One of the questions I’m asked quite frequently is: “Am I running Windows 10 or Windows 11?” If you’re unsure which version of Windows you’re using, I’ll show you several simple tips to help you double-check if you’ve got Windows 10 vs Windows 11.
Why This Matters
Before we dive in, I should mention that if you’re already certain which version of Windows you’re running, this guide might not be useful for you. However, if you’re among the many people who aren’t quite sure, these tips will help you identify your Windows version quickly and easily.
Tip 1: Check the Colour Scheme
The first tip assumes you haven’t customised your Windows settings and are using the default appearance. This might be the easiest method because it’s all about colour.
On my screen, you’ll notice I have a very light interface. My taskbar is cream, white, or light grey – whatever you prefer to call it. This bright appearance immediately tells me I’m using Windows 11. In contrast, Windows 10 standardised on darker colours, with a black or dark taskbar by default.
Tip 2: Taskbar Placement
Again, assuming you haven’t changed the default settings, the placement of the taskbar and its options provides another clue.
For those unfamiliar, the taskbar is the bar at the bottom of your screen containing the Start button, search function, and icons for running or pinned applications. In Windows 11, these elements are centred by default, whilst in Windows 10 and all previous versions, the Start button was always in the bottom-left corner.
Tip 2.5: Rounded Corners
When you hover over items or click into menus in Windows 11, you’ll notice they have rounded corners. Whilst this isn’t immediately obvious, it’s a distinctive design feature of Windows 11. I’d consider this more of a supplementary tip – let’s call it “Tip 2.5”.
Tip 3: Clock and Notifications Behaviour
A subtle but useful difference lies in the calendar options in the bottom-right corner. In Windows 10, when you hover over the clock and date, only that area is highlighted. Clicking it expands to show a calendar. The notifications area is separate – hovering over the notification icon highlights it independently, and clicking reveals specific notifications.
In Windows 11, however, the clock, calendar, and notifications are integrated. When you hover over this area, it’s treated as one element, and clicking anywhere opens a combined panel showing all these features together.
Tip 4: Window Layout Options
The final difference is particularly useful. We’ve always had the standard window controls in the top-right corner: the X to close, maximise/restore, and minimise buttons. In Windows 11, if you hover over the maximise button, you’ll see various layout options appear. Windows 10 doesn’t offer this feature – it simply provides maximise or restore window options.
Review
These simple visual cues can help you quickly identify whether you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your computer. No technical knowledge required – just a few quick checks and you’ll know exactly which version you have installed.
Remember, whilst these tips assume you’re using default settings, they should work for most users who haven’t really customised their Windows appearance.
Written with the help of Claude AI from an original transcription.
YouTube Videos
Windows 10 or 11? 4 Easy Ways to Check Which Version You Have
Easy Fix: Bring Back Classic Windows Taskbar Layout on Windows 11
Quick Tip: Accessing All Right-Click Menu Options in Windows 11
Windows 11 Layouts vs Snap: The Guide to Managing Your Windows | Productivity Tip
Windows 11 Snipping Tool: New Features & Complete Tutorial (Including Screen Recording!)
How to Capture Right-Click Menus in Windows 11 Snipping Tool (The Workaround That Actually Works!)
Windows 11 Tip: Disable Annoying Widget Pop-ups in 30 Seconds
How to Add Borders to ALL Your Screenshots in Windows 11 Snipping Tool
How to Copy File Path in Windows 11 (Quick & Easy Method)
How to Show File Extensions in Windows 11 File Explorer (Easy Tutorial)
Other Windows 11 Posts
Quick Tips to Identity Windows 10 vs Windows 11 (current post)
How to Move Windows 11 Taskbar to the Left: A Simple Guide
Access Hidden Options in the Windows 11 Right Click Menu
How to use Windows 11 Layouts to Organise Your Screen
Windows 11 Snipping Tool – What’s New
How to Capture Right-Click Menus in Windows 11 Snipping Tool
How to Stop Windows 11 Widgets from Automatically Opening When You Hover
Windows 11 Screenshots Made Better: Add Eye-Catching Borders In Just 3 Steps
5 Powerful Reasons Why You Need File Extensions Visible in Windows 11
Recent Posts
- What’s Actually in Your Microsoft 365 App Launcher?
Open your Microsoft 365 app launcher and you’ll find more than 20 apps staring back at you. You’ll only use a small handful of them regularly. The rest fall into “useful sometimes” or “you’ll probably never touch this” territory. This post has Microsoft 365 apps explained in plain English. Each one is grouped by how… Read more: What’s Actually in Your Microsoft 365 App Launcher? - The OneNote Feature I Rely On More Than Any Other
If you’ve ever typed a search word into OneNote, you’ll know the feeling. Every relevant note appears, no matter which notebook it was buried in. That’s why so many people ask how to search across notebooks in OneNote in the first place. Being able to search across notebooks in OneNote is, for me, the single… Read more: The OneNote Feature I Rely On More Than Any Other - OneNote Templates, Your New Time-Saver
Ever find yourself recreating the same layout every time you start a new page in OneNote? OneNote templates solve exactly that problem — they let you save a page’s look and content once, then reuse it whenever you need it, whether that’s for meeting notes, a to-do list, or your own custom format. Once you… Read more: OneNote Templates, Your New Time-Saver - OneNote Meeting Notes Made Ridiculously Simple
I used to think setting up OneNote meeting notes had to involve some typing before the useful part could even begin – the subject, the date, who was on the call. Turns out I was making it far harder than it needed to be. There’s one command that fills all of that in for you,… Read more: OneNote Meeting Notes Made Ridiculously Simple - OneNote Can Hold More Than You Think
If you’ve only ever used OneNote to type the odd note, you’re missing most of what it can do. You can add content to OneNote in far more ways than plain text — think copied web pages, screen clippings, tables, even spreadsheets. It works less like a document and more like a digital dumping ground… Read more: OneNote Can Hold More Than You Think
windows 10 vs windows 11, identify windows version, find windows version