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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWindows 11 has no normal Settings switch that permanently prints “Home” or “Pro” on the desktop. To check the edition safely, use Settings > System > About > Windows specifications, or run winver. To request a persistent version/build label, set the current user’s PaintDesktopVersion registry value to 1. Set it to 0 to hide that user-level label. These controls do not reliably remove activation, Insider Preview, evaluation, unsupported-hardware, or Test Mode warnings.
Edition, version, build, and watermark are different
Edition is the Windows SKU, such as Home, Pro, Enterprise, or Education. Version is the feature-update designation, such as 24H2 or 25H2. OS build is the more detailed numerical release identifier. A watermark is text Windows draws on the desktop; it can identify a build, preview status, evaluation state, licensing state, or hardware compatibility.
That distinction matters: changing PaintDesktopVersion affects a user-level version/build display, not every warning Windows may place on the desktop.
Check the edition without changing Windows
Settings
- Open Start > Settings.
- Select System > About.
- Find Windows specifications.
- Read Edition, Version, Installed on, OS build, and, where present, Experience.
Microsoft documents this page as the built-in location for edition, version, and build details: Windows version and edition tools.
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Winver
- Press Windows + R.
- Enter
winverand press Enter.
The About Windows dialog is a quick, one-time check; it does not create a desktop label.
System Information
- Press Windows + R.
- Enter
msinfo32(ormsinfo) and press Enter. - Review OS Name, Version, and the related hardware fields.
Command line
In Command Prompt, run:
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /B /C:"OS Version"For detailed licensing information, Microsoft also documents:
slmgr /dlvslmgr /dlv reports licensing details; it is not a command for controlling desktop watermarks.
Show Windows version/build information on the desktop
This is a registry customization rather than a current Windows 11 Settings feature. Create a restore point or export the registry key before editing, and change only the named value.
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Registry Editor
- Press Windows + R, enter
regedit, and approve UAC if prompted. - Go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop. - In the right pane, locate
PaintDesktopVersion. If it is missing, right-click an empty area and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value; name it exactlyPaintDesktopVersion. - Double-click the value and set Value data to
1. - Select OK.
- Sign out and back in, restart Windows Explorer, or restart the PC.
The key is under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, so the change applies to the current account only. The wording and placement of the resulting label vary by Windows release, build type, and preview or evaluation state; it requests desktop version/build information and may not display an edition name in every build.
Community guidance describing this value is available from Microsoft Q&A and MSFTNEXT.
Command Prompt shortcut
For the current user, run:
reg add "HKCUControl PanelDesktop" /v PaintDesktopVersion /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fSign out, restart Explorer, or reboot if the label does not appear immediately.
Hide the user-level version/build label
Registry Editor
- Open
regedit. - Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop. - Open
PaintDesktopVersion. - Set Value data to
0, select OK, and refresh the shell by signing out, restarting Explorer, or restarting Windows.
Setting the value to 0 is clear and reversible. If you created the value solely for this customization, deleting that single value is also possible, but do not delete the entire Desktop key.
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Command Prompt shortcut
reg add "HKCUControl PanelDesktop" /v PaintDesktopVersion /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /fThis hides the user-controlled version display; it does not promise to suppress other Windows-generated warnings. The same location and behavior are discussed in Microsoft Community Hub.
If the watermark will not disappear
Read the exact wording before changing the registry. Different messages have different causes and fixes.
| What you see | Likely source | Appropriate response |
|---|---|---|
| Version/build information only | User-level desktop version display | Set PaintDesktopVersion to 0, then refresh Windows. |
| Insider Preview or evaluation wording | Preview or evaluation build status | Check the Insider/build status and move to a released build when appropriate. Microsoft describes the Insider watermark as a preview-build indicator: Check flighting status. |
| System requirements not met | Windows believes the device does not meet minimum requirements | Address compatibility. On managed devices, the documented policy is Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Hide messages when Windows system requirements are not met. Enabling it hides the message; it does not make unsupported hardware supported. See Microsoft’s policy guidance. |
| Activate Windows | Activation or licensing state | Open Settings > System > Activation and resolve activation. Follow Microsoft’s activation guidance; do not use a registry tweak as a substitute for a license. |
| Test Mode or another diagnostic message | Boot configuration, unsigned-driver testing, preview software, or a third-party utility | Investigate that configuration or utility. PaintDesktopVersion=0 is not a universal remover. |
Troubleshooting and rollback
The label does not appear after setting the value to 1
- Confirm the value is a DWORD (32-bit) named exactly
PaintDesktopVersion. - Confirm it is under
HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop, not another hive. - Sign out and back in, restart
explorer.exefrom Task Manager, or restart Windows. - Use
winverand Settings > System > About to verify the actual build independently. - Consider that the text you are seeing may be an Insider, activation, evaluation, compatibility, or Test Mode watermark instead.
Only one account changes
That is expected because HKCU means “current user.” Repeat the edit in each profile that needs the label or its removal.
The watermark returns after an update
Feature updates, Insider releases, and evaluation builds can change watermark behavior. Treat this registry setting as a per-user customization, not a permanent guarantee.
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Undo an editing mistake
- Restore the exported
Desktopkey or use a restore point. - Otherwise, set only
PaintDesktopVersionback to0. - Avoid downloaded
.regfiles unless you trust the source and have inspected their contents.
What this change does not do
- It does not change Windows 11 Home into Pro, or alter any edition, version, or build.
- It does not activate Windows.
- It does not convert unsupported hardware into supported hardware.
- It does not guarantee removal of Insider Preview, evaluation, or Test Mode text.
- It does not automatically apply to other Windows accounts.
Third-party watermark removers are a poor default: they may patch system components, break after updates, hide meaningful warnings, or introduce security risk. Use the built-in identification tools and address the source of a system warning instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show only “Home” or “Pro” without the build number?
Windows does not provide a documented built-in switch for a custom edition-only desktop label. The registry setting requests Windows’ own version/build display, whose exact wording varies by release.
Does an Insider or evaluation watermark prove that Windows is not activated?
No. Preview and evaluation status can produce their own watermark independently of activation. Check activation separately under Settings > System > Activation.
Will this registry setting affect every user on the PC?
No. It is stored under HKEY_CURRENT_USER and affects only the profile in which you make the change.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Is hiding a requirements warning the same as fixing compatibility?
No. The documented policy can hide the message on managed devices, but the hardware remains outside Windows 11’s stated requirements until the underlying issue is addressed.
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