How old is your XP?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anuj Surana
  • Start date Start date
A

Anuj Surana

Hi there,

How to find in a system that how old is the operating system or when
was it actually installed?

Thanks
Anuj
 
Hi Anuj

For the installation date, try this - from a command prompt type

systeminfo

and look at the date next to 'Original Install Date:'.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| Hi there,
|
| How to find in a system that how old is the operating system or
when
| was it actually installed?
|
| Thanks
| Anuj
|
|
 
I did what you said Will out of curiosity but got this
error:

"Systeminfo is not recognized as an internal or external
command, operable program or batch file."

I would look for the wpa.bak file - that would give you
the date of installation in my opinion.
 
Hi

Sorry - 'systeminfo' is only available - I think - with XP Pro.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| I did what you said Will out of curiosity but got this
| error:
|
| "Systeminfo is not recognized as an internal or external
| command, operable program or batch file."
|
| I would look for the wpa.bak file - that would give you
| the date of installation in my opinion.
|
|
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >Hi Anuj
| >
| >For the installation date, try this - from a command
| prompt type
| >
| >systeminfo
| >
| >and look at the date next to 'Original Install Date:'.
| >
| >--
| >
| >Will Denny
| >MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| >
| >
| >| >| Hi there,
| >|
| >| How to find in a system that how old is the
| operating system or
| >when
| >| was it actually installed?
| >|
| >| Thanks
| >| Anuj
| >|
| >|
| >
| >.
| >
 
Hi

If you download the following program, it will tell you the installation
date + a lot of other info. about your system:

"EVEREST Home Edition"
http://www.lavalys.com/index.php?page=product&view=1

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| I did what you said Will out of curiosity but got this
| error:
|
| "Systeminfo is not recognized as an internal or external
| command, operable program or batch file."
|
| I would look for the wpa.bak file - that would give you
| the date of installation in my opinion.
|
|
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >Hi Anuj
| >
| >For the installation date, try this - from a command
| prompt type
| >
| >systeminfo
| >
| >and look at the date next to 'Original Install Date:'.
| >
| >--
| >
| >Will Denny
| >MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| >
| >
| >| >| Hi there,
| >|
| >| How to find in a system that how old is the
| operating system or
| >when
| >| was it actually installed?
| >|
| >| Thanks
| >| Anuj
| >|
| >|
| >
| >.
| >
 
You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at accessories--system
tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then system
info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
 
1. Open XP's "Help and Support" program.
2. Click on the Task titled: "Use Tools to view your computer information ..."
3. Click on "My Computer Information".
4. Click on "View the status of my system hardware and software".
5. The Windows XP installation date is found under "System Software".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hi there,
|
| How to find in a system that how old is the operating system or when
| was it actually installed?
|
| Thanks
| Anuj
 
Hi

I was talking about typing 'systeminfo' at a command prompt - where all
Hotfixes are reported on as well. I haven't got XP Home installed ATM to
check.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system
| tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then system
| info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
| | > Hi
| >
| > Sorry - 'systeminfo' is only available - I think - with XP Pro.
| >
| > --
| >
| > Will Denny
| > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| >
| >
| > | > | I did what you said Will out of curiosity but got this
| > | error:
| > |
| > | "Systeminfo is not recognized as an internal or external
| > | command, operable program or batch file."
| > |
| > | I would look for the wpa.bak file - that would give you
| > | the date of installation in my opinion.
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > | >-----Original Message-----
| > | >Hi Anuj
| > | >
| > | >For the installation date, try this - from a command
| > | prompt type
| > | >
| > | >systeminfo
| > | >
| > | >and look at the date next to 'Original Install Date:'.
| > | >
| > | >--
| > | >
| > | >Will Denny
| > | >MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| > | >
| > | >
| > | >| > | >| Hi there,
| > | >|
| > | >| How to find in a system that how old is the
| > | operating system or
| > | >when
| > | >| was it actually installed?
| > | >|
| > | >| Thanks
| > | >| Anuj
| > | >|
| > | >|
| > | >
| > | >.
| > | >
| >
|
 
Unknown said:
You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system tools.
Click to expand...

Yes it is, but that doesn't tell the date, it simply list the
hardware/software enviroments and properties.

You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then system
info on the left side.
Click to expand...

HUH?

How does clickong on My Computer get you System Info (as per what Will
described, and the OP needed)? Even then, if one open the System icon (which
is equivalent to right clicking My Computer, choosing properties) in the
Control Panel, it doesn't tell of when the start date of the OS is.
But date???? I doubt it.
Click to expand...

Yes, opening a command prompt and typing what Will stated will do so, here
the example:

<snipped out irrelevant info>

Original Install Date: 4/12/2004, 4:59:39 PM
System Up Time: 0 Days, 1 Hours, 44 Minutes, 27 Seconds
System type: X86-based PC
Processor(s): 2 Processor(s) Installed.
 
Unknown said:
You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at accessories--system
tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then system
info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
Click to expand...

Will was referring to the command line tool systeminfo.exe. That isn't
in XP Home. You are referring to the system info tool that has a
graphical interface, which is in both Home and Pro. There are freeware
downloads available that can get this info in XP Home if it is needed,
including psinfo from
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psinfo.shtml.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
| Unknown wrote:
|
| > You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system
| > tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then
system
| > info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
|
| Will was referring to the command line tool systeminfo.exe. That isn't
| in XP Home. You are referring to the system info tool that has a
| graphical interface, which is in both Home and Pro. There are freeware
| downloads available that can get this info in XP Home if it is needed,
| including psinfo from
| http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psinfo.shtml.
|
| --
| Tom Porterfield
| MS-MVP MCE
| http://support.telop.org
|
| Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

Tom, I believe that the command prompt 'systeminfo' may be a bit
mis-leading. I've just checked on a partition where I know I performed a
'Repair' install - that date is next to 'Original Install Date:', whereas
the date of the Windows, SVI and Documents and Settings folders are dated 4
months earlier when I performed a 'Clean' install of XP.
 
Will Denny said:
| Unknown wrote:
|
| > You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system
| > tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then
system
| > info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
|
| Will was referring to the command line tool systeminfo.exe. That isn't
| in XP Home. You are referring to the system info tool that has a
| graphical interface, which is in both Home and Pro. There are freeware
| downloads available that can get this info in XP Home if it is needed,
| including psinfo from
| http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psinfo.shtml.
|
| --
| Tom Porterfield
| MS-MVP MCE
| http://support.telop.org
|
| Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

Tom, I believe that the command prompt 'systeminfo' may be a bit
mis-leading. I've just checked on a partition where I know I performed a
'Repair' install - that date is next to 'Original Install Date:', whereas
the date of the Windows, SVI and Documents and Settings folders are dated 4
months earlier when I performed a 'Clean' install of XP.
Click to expand...

Simply looking at the properties of a systems folder (ie like the Windows
folder) will reveal the creation date, which happens upon the initial
loading of the OS.
 
In
Unknown said:
You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system tools.
Click to expand...


No, he thought right. Yes, you can get System Information,
information about your system, in XP Home as you describe. But
Will is talking about a particular command, "systeminfo," that
can be entered at the command prompt line. It's available in XP
Professional, but *not* XP Home.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


 
A lot of people might miss it because on some systems they may have to
scroll up instead of down to find it. Many might miss the need to scroll up
and not notice the scroll bar on the right has moved down a bit from the top
after typing systeminfo and pressing enter.
 
Hi Anuj

For the installation date, try this - from a command prompt type

systeminfo

and look at the date next to 'Original Install Date:'.
Click to expand...

Just tried that suggestion and it worked here. Very slick deal, Wes. Thanks
for the tip. :)
 
Hello Anony,
Wpa.bak is generated at the date of activation and is only on machines that
have been activated.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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I did what you said Will out of curiosity but got this
error:

"Systeminfo is not recognized as an internal or external
command, operable program or batch file."

I would look for the wpa.bak file - that would give you
the date of installation in my opinion.
 
Hello Will,
Doing a repair install is almost the same as doing a new upgrade,so it's
not surprising that the installdate got set to the repair date date.
I think that date reported in systeminfo is based off this registry key:
HKLM\Sofware\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion: InstallDate listed in
seconds from January 1, 1970.
I change that key and date reported in systeminfo changes.
Setuplog.txt should record the date, but the repair install I think
overwrites that date. The Documents and Settings folder however should not
be overwritten
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
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References: <[email protected]>
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<[email protected]>
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| Unknown wrote:
|
| > You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system
| > tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then
system
| > info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
|
| Will was referring to the command line tool systeminfo.exe. That isn't
| in XP Home. You are referring to the system info tool that has a
| graphical interface, which is in both Home and Pro. There are freeware
| downloads available that can get this info in XP Home if it is needed,
| including psinfo from
| http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psinfo.shtml.
|
| --
| Tom Porterfield
| MS-MVP MCE
| http://support.telop.org
|
| Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

Tom, I believe that the command prompt 'systeminfo' may be a bit
mis-leading. I've just checked on a partition where I know I performed a
'Repair' install - that date is next to 'Original Install Date:', whereas
the date of the Windows, SVI and Documents and Settings folders are dated 4
months earlier when I performed a 'Clean' install of XP.
 
Hello Tom,
Yes those folders should be close to being accurate.
However there still may be a couple of things to look out for.
These folders would be based off BIOS dates so the bios date would need to
be correct at the initial install time for this to be accurate.
The other thing to be aware if image based installed will still report the
original date from when the original install was done before the image was
generated,
so this may not totally accurate either.

Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
From: "Tom" <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<#atRGB#[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<#[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: How old is your XP?
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Will Denny said:
| Unknown wrote:
|
| > You thought wrong. System info is available on XP home at
accessories--system
| > tools. You can get additional info by clicking on my computer then
system
| > info on the left side. But date???? I doubt it.
|
| Will was referring to the command line tool systeminfo.exe. That isn't
| in XP Home. You are referring to the system info tool that has a
| graphical interface, which is in both Home and Pro. There are freeware
| downloads available that can get this info in XP Home if it is needed,
| including psinfo from
| http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psinfo.shtml.
|
| --
| Tom Porterfield
| MS-MVP MCE
| http://support.telop.org
|
| Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

Tom, I believe that the command prompt 'systeminfo' may be a bit
mis-leading. I've just checked on a partition where I know I performed a
'Repair' install - that date is next to 'Original Install Date:', whereas
the date of the Windows, SVI and Documents and Settings folders are dated 4
months earlier when I performed a 'Clean' install of XP.
Click to expand...

Simply looking at the properties of a systems folder (ie like the Windows
folder) will reveal the creation date, which happens upon the initial
loading of the OS.
 
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