework versions are installed

Users can install and run multiple versions of .NET Framework on their computers. When you develop or deploy your app, you might need to know which .NET Framework versions are installed on the user’s computer. The registry contains a list of the versions of .NET Framework installed on the computer.

This article is specific to .NET Framework. To determine which .NET Core and .NET 5+ SDKs and runtimes are installed, see How to check that .NET is already installed.

.NET Framework consists of two main components, which are versioned separately:

A set of assemblies, which are collections of types and resources that provide the functionality for your apps. .NET Framework and the assemblies share the same version number. For example, .NET Framework versions include 4.5, 4.6.1, and 4.7.2.

The common language runtime (CLR), which manages and executes your app’s code. A single CLR version typically supports multiple .NET Framework versions. For example, CLR version 4.0.30319.xxxxx where xxxxx is less than 42000, supports .NET Framework versions 4 through 4.5.2. CLR version greater than or equal to 4.0.30319.42000 supports .NET Framework versions starting with .NET Framework 4.6.

Community-maintained tools are available to help detect which .NET Framework versions are installed:

A .NET Framework 2.0 command-line tool.

A PowerShell 2.0 module.

For information about detecting the installed updates for each version of .NET Framework, see How to: Determine which .NET Framework updates are installed.

Determine which .NET implementation and version an app is running on

You can use the RuntimeInformation.FrameworkDescription property to query for which .NET implementation and version your app is running on. If the app is running on .NET Framework, the output will be similar to:

By comparison, if the app is running on .NET Core or .NET 5+, the output will be similar to:

Detect .NET Framework 4.5 and later versions

The version of .NET Framework (4.5 and later) installed on a machine is listed in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full. If the Full subkey is missing, then .NET Framework 4.5 or above isn’t installed.

The NET Framework Setup subkey in the registry path does not begin with a period.

The Release REG_DWORD value in the registry represents the version of .NET Framework installed.

.NET Framework version	Value of Release
.NET Framework 4.5	All Windows operating systems: 378389
.NET Framework 4.5.1	On Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: 378675 On all other Windows operating systems: 378758
.NET Framework 4.5.2	All Windows operating systems: 379893
.NET Framework 4.6	On Windows 10: 393295 On all other Windows operating systems: 393297
.NET Framework 4.6.1	On Windows 10 November Update systems: 394254 On all other Windows operating systems (including Windows 10): 394271
.NET Framework 4.6.2	On Windows 10 Anniversary Update and Windows Server 2016: 394802 On all other Windows operating systems (including other Windows 10 operating systems): 394806
.NET Framework 4.7	On Windows 10 Creators Update: 460798 On all other Windows operating systems (including other Windows 10 operating systems): 460805
.NET Framework 4.7.1	On Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and Windows Server, version 1709: 461308 On all other Windows operating systems (including other Windows 10 operating systems): 461310
.NET Framework 4.7.2	On Windows 10 April 2018 Update and Windows Server, version 1803: 461808 On all Windows operating systems other than Windows 10 April 2018 Update and Windows Server, version 1803: 461814
.NET Framework 4.8	On Windows 10 May 2019 Update and Windows 10 November 2019 Update: 528040 On Windows 10 May 2020 Update and Windows 10 October 2020 Update: 528372 On all other Windows operating systems (including other Windows 10 operating systems): 528049

Minimum version

To determine whether a minimum version of .NET Framework is present, check for a Release REG_DWORD value that’s greater than or equal to the corresponding value listed in the following table. For example, if your application runs under .NET Framework 4.8 or a later version, test for a Release REG_DWORD value that’s greater than or equal to 528040.

.NET Framework version	Minimum value
.NET Framework 4.5	378389
.NET Framework 4.5.1	378675
.NET Framework 4.5.2	379893
.NET Framework 4.6	393295
.NET Framework 4.6.1	394254
.NET Framework 4.6.2	394802
.NET Framework 4.7	460798
.NET Framework 4.7.1	461308
.NET Framework 4.7.2	461808
.NET Framework 4.8	528040

Use Registry Editor

From the Start menu, choose Run, enter regedit, and then select OK.

(You must have administrative credentials to run regedit.)

In the Registry Editor, open the following subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full. If the Full subkey isn’t present, then you don’t have .NET Framework 4.5 or later installed.

Check for a REG_DWORD entry named Release. If it exists, then you have .NET Framework 4.5 or later installed. Its value corresponds to a particular version of .NET Framework. In the following figure, for example, the value of the Release entry is 528040, which is the release key for .NET Framework 4.8.

