CompuClever Blog

How to Identify Your Windows Version and Edition

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Can you guess what version of Windows is the most popular among all PC users? Is it Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or even Windows XP?

Answer: Windows 7. According to NetMarketShare.com, Windows 7 dominates over 45% of the entire desktop market.

Do you know how to identify the version and edition of your Windows Operating System (OS)? Sometimes, it is critical that you have all the necessary version and edition information, including the type of system, whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit. For instance, when you need to refresh, repair, or even reinstall your Windows OS, you must have all this data ready. This article instructs you how obtain it.

The System Properties Dialog Box

It turns out that you can find the complete set of Windows version and edition information from the System Properties dialog box. It provides an overview of your PC’s hardware and OS information including Windows OS version, edition, and system type.

For instance, the System Properties dialog box shown above provides us with the following information:

  • Windows OS version: Windows 7 (Windows Edition section)
  • Windows 7 edition: Windows 7 Professional (Windows Edition section)
  • System type: 64-bit OS (System | System type section)

To summarize this and to use the most technically correct format, we can say this PC is running: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit). Continue reading...

Groovy Windows Shortcuts

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One of our top support technicians has passed on some very useful tips on Windows shortcuts that he wanted to share with our readership.  That spurred on some others of us here at CompuClever to chip in our favorites as well.  Here is what we have come up with. We hope these will help you to easily navigate the choppy waters of the Windows operating system.

The Windows operating system can be a maze of commands, and people new to Windows or to computers in general, can find it daunting.  As with anything though there are always some hidden tricks that make things easier so I thought we should shed some light on them to make using Windows less intimidating and let you wow your friends with your new nerdy skills.

The Windows Logo Key

PC computer keyboards come with a button that some of us at CompuClever were not 100% certain about in terms of functionality.  So we are all learning something new!  The Windows Logo button is between the Ctrl and Alt keys and has the Microsoft Windows “flag” on it.  We will refer to it as the Windows Windows logo key key or simply the Win key. Most of the Windows shortcuts introduced below involve this particular key. Continue reading...

Virus vs. PUP and how to remove both

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We are going to tread carefully and examine two areas of PC ailments. We will strive to make this more understandable and to provide effective and free solutions for both.  If you look at how Microsoft deals with these categories you will find that they admit these two areas are not mutually exclusive and certain terms are used interchangeably.  For our purposes we want to be more definite so that we can pinpoint what steps you need to take in order to deal with these items if you are or ever have experienced them.  This article also assists you in preventing them from happening, provides free tools, and outlines the steps to get rid of both types.

How could a PUP be unwanted?  Well, in this case, we are not referring to a fluffy, playful dog or even Power Pup the Office Assistant.  We’re referring to a term that is increasingly being used to describe Potentially Unwanted Programs.  We are likely all too familiar with a virus infection; your PC becomes infected when opening something such as an email attachment or having something downloaded without your consent when visiting an infected website – even ones that are considered legitimate can be sabotaged.  Continue reading...

Windows 8 Flavors – RT, Basic, and Pro

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Something new always brings an element of excitement thrown in with a bit of apprehension.  Windows 8 is now available and it comes in three flavors.  This article shines some light on the versions offered in an effort to make them a little more familiar.  The latest versions of Windows 8 are: RT, Windows 8 (Basic) and Windows 8 Pro.  Here is a little about each.

Windows RT

The “RT” stands for Runtime.  The first most important aspect anyone needs to know is that it is only available on tablets; in this case the thin and light PCs with extended battery life, designed for mobility, and are “touch enabled” (that is, they support touch screen functionality such as swipe, tap, pinch-and-stretch, and more).  As it is only available on tablets, this means it is not available as a separate download.  Instead, anyone interested will need to go to a retail store to try one out and test run the operating system.  The software that runs on Windows RT comes exclusively from the Windows App store.  It includes Windows Update to keep your system and apps up-to-date, and Windows Defender for virus and malware protection.

Features: Windows RT includes some different features than Windows 8 and some features that are not included. Continue reading...