Windows application version numbers

Package version numbering

Each package you provide must have a version number (provided as a value in the Version attribute of the Package/Identity element in the app manifest). The Microsoft Store enforces certain rules related to version numbers, which work somewhat differently in different OS versions.

This topic refers to «packages», but unless noted, the same rules apply to version numbers for both .msix/.appx and .msixbundle/.appxbundle files.

Version numbering for WindowsВ 10 packages

For Windows 10 (UWP) packages, the last (fourth) section of the version number is reserved for Store use and must be left as 0 when you build your package (although the Store may change the value in this section). The other sections must be set to an integer between 0 and 65535 (except for the first section, which cannot be 0).

When choosing a UWP package from your published submission, the Microsoft Store will always use the highest-versioned package that is applicable to the customer’s Windows 10 device. This gives you greater flexibility and puts you in control over which packages will be provided to customers on specific device types. Importantly, you can submit these packages in any order; you are not limited to providing higher-versioned packages with each subsequent submission.

You can provide multiple UWP packages with the same version number. However, packages that share a version number cannot also have the same architecture, because the full identity that the Store uses for each of your packages must be unique. For more info, see Identity.

When you provide multiple UWP packages that use the same version number, the architecture (in the order x64, x86, ARM, neutral) will be used to decide which one is of higher rank (when the Store determines which package to provide to a customer’s device). When ranking app bundles that use the same version number, the highest architecture rank within the bundle is considered: an app bundle that contains an x64 package will have a higher rank than one that only contains an x86 package.

This gives you a lot of flexibility to evolve your app over time. You can upload and submit new packages that use lower version numbers to add support for Windows 10 devices that you did not previously support, you can add higher-versioned packages that have stricter dependencies to take advantage of hardware or OS features, or you can add higher-versioned packages that serve as updates to some or all of your existing customer base.

The following example illustrates how version numbering can be managed to deliver the intended packages to your customers over multiple submissions.

Example: Moving to a single package over multiple submissions

WindowsВ 10 enables you to write a single codebase that runs everywhere. This makes starting a new cross-platform project much easier. However, for a number of reasons, you might not want to merge existing codebases to create a single project right away.

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You can use the package versioning rules to gradually move your customers to a single package for the Universal device family, while shipping a number of interim updates for specific device families (including ones that take advantage of WindowsВ 10 APIs). The example below illustrates how the same rules are consistently applied over a series of submissions for the same app.

Windows Version Numbers

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Name / Description Version Build Number Public Release RTM Release
Windows NT 3.1 3.10 511 1993-07-27
Windows NT 3.5 3.50 807 1994-09-21
Windows NT 3.1, Service Pack 3 3.10 528 1994-11
Windows NT 3.51 3.51 1057 1995-05-30
Windows 95 4.00 950 1995-08-24
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1 4.00 950 A 1996-02-14
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 4.00 950 B 1996-08-24
Windows NT 4.0 4.0 1381 1996-08-24 1996-07-31
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.1 4.00 950 B 1997-08-27
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5 4.00 950 C 1997-11-26
Windows 98 4.10 1998 1998-05-15
Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) 4.10 2222 1999-05-05
Windows 2000 5.0 2195 2000-02-17 1999-12-15
Windows Me 4.90 3000 2000-09-14 2000-06-19
Windows XP 5.1 2600 2001-10-25 2001-08-24
Windows XP, Service Pack 1 5.1 2600.1105-1106 2002-09-09
Windows Server 2003 5.2 3790 2003-04-24
Windows XP, Service Pack 2 5.1 2600.2180 2004-08-25
Windows Server 2003, Service Pack 1 5.2 3790.1180 2005-03-30
Windows Server 2003 R2 5.2 3790 2005-12-06 2005-12-06
Windows Vista 6.0 6000 2007-01-30 2006-11-08
Windows Server 2003, Service Pack 2 5.2 3790 2007-03-13
Windows Home Server 5.2 4500 2007-11-04 2007-07-16
Windows Vista, Service Pack 1 6.0 6001 2008-02-04
Windows Server 2008 6.0 6001 2008-02-27 2008-02-04
Windows XP, Service Pack 3 5.1 2600 2008-04-21
Windows Vista, Service Pack 2 6.0 6002 2009-05-26 2009-04-28
Windows Server 2008, Service Pack 2 6.0 6002 2009-05-26
Windows 7 6.1 7600 2009-10-22 2009-07-22
Windows Server 2008 R2 6.1 7600 2009-10-22 2009-07-22
Windows 7, Service Pack 1 6.1 7601 2011-02-22
Windows Server 2008 R2, Service Pack 1 6.1 7601 2011-02-22 2011-02-09
Windows Home Server 2011 6.1 8400 2011-04-06 2011-04-06
Windows Server 2012 6.2 9200 2012-09-04 2012-08-01
Windows 8 6.2 9200 2012-10-26 2012-08-01
Windows 8.1 6.3 9600 2013-08-27 2013-10-17
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3 9600 2013-10-18 2013-08-27
Windows 10, Version 1507 10.0 10240 2015-07-29 2015-07-15
Windows 10, Version 1511 10.0 10586 2015-11-10
Windows 10, Version 1607 10.0 14393 2016-08-02
Windows Server 2016, Version 1607 10.0 14393 2016-08-02
Windows 10, Version 1703 10.0 15063 2017-04-05
Windows 10, Version 1709 10.0 16299 2017-10-17
Windows Server 2016, Version 1709 10.0 16299 2017-10-17
Windows 10, Version 1803 10.0 17134 2018-04-30
Windows Server 2019, Version 1809 10.0 17763 2018-10-02
Windows 10, Version 1809 10.0 17763 2018-11-13
Windows Server 2008, Service Pack 2, Rollup KB4489887 6.0 6003 2019-03-19
Windows 10, Version 1903 10.0 18362 2019-05-21
Windows 10, Version 1909 10.0 18363 2019-11-12
Windows 10, Version 2004 10.0 19041 2020-05-27
Windows 10, Version 20H2 10.0 19042 2020-10-20
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Operating System Version

The Version API Helper functions are used to determine the version of the operating system that is currently running. For more information, see Getting the System Version.

