Windows 10 (Enterprise and Home Edition) is Microsoft's current operating system. Even though there are initial rumors about a possible update to "Windows 11," it is still important for Microsoft users to keep their Windows 10 up to date and regularly install updates for both Enterprise and Home editions. This is the only way to ensure you always have all the new features and that your system is secure. But what is the latest version of Windows 10, and which version are you using? In this blog post, we want to give you an overview of the most important Microsoft updates.
We will also show you a function that allows you to easily find out which version is currently installed on your system and how to permanently display your Windows 10 version number on your desktop.
What versions of Windows 10 are there?
Windows 10 has been on the market for almost 6 years. The version from back then is hardly comparable to today's Windows 10. 11 major Windows 10 updates, new versions, and numerous new features lie between Windows 10 "Threshold," the version from July 1, 2015, and Windows 21H1, the current version from May 2021.
Here is an overview of all Windows 10 versions in chronological order:
| Win Version | Build | Codename | Release Date |
| 1507 | 10240 | Threshold 1 | July 29, 2015 |
| 1511 | 10586 | Threshold 2 | November 10, 2015 |
| 1607 | 14393 | Redstone 1 | August 2, 2016 |
| 1703 | 15063 | Redstone 2 | April 5, 2017 |
| 1709 | 16299 | Redstone 3 | October 17, 2017 |
| 1803 | 17134 | Redstone 4 | April 30, 2018 |
| 1809 | 17763 | Redstone 5 | October 2, 2018 |
| 1903 | 18362 | 19H1 | May 21, 2019 |
| 1909 | 18363 | 19H2 | November 12, 2019 |
| 2004 | 19041 | 20H1 | May 27, 2020 |
| 20H2 | 19042 | 20H2 | October 20, 2020 |
| 20H1 | 19043 | 21H1 | May 18, 2021 |
Which Windows 10 do you have installed?
To find out, simply open Windows settings (keyboard shortcut WIN + I) and click on "System" and then "About." Behind the "Version" entry, you will see your current Windows installation. If you have 21H1, you have the latest Windows 10 version. If a different Windows version is displayed, action is needed as a new update is available.
We showed you in this blog post why it's important to keep software, operating systems, and drivers up to date and regularly install new updates/upgrades released by Microsoft: Update software, close security gaps
And you can read what you can do if a Microsoft update goes wrong and how to prevent it in the future here: Avoid problems with Windows updates
Windows Trick: Display the current Windows 10 version number permanently on your PC
And finally, a little trick: If you wish, you can also have your Windows 10 version number displayed on your desktop. This way, you always have the number at hand without having to search for it.
Here's how it works:
- Type "regedit" in the taskbar search box
- Open the Registry Editor
- Go to this folder: "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop"
- Open the registry file: "PaintDesktopVersion" by double-clicking
- Change the number in the "Value" field from 0 to 1
- Restart your PC
And just like that, you'll have an unobtrusive display of your Windows 10 version number in the bottom right corner of your desktop. Have fun trying it out.