Use PowerShell to check for a minimum version

Use PowerShell commands to check the value of the Release entry of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full subkey.

The following examples check the value of the Release entry to determine whether .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later is installed. This code returns True if it’s installed and False otherwise.

Query the registry using code

Use the RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey and RegistryKey.OpenSubKey methods to access the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full subkey in the Windows registry.

If the app you’re running is 32-bit and running in 64-bit Windows, the registry paths will be different than previously listed. The 64-bit registry is available in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ subkey. For example, the registry subkey for .NET Framework 4.5 is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full.

Check the Release REG_DWORD value to determine the installed version. To be forward-compatible, check for a value greater than or equal to the value listed in the .NET Framework version table.

The following example checks the value of the Release entry in the registry to find the versions of .NET Framework 4.5-4.8 that are installed:

The example displays output like the following:

This example follows the recommended practice for version checking:

• It checks whether the value of the Release entry is greater than or equal to the value of the known release keys.
• It checks in order from most recent version to earliest version.

Detect .NET Framework 1.0 through 4.0

Each version of .NET Framework from 1.1 to 4.0 is listed as a subkey at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP. The following table lists the path to each .NET Framework version. For most versions, there’s an Install REG_DWORD value of 1 to indicate this version is installed. In these subkeys, there’s also a Version REG_SZ value that contains a version string.

The NET Framework Setup subkey in the registry path does not begin with a period.

Framework Version	Registry Subkey	Value
1.0	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\.NETFramework\Policy\v1.0\3705	Install REG_SZ equals 1
1.1	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v1.1.4322	Install REG_DWORD equals 1
2.0	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v2.0.50727	Install REG_DWORD equals 1
3.0	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.0\Setup	InstallSuccess REG_DWORD equals 1
3.5	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5	Install REG_DWORD equals 1
4.0 Client Profile	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Client	Install REG_DWORD equals 1
4.0 Full Profile	HKLM\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full	Install REG_DWORD equals 1

If the app you’re running is 32-bit and running in 64-bit Windows, the registry paths will be different than previously listed. The 64-bit registry is available in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ subkey. For example, the registry subkey for .NET Framework 3.5 is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5.

Notice that the registry path to the .NET Framework 1.0 subkey is different from the others.

Use Registry Editor (older framework versions)

From the Start menu, choose Run, enter regedit, and then select OK.

You must have administrative credentials to run regedit.

Open the subkey that matches the version you want to check. Use the table in the Detect .NET Framework 1.0 through 4.0 section.

The following figure shows the subkey and its Version value for .NET Framework 3.5.

Query the registry using code (older framework versions)

Use the Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey class to access the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP subkey in the Windows registry.

If the app you’re running is 32-bit and running in 64-bit Windows, the registry paths will be different than previously listed. The 64-bit registry is available in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ subkey. For example, the registry subkey for .NET Framework 3.5 is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5.

The following example finds the versions of .NET Framework 1-4 that are installed:

The example displays output similar to the following:

Find CLR versions

The .NET Framework CLR installed with .NET Framework is versioned separately. There are two ways to detect the version of the .NET Framework CLR:

The Clrver.exe tool

Use the CLR Version tool (Clrver.exe) to determine which versions of the CLR are installed on a computer. Open Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt or Visual Studio Developer PowerShell and enter clrver .

The Environment class

For .NET Framework 4.5 and later versions, don’t use the Environment.Version property to detect the version of the CLR. Instead, query the registry as described in Detect .NET Framework 4.5 and later versions.

Query the Environment.Version property to retrieve a Version object.

The returned System.Version object identifies the version of the runtime that’s currently executing the code. It doesn’t return assembly versions or other versions of the runtime that may have been installed on the computer.

For .NET Framework versions 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2, the string representation of the returned Version object has the form 4.0.30319.xxxxx, where xxxxx is less than 42000. For .NET Framework 4.6 and later versions, it has the form 4.0.30319.42000.

After you have the Version object, query it as follows:

For the major release identifier (for example, 4 for version 4.0), use the Version.Major property.

For the minor release identifier (for example, 0 for version 4.0), use the Version.Minor property.

For the entire version string (for example, 4.0.30319.18010), use the Version.ToString method. This method returns a single value that reflects the version of the runtime that’s executing the code. It doesn’t return assembly versions or other runtime versions that may be installed on the computer.

The following example uses the Environment.Version property to retrieve CLR version information:

The example displays output similar to the following: