How to find out which version of windows is running on my computer

Before we begin, let us clear something up: this blog is dedicated to solving printer, drivers, ink cartridge and toner cartridge issues. In order to solve these issues, you must know which exact version of your OS is installed on your computer.

This tutorial will show you how to identify your OS and its bit rate, and how to get a quick diagnosis of any problem that may appear on your computer.

In most cases, ink cartridge problems have very little or nothing to do with physical problems occurring on your printer, but then to be related to driver issues. This is why we sometimes recommend you uninstall and install your drivers back in your computer, since turning your printer off or moving a file from its original location can mess with your printer’s drivers.

If you need to download the drivers for your printer, and lack the original installation CD, please read the post found in this link. keep in mind you’ll also need to have all this basic information about your computer -OS and OS version- to install this printers, so please read the following instructions to get it done.

Procedure to find out the version of windows installed on a computer:

First of all, make sure your computer is on and fully functional. Here is a quick way for learning this information; some longer ones do exist, but this is the one we’re using. Click on the start menu to detect this particular OS version.

Step #1:
Please enter the start menu, located on the lower-left side of your desktop. That will display a menu on your computer screen, which will depend on what OS version you’re using.

If yours looks like this one, please click on the logo and look at the emerging menu.

Step #2:
Click on the execute option on the menu, which should look like this:

Step #3:
Once you’ve clicked on it, a small window will appear on screen, asking you to insert a processing code. Now, type winver in the slot, just as is shown in the following picture.

winver in windows xp

Step #4:
Click on accept, and see how a new window appears on your desktop. It will contain all the information you’re looking for, both your operating System and the particular version installed on the PC.

windows xp information

As you can see, the window shows we’re using windows, specifically windows XP professional. This is the information you’ll get if the start menu logo looks like the one we showed you.

Step #5:
In, on the contrary, our start menu logo looks like this:, and lacks the actual lettering, just click on it and wait for the menu to unfold completely.

The execute option will not show up this time, so we’ll have to use the integrated search engine on our computer. If, for example, we type execute on it and ask it to search the entire computer, this option will now be available to us. Just repeat the instructions in step #4 once you’ve reached this spot, and you’ll be able to find out exactly what version of windows is running on your computer. Please look at the next picture.

windows 7 ultimate

Remember this is a very important piece of information to have, and that it will help you with any driver issues you may have. If you need to know more of this particular subject, please contact us by leaving a comment in the section below this post.

How to install a printer on windows8 OS

Windows keep improving the interface on the operating systems, and windows8 is not the exception; this last-generation OS makes things even easier for us. If you’ve already installed a printer on some other OS and want to do it on this one instead, please pay attention the following procedure.

windows 8 logo

Please remember you can count on us if this procedure doesn’t work out for you. You must only post a comment in the section below this post and we will get back to you with another possible solution.

First of all, let us clear something out: you can install your printer on windows8 by using windows7 printer drivers with compatibility mode.

You can achieve this by clicking on the set of drivers, selecting compatibility options, and then marking the compatibility mode square. In principle, these aren’t compatible with this OS version, but you can still make them work.

If you still can’t find the drivers for your printer model, we recommend you follow the steps in the installation procedure ahead. this installation method will set up a local printer on your computer, attached to it by a USB cable. This particular method can be very helpful, since it will keep update our printers as the same time we update our computers’ database. 

You could also read up on how to install a computer on windows and stick to this methogs, which is what we recommend. If want to create a wireless printing network, read our post How to install printers using a wifi network.

Procedure to install a printer on windows 8 OS:

Please keep in mind you must leave your printer and computer on throughout the entire installation process. The must both be on and fully functional. We also recommend you read your printer’s user manual, since manufacturers tend to include important information about installing the printer on different operating systems.

Step #1:

Go all the way to your computer’s toolbar, located on the lower- side of your windows 8 desktop.

Step #2:

Access the start menu on your computer and click on control panel.

Step #3:

As usual, click on printers and faxes or printing devices, the same tools you have to click on former windows versions.

Step #4:

Now, click on advanced options.

Step #5:

Open printing configurations and click on next.

Step #6:

You can now click on the Add Local or Wireless Printer option, while having the installation manual at hand. Click on next until you reach a listing that contains printer data. Please select your own printer’s brand and model from the lists to continue with this installation process.

Step #7:

Then, select the printer of your choosing. The list will include multiple printer brands, series and models, so please locate yours. If you can’t find it on here, update your drivers.

If your printer still doesn’t show up, please go to the printer’s brand website and look for the set of drivers that is compatible with your printer and OS. These websites usually have all these files available for download, which you can later modify according to your own needs.

How to install a printer on windows7 OS

Installing a printer on windows 7 can be very easy due to this particular operating system’s interface and the tools that come with it. Also, most modern printers install themselves automatically on our computers as soon as we attach them to it using a USB cable, and are constantly updating and backing up their drivers. This, however, isn’t featured in every printer.

Anyway, it all depends on the kind of printer we want to set up, and on whether it’s made for domestic or business use. On this post, we will try to offer a general printer installation process for windows7 OS.

We recommend you keep your printer’s user manual at hand, since the manufactures may have included some important information about the installation process in several different operating systems.

Procedure for installing a printer on windows7:

This post will show you how to install a local printer, which is the most common way of doing it. If you need to install it using a wifi network, please read our post How to install printers using a wifi network.

One of this printer’s main advantages is that it will install automatically as soon as you connect it to your computer using a USB cable.

If you want to install your printer using some other port, we recommend you do this manually. Look around our blog for additional information.

