Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of Beach_Boy
Beach_Boy

asked on

How to identify Windows version?

Is there a way, by looking at the file structure or files on a Windows XP disk to identify what version it is?  There are so many different version of Windows XP and so many different activation key types to go with (and likewise with Vista) how do you know if this is a: Student/Teacher version, Retail, OEM, Home Edition, Vender Proprietary or otherwise.  I am asking this on the basis that there is not any identifying marking on the face of the CD.
Avatar of Ryan_Kempt
Ryan_Kempt
Flag of Canada image

Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type winver.exe, and then click OK. The version will be displayed in the About Windows box.
He means the Windows XP Disk not the actual windows version.
I'm affraid I personally don't know the awnser to this question.
However i'll start a search for the awnser and report it if i find it :) (Unless someone beat me to it ;))
It should mention it in winver.exe I would think ( http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/ResNet/images/winver.jpg ); it mentions whether or not it's Home, Professional, etc... for sure.

If you want to know if it's OEM click Start, goto Control Panel, click on Performance and Maintenance, and then click System. Under Registered to, if the characters OEM are in the Product ID number, it's obviously OEM.
Read: "Without installing the windows version on the disk, how do you figure out which version it is?" :)
It would be a pain installing 5 diffrent disks just to figure out their versions.

Regards,
Olrik
Avatar of Lee W, MVP
I can feel reasonably safe saying there is no known way - I had an SBS system that I needed to track down the Key on but couldn't and Microsoft could only track it down by the CD Part Number.  
Ok, Just like i thought then.
Well as leew said you can always contact microsoft.

Regards,
Olrik
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of SunBow
SunBow
Flag of United States of America image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
> there is not any identifying marking on the face of the CD.

That means it may not even have operating system files without use of imagination.
Avatar of Beach_Boy
Beach_Boy

ASKER

The winver file on the disk is an .exe file and can't be ran FROM the disk as a 'stand alone' file unless Windows has been installed already. It appears that the census is that there isn't any known way to identify what version a CD is from the file structure short of installing it or calling Microsoft.  Although, calling Microsoft and actually talking to someone is like calling and talking to the President - and thats if you call the right 'department' to begin with.

Thanks for the feed back.
You can get some Information from the PRODSPEC.INI in the I386 folder

but still no information about corporate edition (this should be one)
[SMS Inventory Identification]
Version=1.0
 
[Product Specification]
Product=Windows XP Professional
 
Version=5.0
Localization=German
ServicePackNumber=0
BitVersion=40 
[Version]
DriverVer=07/01/2001,5.1.2600.0

Open in new window

http://wiki.djlizard.net/Product_IDs
to compare your PID from the SETUPP.INI file in I386
Hello
I think its very simply install windows then there are many way to check.
Without installation you can find but its hard and in every version they make security changes.