How to Find Out when Windows 10/11 was Installed?

In this Windows tutorial. we’ll show you the 3 best possible methods to find out when Windows 10/11 was installed. You may need to know the date and time Windows was installed on a machine at times.

Meanwhile, most Windows users will likely never install the operating system (sticking with the copy that came pre-installed when they bought their machine), expert users are all too familiar with it. Most users won’t know how long ago the current Windows installation was completed unless meticulous records are kept with each of the numerous installs throughout the years.

Moreover, it’s useful to know when Windows was installed in a variety of scenarios. For example, if you acquire a used Windows PC and are undecided about whether or not to reinstall it. You never know when the OEM version was installed before it reached the shelves when you buy one from a large box shop.

How Do I Find Out When Windows 10/11 was Installed?

There are a few methods for determining when Windows was installed on a machine. Check the installation date to see how old a machine is or whether Windows has been reinstalled.

It’s important to note that the installed date may not be correct. That’s because if you’ve updated to a newer version of Windows (for example, from Windows 10 to Windows 11), the original install date displayed is the upgrade date.

Method 1. Check via Settings

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings directly.
• Select System from the left-hand side pane and then scroll down all the way and select About.
• Under the Windows specifications section, you can easily find the exact date next to the Installed on option.

Check via Settings

Method 2. Find Out When Windows 10/11 was Installed via Command Prompt (CMD)

To find Command Prompt, go to the Start menu and type it in. Select the Command Prompt program under Best match.

Type the following command and press Enter.

systeminfo|find /i "original"

The Original Install Date appears in a matter of seconds.

Find Out When Windows 10/11 was Installed via Command Prompt (CMD)

Alternatively, you may use the commands listed below to get the installation date:

systeminfo

Check the date next to the Original Install Date option.

Method 3. Find the Windows Install Date with PowerShell

Open Windows PowerShell.

Type the following command and press enter:

([WMI]'').ConvertToDateTime((Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem).InstallDate)

The Original Install Date appears in a matter of seconds.

Find the Windows Install Date with PowerShell

Another PowerShell operation examines the value of a registry entry that holds the installation date. The following is the command:

[timezone]::CurrentTimeZone.ToLocalTime(([datetime]'1/1/1970').AddSeconds($(get-itemproperty 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion').InstallDate))

It then displays the installation date in a readable format.

When looking for the original Windows install date, there are a few things to keep in mind

First and foremost, you should be aware that this instruction is compatible with all current Windows versions, including Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows 11. Second, we’ve tested and validated that all of the methods we’re sharing work in all three versions.

However, depending on what Windows you installed and how you installed it, you may find yourself in one of the following situations:

• You installed Windows from scratch (from scratch). In this situation, all of the strategies in this article are effective and yield positive outcomes.
• You’ve upgraded your old Windows version to a newer one, such as installing Windows 10 as an update to Windows 7. The first four methods in this example display the installation date of your current Windows version. For example, if you upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10, they will display you the Windows 10 installation date rather than the Windows 7 installation date.
• You only have Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your computer, and it is the only operating system you have. However, the operating system has gotten one or more major upgrades since you initially got your PC or installed Windows. For example, even if you had the Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703) loaded at the time, the operating system has gotten several upgrades since then, and you’re currently running Windows 10 May 2021 Update (version 21H1). The first four ways in this example display the installation date of the most recent version or major update.

This article demonstrated how to find out when Windows 10/11 was installed. Please use the comment form below if you identify any errors or have anything to add.

Read Next

• How to know if I Have SSD or HDD in Windows 11 & Windows 10?

• 2 Ways to Check MBR or GPT Partition Style in Windows 10

• How to Put a Clock on Desktop in Windows 11/10?