Step #1:
First of all, go to the start menu on your computer and click on printing devices. Please take a look at the following picture.

printing devices menu windows

Step #2:
Click on the add printer option, which can be found on the upper-left side of the printing devices window. See the next picture for details.

add printer

Step #3:
An installation wizard will now show up on your computer screen to help you install a local or wireless printer. Click on Add Local Printer.

Step #4:
windows 7 will now recommend a USB port you can connect your printer on. make sure you’re using this exact port, or change the printer’s USB cable to the appropriate one. Now, click on next.

Step #5:
Please select your printer’s brand and series on the upcoming listing. If you don’t know the series number or your computer doesn’t have one, just choose the printer model after selecting the brand.

list of printers to install

If your printer doesn’t appear on the list, click on windows Update to have the listing updated.

Step #6:
If the drivers don’t show up during the updating process but you still have the original drivers CD, please insert it in the computer and browse this folder. Open the file with the drivers and continue with the installation process.

If none of these methods work on your computer, please read the following post: how to install my driver if I get problems in the normal way.

Please continue with the drivers’ installation process and click on Finish once it’s completely done. Your drivers will now be installed and your printer will be ready to use.

Unfortunately, things could still go wrong even if you follow this procedure strictly. If this is your case, please post a comment in the section below this post and we will gladly get back to you.

How to print a test sheet on windows OS

You may have heard printing test sheets isn’t really necessary, but let us tell you it very much is. A test sheet is a way of examining our printer from our computers, and some PC’s and printer even have a special and immediate function or button that will print a test sheet as soon as we hit it.

For example, you could find this Test Sheet button on the front of certain printer models. If you have any special request, please search our blog for it.

This test sheet will give us a lot of information about our printer, even computer-related information such as where the printer is located in the PC.

in windows test page

You will receive a page similar to this one where you will be able to measure your printing quality and ink cartridge sharpness.

Steps to print a Test Sheet from windows OS:

Step #1:

Please leave your printer on and in fully functional status throughout this entire process. First, go to the start menu on your computer. The start menu logo looks like this, and you will find in the lower-left side of your desktop.

windows

Step #2:
Head over to printing devices on the start menu. This option will appear on the right column.

printing device menu windows

Step #3:
Locate the printer you want to print the test sheet with, and right-click on it. Select the Properties option for windows XP, or Printing Properties if you’re using a modern windows version starting from windows vista. Please take a look at the following picture.

print properties

Step #4:
Search the emerging window on your screen for the Print Test Sheet option, and click on it.This will start a printing process, after which you’ll receive a page similar to the one on this post.

As you can see in the picture, the upper part of the sheet will show the basic ink colors in your printer; the remaining text will be printed using black ink.

This sheet will be printed as any other, keeping the same margins and configurations. This will let us know how the rest of our prints will look like.

We recommend you print at least 5 test sheets after instaling a refilled ink cartridge in your printer. If you need to see more color on the page, please go to your Text Managing program and create a document with colored blocks, using the same colors on your printer.

Troubleshooting program for your printer

This post has been created for all those users that work with Windows OS on their printers, and includes a very useful program that can help you detect any error on your printer’s drivers and set everything straight. This helpful little program is called WIndows Fix It.

Windows Fix It will help you solve the most common printer issues out there, such as paper jams that remain set in your printer’s memory even after they’ve been dealt with.

It’s very easy to install: you will only need to download and execute a single file, which will only take a minute depending on your Internet connection. To obtain better diagnostics, please Install Internet Explorer 9 on your computer.
Please select Windows Printing Problems on the program’s menu to access step-by-step tutorials to solve common printer noise problems.

You could also try to install and run another troubleshooting program on your computer to get rid of these common printer issues.

We will now show you how this troubleshooting program should run on your PC. This particular software doesn’t discriminate brands or printer models, and will identify and solve minor issues on your printing devices.

To download Windows Fix It, please click on the following link:

Download link for the Windows Fix it troubleshooting software.
You can start reading about the execution process once you’ve installed this program on your computer.

Once you download and run this program, this is the first program that will appear on your screen. It will run smoothly most of the time, but it could have problems with your antivirus depending on the version you’re using.

microsoft fix it

We will know try to show you the entire process and teach you how to reach a solution for any problem that may occur on your printer, or at least suggest a possible fix.

If you have any doubts, don’t hesitate in leaving a comment in the section below this post. We’re glad to help you figure this out.

The first option is detecting and reviewing printer problems on your own:

This option will allow the printer to search the entire printer that’s having all these printing issues. In this way, the troubleshooting program will be able to identify each particular problem and ask us if we wish to accept the solution it’s proposing, or just give us a possible fix to this issue and not execute it.

The second option is to let the program detect and solve all problems by applying its own procedures:

print fix it

In this case, the troubleshooting program will start a review process on its own and start applying the solutions it considers appropriate. However, we don’t recommend this method, since the program can choose to fix other minor issues instead of the main one that’s led you to using it.We suggest you choose the first option and stay with it.

printer model

The next step consists in selecting the specific printer that’s causing all this trouble and find a solution for the issue. The printer will display all the printers installed on your computer, so you must be sure of which of them is having some problems and be able to find a proper solution for them.

fix it

This is the form where you’ll have to select which printer is having problems

After choosing one particular printer, the problem will examine it and search all over this device for common printing issues such as paper jams, diver malfunction or missing printer parts.

This will now appear on our computer’s screen:

The solution for these problems should appear on screen. In some cases, you will be redirected to Microsoft’s website, where you’ll be able to find a solution to any specific printer issue.

Even when this is a very helpful tool in solving common printing problems, you could also need to have a tech take a look at your printer and check for any physical problems in it. Please do not discard this option once you’ve downloaded Windows Fix It.

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All the pictures found on this blog post have been taken from a Windows program. All logos and images are copyrighted material, and we’re only using them to illustrate a point.