The following table summarizes the most recent operating system version numbers.

Operating system Version number
Windows 10 10.0*
Windows Server 2019 10.0*
Windows Server 2016 10.0*
Windows 8.1 6.3*
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3*
Windows 8 6.2
Windows Server 2012 6.2
Windows 7 6.1
Windows Server 2008 R2 6.1
Windows Server 2008 6.0
Windows Vista 6.0
Windows Server 2003 R2 5.2
Windows Server 2003 5.2
Windows XP 64-Bit Edition 5.2
Windows XP 5.1
Windows 2000 5.0

* For applications that have been manifested for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. Applications not manifested for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 will return the Windows 8 OS version value (6.2). To manifest your applications for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, refer to Targeting your application for Windows.

Identifying the current operating system is usually not the best way to determine whether a particular operating system feature is present. This is because the operating system may have had new features added in a redistributable DLL. Rather than using the Version API Helper functions to determine the operating system platform or version number, test for the presence of the feature itself.

To determine the best way to test for a feature, refer to the documentation for the feature of interest. The following list discusses some common techniques for feature detection:

  • You can test for the presence of the functions associated with a feature. To test for the presence of a function in a system DLL, call the LoadLibrary function to load the DLL. Then call the GetProcAddress function to determine whether the function of interest is present in the DLL. Use the pointer returned by GetProcAddress to call the function. Note that even if the function is present, it may be a stub that just returns an error code such as ERROR_CALL_NOT_IMPLEMENTED.
  • You can determine the presence of some features by using the GetSystemMetrics function. For example, you can detect multiple display monitors by calling GetSystemMetrics(SM_CMONITORS).
  • There are several versions of the redistributable DLLs that implement shell and common control features. For information about determining which versions are present on the system your application is running on, see the topic Shell and Common Controls Versions.

If you must require a particular operating system, be sure to use it as a minimum supported version, rather than design the test for the one operating system. This way, your detection code will continue to work on future versions of Windows.

Note that a 32-bit application can detect whether it is running under WOW64 by calling the IsWow64Process function. It can obtain additional processor information by calling the GetNativeSystemInfo function.

Windows Version Numbers

A list of Windows version numbers & major Windows builds

Each Microsoft Windows operating system has a familiar name, like Windows 10 or Windows Vista, but behind each common name is an actual Windows version number 1 .

You can determine your Windows version a number of ways if you want to check which build number you’re currently running.

Windows Version Numbers

Below is a list of major Windows versions and their associated version numbers:

Reference Table for Windows Version Numbers
Operating System Version Details Version Number
Windows 10 Windows 10 (20H2) 10.0.19042
Windows 10 (2004) 10.0.19041
Windows 10 (1909) 10.0.18363
Windows 10 (1903) 10.0.18362
Windows 10 (1809) 10.0.17763
Windows 10 (1803) 10.0.17134
Windows 10 (1709) 10.0.16299
Windows 10 (1703) 10.0.15063
Windows 10 (1607) 10.0.14393
Windows 10 (1511) 10.0.10586
Windows 10 10.0.10240
Windows 8 Windows 8.1 (Update 1) 6.3.9600
Windows 8.1 6.3.9200
Windows 8 6.2.9200
Windows 7 Windows 7 SP1 6.1.7601
Windows 7 6.1.7600
Windows Vista Windows Vista SP2 6.0.6002
Windows Vista SP1 6.0.6001
Windows Vista 6.0.6000
Windows XP Windows XP 2 5.1.2600 3

[1] More specific than a version number, at least in Windows, is a build number, often indicating exactly what major update or service pack has been applied to that Windows version. This is the last number shown in the version number column, like 7600 for Windows 7. Some sources note the build number in parenthesis, like 6.1 (7600).

[2] Windows XP Professional 64-bit had its own version number of 5.2. As far as we know, that’s the only time Microsoft has designated a special version number for a specific edition and architecture-type of a Windows operating system.

[3] Service pack updates to Windows XP did update the build number but in a very minor and long-winded way. For example, Windows XP with SP3 and other small updates is listed as having a version number of 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_qfe.130704-0421 : Service Pack 3).

How to Update Windows

To update Windows to the newest build number, use Windows Update. Using the built-in Windows Update utility is the easiest way to check for and install Windows updates.

If your version of Windows isn’t currently set up to install updates automatically, you can change the Windows Update settings so that new updates are downloaded and applied automatically. This is the simplest way to keep Windows updated to the latest version number.

Major Changes in Windows 10

Microsoft introduced several changes to the Windows operating system with the release of Windows 10. These are some of the biggest differences between Windows 10 and Windows 8 (and older versions of Windows):

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