Which version of Windows do you run on your PC?

Whether it's on a desktop, laptop or a tablet PC, we want to know if you're rocking Windows 10 or if you missed out on the free upgrade and still use Windows 8. The former is obviously Microsoft's latest version of its OS — there was no Windows 9 — but not everyone uses it on their PC. We're interested in learning which OS you, Windows Central reader, rely on, and why.

Which version of Windows do you use?

Are you a Windows 8 fan? Are you using an unsupported version, such as Windows Vista? Head on over to our community forum to tell us about the version of Windows you use and share you reasons why.

Simple question: Which version of Windows are you running on your laptop or PC, and why? Anyone still have an old setup rocking Windows 95 or similar? lol
James Falconer

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

122 Comments

The latest 15603 on my pcs & on my 950xl 15603.2. Coz the OS is the best!
same here
Same here... They're both reliable for me.
Dido
She's awesome.
of course Windows 8.1 with blocked telemetry/experience/back doors etc. cuz I dont need no spyware from M called W10
. Get the W10 Chinese Government edition. But, one never knows ...
maybe the Chinese Government has added some special interest software themselves ... You probably are a candidate for Linux. Maybe you even ought to use pure Linux,
Linux sans a distribution that is.
Like Linus Thorvalds does.
Can't get any better than this. .
MS DOS is his best bet....No more secure than that!
Uh, you mean 15063.
windows 7 and 8.1 pro.. still running wp8.1 on my 1520 as well. Running linux mint on two laptops and 8.1 on my surface rt 2 and surface pro 2 and my acer w700. windows 10 is the dealbreaker for me .. linux mint here i come..
W10 ist great. Absolutely no deal breaker for me. But that does not keep me from using Linux either. .
Check your information. That OS Build doesn't exist.
Same here 😊
Win 10 on desktop. Win 8.1 on ATIV SE. Win 10 on an older HP laptop.
Dual booting 10 & 8.1 Pros...
Rely more on 8.1 for security...Edge is still more hackable than IE, firefox, chrome or safari.
Can you explaine? Why Edge more hackable? why not using IE, FifeFox or Chrome on Win 10? Are you playing with me?
see link below:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/pwn2own-2017-microsoft-edge-hacked,3394...
Good article. As pointed out in some of the comments, part of that is likely based on the delay in pushing out the February update, which left a bunch of semi-known vulnerabilities available for brief period. Still, that's not good and it meant that between mid Feb and early March, Edge users were more vulnerable, but at least it's not likely that Edge is fundamentally less secure overall.
Windows 10, because I'm using windows since win98
Nice 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Bravo Jasa.
Me: Since Windows 3.0
Ancient!
How about Windows 1.0 ;-) http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/pain-scales.htm -
15063 on laptop and 14393 on old PC :)
The latest for a number of reasons, ryzen, layouts and stability
Windows 7 on PCs connected to my TVs for Media Center. Otherwise Windows 10, but have Win7 laptop around for occasional uses.
Windows 10.14393.969 on both work and home pc; Windows 10 Mobile 10.0.14393.953 on my phone; Windows RT 8.1 on my tablet; Windows Phone 8.1 on my work phone; Windows Server 2003 on a very old PC I still have but don't use anymore than a couple days a year. I should still have a Windows ME laptop from the dark days somewhere, but I'm not sure it will even boot today...
Windows 10 on all my desktops and laptops for daily use. It's excellent in every way. I do keep a virtual machine running XP to support some of my legacy software that hasn't worked since Windows 7 and I use a Galaxy S7 as a daily driver since my L950 crapped out. Sorry MS, you blew it.You lost this Win Mobile fan and it's doubtfull that a "ultra mobile PC with cellular connectivity" is going to bring me back any time soon.
Windows 10 everywhere. OneCore to rule them all!
If you are on any version but Windows 10, you are just hurting Microsoft, and you are hurting us all. If we dont all get on the same platform, IOS and Android will kill us. The free upgrade still works, I just built a virtual machine and activated it last week. I understand, you may have a PC from olden days, but with the inexpensive PC's available today, it's time to get with the program. thank you
Agreed. I just activated a fresh install on an old 7 license, and it worked just fine as well. I kinda hope the free upgrade activation works forever.
Hurting Micrsoft? i doubt it, but if it is I will go back to Windows 8.1 right now.
If we dont all get on the same platform, IOS and Android will kill us.
what do you mean 'will'? Windows 10 Mobile isn't going to shoot up in popularity and overtake iOS or Android anytime soon.
Windows 10 is more than mobile. We are at 500 million devices.
And you believe that?
Windows 10 is fine for the home user, mobile unit, and most prosumers. But for companies that rely on specific software/hardware Windows 10 is not ideal at all. I think you'll find most corporates will be utilizing Windows 7 (the large global company I work for does) and I'm pretty sure Microsoft isn't hurting at all by the revenue coming from that.
Been an insider preview member since the Windows 8 beta. Longhorn was the first OS I ever ran pre release.
Latest production Windows 10 across all my devices. I think it's the best and gets the latest support so in the long run is the safest.
Windows 7 on 1 desktop because of WMC, 3 desktops on 15063, 3 phones on 15063 and 2 tablets on 15063.
2005-January 2008: XP SP2
2008-July 2009: Vista SP1/SP2
2009-June 2012: W7
July 2012-July 2015: W8.x
August 2015-present: W10 TH1/2/RS1. Awaiting production release for desktop and Surface Pro 4. Lumia 820/830: W10M TH1 September 2015-November
November TH2-July 2016 RS1
March 2017 RS2 - present.
Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM: Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 build 15137.148 Lumia 950 Dual SIM: Windows 10 Mobile build 14393.953 Desktop PC: Windows 10 Pro 64 bits version 1703 build 15063.0 (Creator Update)
15063 on PC and 15063.2 on Mobile. What else?
Windows 8.1. It's as reliable as Windows got before 10 got twitchy. (Don't get me wrong, it's improved a lot but still not to my standards) It's consistent and I know that my start menu won't break nor will a feature be removed in the future. I've also tuned it to my liking and use some legacy programs that I don't want to risk a mandatory major update breaking. (like now the Anniversary update messed up some webcams.
15063 on my 2in1, 14393 on my 535 and an old HP laptop, and 15051 on my 650, because it's somehow stuck on that build, and says it's up to date...
Release Preview. Tired of broken stuff in Fast or Slow...
I have no idea why someon voted you down on this, what you say makes sense, you want a Os that is as stable as it can be, which a slow or fast ring relase may not be. some people just vote down just because they can.
yeah and vote me down, I do not care.
Yeah, who knows. Still gonna continue to run Release Preview tho...
Windows 10 at home/school, Windows 7 at work.
Laptop : 14393 and Lumia 640 14393 tring to update to15063.2 from yesterday but failing because of slow 🐌 internet☹☹
Windows 10 Pro on my desktop. Windows 8.1 Pro on my laptop, but that is because Sony refused to update the device drivers. Windows 10 Mobile on my Lumia 950.
Weird, I found most 8.1 drivers work fine in 10. Have you tried updating it? Is something broken?
I can count two on my machine that I had problems with, my sound card and my Scanner. took ages to get my scanner working and windows 10 kept knocking out the sound card drivers and wanting to put it's own in that did nto work. Thankfully Asus have now updated the drivers on their website, but the problem resurfaced with the so called creator edition
I haven't checked out my scanner (an old Canon one) since updating to Win10. It still works with a different 8.1 system. I'll keep that in mind, that I should check out those other peripherals.
15042 on my laptop. Haven't been able to install updates (keeps rolling back), so waiting to do a clean install from the RTM ISO.
Windows 10 latest preview on all my devices.
All the latest , im insider since 3 yrs . Good luck for all
Windows 7!
Laptop 15063.0 Enterprise - Tablet 15063.0 Pro - Phone 15063.2
Windows 10 across the board... On my Dell desktop, surface pro 1, surface pro 4, and phone. Hoping my Xbox will someday run full blown windows 10...
Three desktops at work, all Win XP Home, Lumia 520 and 720 Win 8.1, Lumia 735 Win 10, One Tablet Win 10
In a busy home of 6, all our tablets, phones (650's/950), laptops & PC's, and a PC attached to our TV are running Windows 10. I have spare 650's, an older laptop running Fast Ring and my 950 is on Release Preview. At work, we have Windows 10 with a few Windows 7 devices attached to some automation machinery with a Windows 2012 server. *And some Lumia 830's with Windows 10. The bosses wife won't part with her 830 either. Just for giggles, we have a client with an offline Windows NT 4.0 Server, locked in a closet since it’s replacement in 2000 just to see when it'll die. No hardware has been replaced, other than the last Service pack, it’s been running strong since the mid 90’s only briefly losing power in 2003 during the blackout.
Gotta love those old servers that won't die. I have a similar one, running 2008R2, with an uptime of around 4 years without a reboot. I just want to see how long it'll last.
For sure! I gave them an old AT power supply years ago just in case but after 20+ years, when it goes, we'll shed some tears and watch it head to the dump.
So is it actually doing anything? If it's offline, I assume it's not in use? (I know, in 2017, it's hard to imagine why anyone would have a computer that isn't connected! But that's how they all were....)
The ethernet cable was cut when it was replaced. It's it's lived long past the last bet when it would die.
I know someone who have two machines that is not connected to the net, a windows 7 machine and a Xp machine and they have not been for years, there is no need for them to be connected to the net as they are not use for internet or network stuff. I was going to connect them up as a internal network at one point, just to make it easier to send files from one to the other, but I have never got around to it, so USB drives are still used for that.
That's cool. What do they use those two machines for?
Literally upgraded to PC 15063.0 in the last hour
Windows 10, 14393 on my Lumia
Windows 10 15603 at the moment, but only to be nosy, will go back to 8.1 over the weekend. Got Linux mint on the other drive.
So, why are you still going back to 8.1?
Becuase Windows 10 is too nosy :) i do not like the way windows is going to be honest, too much info is being sent to MS and too much focus on cloud stuff. I also do nto like the forced updates and the phone style apps.
Quad core desktop- windows 7. Surface pro 1 windows 8.1.1. Surface pro 1 windows 10 insiders preview creators update.
Vista isn't dead yet! Microsoft still has Extended support available on it until next month: 11 April 2017.
Currently running Windows 10. I started off in the CP/M days, then DOS, then OS/2, the Windows 3.0 and I've been using one or another version ever since. I was so glad when the Windows-on-top-of-DOS days ended and everyone moved to NT...!
Awesome! I was too young for the CP/M era but my mother started with IBM in the 60's and remember her bringing us to the office to see the keypunch rooms. My parents had a Sinclair and my first personal computer wasn't until the Vic 20. We had Pet's in elementary school and still remember hearing Space Invaders on it for the first time. Loved DOS on my first 286 and enjoyed the evolution of Windows since.
15063.2 on my 950xl which doubles as my pc when docked.
I've used windows since Win95. Currently I've got 2 desktops a few years old, did the free upgrade from 7 to 10 last year. Also own an Asus T100 and Surface Pro3, upgraded those from 8 to 10. I should have the latest updates on all.
on latest W10 AU version
Currently build 15063 on desktop, touch notebook and Lumia 1520.
Asus N90 W10 last official, Lenovo ideacentre W10 last official, Lumia 950, 650, 550, 830 W10M last official, older lumia 630 W8.1.
U should be named Microsoft... Lol u have all those devices?
W10 Pro
Latest windows OS on both HP notebook and Lumia 640 XL. Latest Insider build
14393.969 in Dell XPS 8300 and 15603.2 in Lumia 1520
Windows 10 production on both computers.
Windows 10 on laptop (hp elitebook 745), pcs (2 self-build-once) and phones(950xl and 650). (all production ring) and windows 10 on all the work computers I maintain at work but one (which is on win 7 for testing purposes).
Always the very latest version ;-) .
Windows 10 on both PCs, windows 8.1 on Surface RT. Android tv box on a Roku TV
My desktop runs Windows 7, Surface Pro 4 runs Windows 10 14393, and my laptop runs Windows 10 14393. My phone runs Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 because the Windows 10 Mobile keyboard isn't as accurate and the forced phone updates, among other things.
Always the very latest version. Windows 10 Pro on my laptop and Windows Phone 10 on my lumia.
Mine are the latest that Microsoft supports on those devices. Yoga Pro 2 laptop with Windows 10 pro, Asus T102HA with Windows 10, Microsoft Surface 2 with 8.1RT, Lumia 928 with 8.1, Zune HD with Version 4.5, HP iPaq 4300 with pocket pc 2013.
10 Anniversary
10 anniversary. But I still have the install floppy disks for 3.1 lying around somewhere, just in case I need a hack-proof system...
Currently 2 PC:s plus Hp elite x3 and 950xl on 14393. Been using windows on all devices since Win XP 😊
Windows 10. Best Windows version to date!!
Windows 3.0 with my amstrad 20286 back in those days... Now Windows 10 production on all PCs and phones!
Only the latest fast ring build.
Windows 10 all the way! Pro version on desktop, Home version on Vaio netbook and Mobile on my Lumia 950XL.
Windows 10 on all my notebooks/desktops. Its the best! IOS on my mobile devices...Its the best. I used a surface book for the first time the other day, I am getting 2 of them with performance bases for my wife and I, and getting a surface studio for my office for designing motorcycles/snowmobiles/atvs for work. AWESOME DEVICES.
Dual boot 7 and 10. 7 used TV sometimes
Windows 10 because its the best Windows version ever released in my opinion. I love Cortana and UWP apps.
Windows 10 latest insider 15063 across board: Surface Pro 1, 4X8-inch tablets, 2 laptops (thinkpad and inspiron), 3 desktops (1 quad-core, 2 12-core workstations Z800 and T7500)... I think I'm missing one or two machines, but if it can run windows, it's on Windows 10 :-)
Yeah, almost forgot two xbox ones (phat and S), lumia 950 and 950xl, 1520, 920 (still alive!!), 640.. Bunch of 8.1 phones (htc 8X, lumia 521).. Waiting to get my grubby paws on an Elite X3 :-)
Windows 10 on laptop & desktop and Windows 10 mobile on AT&T Lumia 950. I was going to upgrade to Windows 10 for Start Button being brought back. ;) I love the security of App's running in containers. I also love Hello & PIN for authentication for my personal computer. I'm also using Defender with Cloud checking feature. I'm also using Backup feature of Windows 10 to network file server Dlink DNS-327L. I haven't test restores yet. ;) I've also stopped purchasing office and installing locally on my computer. Now I used free Office Live for Word, Excel, Power Point when I need it instead. I no longer use my pesonal computer for work and don't need Outlook, Word Excel, Power Point all the time. I also didn't want to have to deal with updating Office.
Windows 10 production.
Windows 8.1 on desktop and SP3 and Windows Phone 8.1 on Lumia 810 and 830 all day, all night! It doesn't even get close.
Win 7 on $30 pentium 4M Thinkpad, works ok
Win7x64 on my home PC, Win10M on my mobile...
Running Windows 10 Pro Insider Release Preview on my desktop, Fast ring on all my tablets and phones except my daily driver 950XL which vacillates between RP and Slow ring. Although I still have a few old towers in my closet and at least two Windows 98 disks and a few XP disks to put on them XD
I use Surface 3 and 950xl. Needless to say that I am using Windows 10 on both devices, right.
Windows 10 on PC, Notebook and 950 XL.
Laptop is Windows 8.1 Enterprise, Desktop Windows 10 Insider Pro. The Windows 10 Enterprise wasn't working well when I tried it, on the desktop. I got out my Windows 7 Pro software, loaded it on the desktop, then proceeded with the Instiders Windows 10 on it. Wanted the laptop to remain as 8.1, incase the Insider 10 software crashed, that way I wouldn't loose data.
Dual booting windows 7 and 10 on my desktop, rocking windows 10 on my still awesome Lumia 1520
I'm rocking Windows ME on all my pooters because ME is the best so far. It's Millennial Edition for the new Millennium! But since it's been on my machines for 17 years I'm toying with the idea of jumping a version ( the inferior XP?) and upgrading to Vista. I heard Vista is AMAZING. I think I might need to increase all the RAM by 2 or 4 GB tho'. Thoughts?
Vista is basicly bullet proof now, runs fine on my 2009 toshiba satalite with factory 1 GB ram and all original drivers & software i think you will like it way more than ME. i would dual boot it and see how it runs on that old of a PC.
Windows 10 Pro production build on my PC, for My 950 Windows 10 mobile production build.
Gaming deskstop, laptop and tablet run Win 10 production. HTPC runs 7. Lumia 950 is on the release preview. Still have my old desktop though... that has installs of XP, Vista and 7... and my Vista install has VM installs of 3.1, 95, 98 & 2000 on it.
Yes, I tried 11 times to update my Sony VAIO. Initially Sony said that I could. After a month of failures to upgrade to Windows 10, Sony then sent me another email saying that they couldn't upgrade the device drivers on my laptop and they weren't going to try anymore. So, basically I'm stuck permanently with Windows 8.1 on that laptop. Very disappointing. And honestly I'm not likely to ever want to own another Sony laptop again.
Why not clean install Windows instead? You are definitely not stuck with 8.1 permanently, it's just that upgrading from one version to another is usually not a very smooth process.
It was my understanding that even if I did do a clean install, the device drivers for the laptop wouldn't support Windows 10 anyway.
I have 8.1 because it's enterprise and I do not have the time for the trouble of "downgrading" it and then updating it. I will just stick to it unless it dies so bad there is no option left, but to stick with my Lumia 950 instead of having a PC.

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