How To Easily Find Your Operating System, Application, and Browser Versions

Ask @WinObs: Why Should I Upgrade to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Q. I don’t see a good reason to upgrade my machine or deal with the constant updates. Why should I upgrade to a new version of Windows 10?

A. I think to answer this question, we have to look at Microsoft’s support plan for Windows 10 and how that affects you as an end user. But the TL;DR is this “Stay upgraded so you have full Microsoft support.”

Back in 2015, shortly before the first version of Windows 10 was released in July 2015, Microsoft laid out the specifics about the lifecycle of Windows 10. The company’s new approach was tied directly to the entire Windows as a Service (WaaS) process. It’s called the Modern Lifecycle Policy.

This Modern Lifecycle Policy requires that Windows 10 users remain current, i.e. synched to the latest version of Windows 10, and accept the continuous servicing updates for the Windows 10 operating system (i.e. the updates that get pushed out monthly, or in response to known security or third-party issues) as well as the bigger feature updates.

We begin with Windows 10 at is initial release back on July 29, 2015. At that time, a 10-year support lifecycle was established, and it is set to expire on  October 14, 2025. That is called the Extended Support End Date.

In the past Microsoft has also established a Mainstream Support End Date for their OS releases, typically five years after initial release, but under the Modern Lifecycle Policy that has changed.

Microsoft’s new approach to the entire 10-year lifecycle support period is now tied to Windows 10 Home and Pro end users keeping their systems patched with the latest serving updates. As customers remain within the end of service date for each feature update, they will continue to be supported under Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle Policy.

So far in the lifecycle of Windows 10, there has been one main release and five subsequent feature updates since July 2015. Each one is typically supported for about 18 months. Currently only the following versions of Windows 10 are supported for consumers:

• Windows 10 Version 1703 (Creators Update) – End of Service Date: October 9, 2018
• Windows 10 Version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) – End of Service Date: April 9, 2019
• Windows 10 Version 1803 (April 2018 Update) – End of Service Date: November 12, 2019

If you are running one of the currently supported servicing updates shown above on your Windows 10 Home or Pro based system, then you are in a supported state. You may not be running the latest servicing release, but you are covered and will continue to get monthly cumulative updates for security and bugs.

If you have opted to use a third-party program or similar hack to disable Windows Update on your current version of Windows 10, then you could be on an unsupported version of the OS. That means you are not getting cumulative updates to address security issues or bugs that are discovered and being fixed. This, of course, makes your system vulnerable and by not upgrading to later feature updates, you might also be missing out on new security enhancements and features.

This all brings me to the initial question – why go ahead and upgrade to the April 2018 Update for Windows 10?

We have been highlighting all the key enhancements for this fifth feature update for Windows 10 here in the Windows Secret newsletters over the last couple of months, so many of you have been reading about those already. But if I was asked to name just three reasons to upgrade to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, I would cite the following.

Number One: The Timeline. It brings all your activities into one place and it comes from across all your devices. If you use Microsoft Edge on your Android or iOS devices, then that browsing is also synced across your devices. In addition, if you use Chrome or Firefox as your desktop browser there is a Timeline Support extension that brings that browsing activity into your Timeline display. You can even use this feature and not even need to use Microsoft Edge. P.S. I will say that Edge has improved a lot in this release as well, so it is worth another look.

Number Two: The Progressive Web Applications support in Microsoft Edge. With the availability of this functionality in Microsoft Edge, we got the first major update to the official Twitter App since it was introduced to the Microsoft Store a couple of years ago. Immediately, PWA support brought Windows 10 users of the official app up to speed on all the new features and updates Twitter has been making available to their service. Now when a new feature or change is needed, that update is applied on the server side and we see it in the app on Windows 10 almost immediately. No more lagging behind other platforms because this is the same way Twitter updates their apps on iOS, Android and Twitter Lite (mobile.twitter.com).

Number Three: The Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG). If you like to poke around risky websites or need to do similar things for your own work, practice or experimentation then you want this feature. Once you add this to Windows 10 Pro, you will have an option in Edge to open a New Application Guard Window. This window is opened in its own virtual machine-based sandbox and that means any activity that occurs in that browser window stays there – nothing gets in or out during the session. That means no risk of infection or other crossover effects from your browsing or work in that window.

