How to Determine the Version of Windows 95/98/Me in Use
Applies To
This article was previously published under Q158238
SUMMARY
This article describes how to identify the following information about your Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) installation:
Which version of Windows you are running
Whether your installation of Windows is an OEM installation
Whether your installation of Windows is an international version
MORE INFORMATION
To determine the version of Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me that you are running:
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, double-click System.
Click the General tab.
Locate the version number under the System heading and then see the following table:
Release Version File dates
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Windows 95 retail, OEM 4.00.950 7/11/95
Windows 95 retail SP1 4.00.950A 7/11/95-12/31/95
OEM Service Release 2 4.00.1111* (4.00.950B) 8/24/96
OEM Service Release 2.1 4.03.1212-1214* (4.00.950B) 8/24/96-8/27/97
OEM Service Release 2.5 4.03.1214* (4.00.950C) 8/24/96-11/18/97
Windows 98 retail, OEM 4.10.1998 5/11/98
Windows 98 Second Edition 4.10.2222A 4/23/99
Windows Me 4.90.3000 6/08/00
Notes
With Microsoft Windows 98 System Update and Microsoft Windows 98 Customer Service Pack, not all files have the version stamp that is listed in the table. Windows 98 System Update was included in the Windows 98 Customer Service Pack. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
239937 Availability of Microsoft Windows 98 Customer Service Pack
You can view file version information by right-clicking a file in Windows Explorer, clicking Properties on the shortcut menu, and then clicking the Version tab. If the properties for the file do not show a Version tab, there is no version information available for that file.
With Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2), 2.1 (OSR 2.1) and 2.5 (OSR 2.5), not all files have the version stamp that is listed in the table. For OSR 2.1 and OSR 2.5, only files that have been updated to provide support for the Win32 Driver Model (WDM) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) may have this version stamp (the remainder maintain the same version stamps as the corresponding OSR2 files).
You can view file version information by right-clicking a file in Windows Explorer, clicking Properties on the shortcut menu, and then clicking the Version tab. If the properties for the file do not show a Version tab, there is no version information available for that file.
With few exceptions, Windows 95 updates have a version number of 4.00.951 or later, indicating that the file is a newer version than was originally included with Windows 95. Updates to Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) generally have a version of 4.00.1112 or later.
Multiple fixes may be applied to the same component. With a few rare exceptions, these fixes are always cumulative. A change that is implemented in a given version of a particular component is also included in later versions of that component, along with any additional change implemented in the later versions. (For example, version 4.00.952 would contain the change implemented in version 4.00.951, as well as the new change.)
The cumulative nature of these changes, combined with the incremented version numbers, means that, with very few exceptions, there is always one "current" version of a given component, containing all fixes made to that component to date.
If you are running Windows 95 OSR 2.1, you see version number 4.00.950B (the same as OSR2) when you follow the steps listed above. To determine whether you are running OSR 2.1, check for "USB Supplement to OSR2" in the list of installed programs in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel, and check for version 4.03.1212 of the Ntkern.vxd file in the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder.
If you are running OSR 2.5 and you uninstall the USB Supplement by using the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel, the version number changes to 4.00.950b on the General tab in System properties.
If you have installed a program that uses Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), the updated User.exe file version number may change to 4.01.0970 or 4.01.970 followed by either a blank or a letter (A, B, or C) reflecting the original version of Windows 95.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Version Identification
Windows may have been preinstalled on your computer. These installations are referred to as OEM installations. An OEM Service Release (for example, OSR 2) is an updated version of a product for PC manufacturers (OEMs) to preinstall on new PCs. The purpose is to allow OEMs to install an integrated Windows product that contains the latest available individual updates and supports recent advances in hardware that requires core operating system support.
NOTE: The OSR versions that are listed in this article can be obtained only from an OEM. A retail Windows 95 (version 950) installation cannot be upgraded with an OSR version.
To determine whether you have an OEM installation of Windows:
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, double-click System.
Click the General tab.
Locate the Product ID number under the "Registered To" heading. This number typically contains 20 digits. If digits 6, 7, and 8 contain the letters "OEM," you have an OEM installation of Windows. For example, the following sample Product ID number indicates an OEM installation:
12345-OEM-6789098-76543
If you are using an OEM installation of Windows, you should contact your computer's manufacturer for general Windows support.
International Version Identification
To determine the language version of Windows 95 or Windows 98 that you are using:
Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
In the Named box, type winver.exe, and then click Find Now.
When the file is located, right-click the file, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
Click the Version tab.
In the Item Name box, click Language. The language version is then displayed in the Value box.
Additional Information
For additional information about the specific contents of an OSR version or service pack, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
146449 Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Components
143003 Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Updates
148761 Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1
181661 Files Included with the USB Supplement in OSR2.1 and OSR2.5
234762 Description of Windows 98 Second Edition
239937 Availability of Microsoft Windows 98 Customer Service Pack
232972 Contents of the Microsoft Windows 98 System Update
161020 Implementing Windows 95 Updates
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1
Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2
Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.1
Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Last Reviewed: 5/24/2003 (2.2)
Keywords: kbhowto KB158238
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