Of course, I am a fan of staying up to date on all my Windows 10 devices and pull-down updates on the day of their release without hesitation. I took this approach with Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista and other earlier versions of Windows before it. Have I run into problems over the years? Sure – but nothing that stopped me in my tracks. Since I had faith in my backups, there was no issue to recovering if something was to happen either.

My final recommendation is to simply stay up to date and protected. If you want to delay updates for a period, then shift to Windows 10 Pro and gain that capability using official tools instead of third-party hacks. Yes, I know the settings in Windows 10 Pro require a check for updates before applying another period of no updates but that is only going to protect you, your data and your system in the long run.

Whatever you decide, isn’t ensuring your system and data safety the highest priority you could have? Microsoft’s made it clear the way to do that as a consumer is to cleave to the Modern Lifecycle Policy.

How To Easily Find Your Operating System, Application, and Browser Versions

You can see the current versions of your OS and applications with the aid of some free software utilities.

You know which version of Windows you’re running on your PC, such as Windows 10. But with so many updates coming out, do you know which version of Windows 10 is installed? You likely run many different applications on your PC but how do you keep track of their version numbers? And if you use multiple browsers, how do you keep tabs on which version of each browser is installed? Sure, you can view the settings for Windows and open each and every application and browser on your computer. But there has to be an easier and quicker way. And there is, with help from the right tools.

Certain software programs can scan your PC and tell you which version of Windows you have, which application versions you’re running, and which browser versions are installed. Many such utilities now charge a price. But you’ll still find some good freebies out there. Belarc Advisor can display a list of all the Windows updates, security fixes, applications, and other data on your PC. WinAudit reveals detailed information on your hardware, software, and many other elements. And Webroot System Analyzer can check out your hardware, operating system, and installed applications.

Belarc Advisor

Belarc Advisor supports every version of Windows from XP to 10 and displays its data in an HTML page that you can view in any browser. Download and install the free program from the Belarc website. During the install, you’re asked to check for new Advisor security definitions. Check for these the first go-round and each time you run the program to keep it updated. The software then scans your computer and local network to create a profile of your system. Following the installation and every time you launch the application, Belarc displays a page in your default browser with details about your hardware and software.

Belarc Advisor reveals your specific version of Windows, including the build. For example, version 1803 refers to the recent Windows 10 April 2018 Update. The other information at the top covers your hardware – your computer, processor, disk drives, memory, printers, and other physical devices. Scroll down further, and Belarc Advisor tells you if you’re missing any security updates. Click on the provided link to view the specific security bulletin and download the missing update. Scroll down to the bottom of your page. Now, you can see the names and version numbers of all your installed applications, including your browsers.

WinAudit

WinAudit is a free, open source program that delivers an inventory of your hardware and software configuration. Download and run WinAudit.zip from the website of its developer Parmavex Services. Just double-click the unzipped exe file to launch the program. WinAudit scans your system to build a report of your environment.

A system overview provides a quick glimpse of your computer by displaying the name, model, serial number, memory, and hard drive capacity. Scroll down the list or click on the various categories in the left pane to see specific details on each item. The category for operating system displays your version of Windows as well as the build number, directory location, and bitness (32-bit or 64-bit). Select the category for Installed Software to see a list of each program on your computer along with the version number and other relevant data. You’ll also find other helpful pieces of information, such as user permissions and security, scheduled tasks, startup programs, and programs currently running.

You can refresh the WinAudit results by running another audit of your system. Under Options, you can choose which categories and items to include in the scan and results. To store the results separately, save the report as an HTML file, CSV file, or rich-text file. You can even export the data to a database, such as Access, Microsoft SQL Server, or MySQL.

Webroot System Analyzer

Webroot System Analyzer scans your system to detect any issues and also provides an inventory of your hardware and software. Download the program from the Webroot website. No need for installation; just run the downloaded syswranalyzerbus.exe file. Click on the Agree and Start button to launch a scan of your computer. The application checks out your operating system, hard drive setup, memory, network configuration, attached devices, and more. After the scan, System Analyzer reveals any threats or other issues it discovered. Are you low on disk space? Was any malware uncovered? Is your firewall up and running?

Click on the button to View Report Details to see all the items that were uncovered. From here, click on the button to View Full Report. The results appear in a plain text file, which is not as easy to view and use as is a more interactive report. But it provides all the key details on your PC, including your operating system, security, disk drives, memory, Windows updates, attached devices, network adapters, and services. The section for operating system displays the Windows version and build number. A section for Installed Software shows the name of each application on your computer as well as the version number and location.