How to Find Windows Original Installation Date using CMD and Powershell

Microsoft updates Windows to give users a modern, speedy, safe, and steady operating system. Users use Microsoft updates to keep their systems secure. But sometimes, an update can mess up the system. So, users try to determine the source of the issue by looking at the Windows installation date.

In short, by finding the installation date of the system, they check the updated patches released since that date. So, it helps them pinpoint and fix issues where a particular update messes up the system. Or they might be curious about the Windows installation date on their system.

Why is it Important to Find the First System Installation Date of Microsoft Windows?

When fixing problems with Windows systems, users often depend on the installation date. They use this to track the patches they install on the operating system. Additionally, they follow up to resolve any system issues they encounter. With this information, they understand the problems occurring in their computers. As a result, they see it as a way to solve problems.

Knowing your PC’s first setup is essential for how well it works and stays stable. It also helps to figure out and fix problems, improving the overall experience. Here’s why:

1. Troubleshooting and Resolving System Errors

Knowing the original date is crucial for fixing critical system errors. Knowing when you installed the OS can help you troubleshoot problems. So, you can start dealing with a problem based on a particular time frame. This way, you can figure out when the issues initially showed up.

2. Tracking System and Hardware Changes

Let’s say you added new hardware to your computer, such as a graphics card. You can note the original date of your system for reference. This helps with accurate documentation and makes troubleshooting easier. By doing so, monitor issues effectively. Be it on your PC or a client’s device, tracking becomes seamless.

3. Update Tracking

You can check the installation date to determine which Windows version is on your PC. For example, you can define the start date and pinpoint the Windows version. Therefore, you can accurately identify the released version by doing research.

4. System Security Monitoring

You regularly install Windows 11 or 10 updates to keep your system safe. This way, the installation date lets you gauge how long your system has remained secure. If you have not updated your system since you first installed it, its security will stay protected until that time.

How to Find or Learn the First System Installation Date on Windows 11, 10, 8x, or 7

You can find the installation date on all versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. If you use a more aging OS like Windows 95, 98, or 2000, you won’t be able to use PowerShell. However, in this case, you can use CMD (Command Prompt) on older systems.

To quickly determine the install date of your OS, check the Windows folder on your C:\ drive. Right-click on the folder, go to properties, and see the creation date. As a result, that date indicates the system’s installation time.

For instance, in the screenshot below, you can check the first install date of Windows 11. However, remember that the date of this Windows folder may only sometimes be entirely accurate.

Because Microsoft sometimes releases an all-in-one feature pack as a cumulative update for the previous version. When you install this package, your system’s build number changes. Accordingly, the creation date of the Windows folder on the C drive has also been updated.

Now, let’s find the install date of Windows 11 on a PC using five different methods.

Step 1: Finding the First Setup Date from Settings

You can find the installation date in its simplest form from the operating system settings. To access this information:

1. Click on the Start location in Windows 11, and type “Settings” in the search bar.
2. When you see the Settings app, click on it to open it. Then, scroll down the System section page and click About.
3. In the System > About screen, you will find Windows Specifications, where you can see some detailed information listed below:

• Edition
• Version
• Installed On
• OS Build
• Experience

The “Installed On” option displays the date you installed Windows on your computer.

Step 2: Finding Windows Original Date using CMD

Another simple way to find out when you installed Windows is to use CMD.

Microsoft includes the CMD command prompt on almost all its platforms. With this tool, you can adjust many system settings or gather information. In this article, let’s find the install date using this tool.

1. To open CMD, press the Windows key + R on your keyboard or explore it in the Start menu by typing cmd.
2. After you open CMD, you’ll see something like C:\Users\YourUsername>. Now, type in “systeminfo” and check for “Original Install Date” in the list that appears. That will show you when you initially installed Windows.

3. if you want to find info faster and see what you’re looking for, use the “systeminfo | find “Original Install Date” command in CMD.

systeminfo | find "Original Install Date"Copy

Step 3: Checking Installation Date Using WMIC

In CMD, you can also find out when you first installed Windows 11 using the WMIC command. With WMIC, you can obtain all your system information and access detailed insights.

Additionally, you can use WMIC commands with both CMD and PowerShell tools.

For example, let’s use WMIC to determine the install date of a PC’s operating system.

1. Similarly, open the CMD command prompt either from the Start menu or the Run tool.
2. Type the “wmic os get installdate” command in the command prompt tool and press Enter to execute the operation.

wmic os get installdateCopy

3. As shown in the image below, you will see a different date format this time. The design includes information about the year, month, day, and time to understand this number. For example, the interpretation of the value “20230215054245.000000+180” is 2023-02-15 05:42:45.

Step 4: Checking Installation Date Using Powershell

Another way to find the Windows Original Date is by using PowerShell. So, you can use PowerShell on all Windows XP to 11 versions. Therefore, it allows you to access the desired information on your system with a more professional approach.

Let’s follow these steps to learn the installation time with PowerShell.

1. Go to the Start menu on any Windows version and type “powershell” in the search box. Then, run the best-matching PowerShell application you see on the left side.
2. When you open the PowerShell tool, type in the command below to find the date, and hit Enter. The output will accurately display your system’s date.

('').ConvertToDateTime((Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem).InstallDate)Copy

3. If the command above seems too long, use this shorter version instead.

gcim Win32_OperatingSystem | select InstallDateCopy

Step 5: Checking the Installation Date using Regedit (Registry Editor)

Another option to figure out when you installed Windows is to use regedit. However, like the method in step 1, this depends on the Windows folder’s creation date. Similarly, this value might change if you install a complete feature pack update. As a result, understanding this method can help get information.

1. Press the Windows and R keys together to open the Run tool. Then, type “regedit” into the search area and click OK.
2. In the Registry tool, go to the location mentioned below. Then, look at the CloneTag value in the records on the right side.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > SetupCopy

3. The CloneTag value will show you the system installation time, as explained in the previous steps.

How to Change Windows 11/10/8 Original Install Date via Regedit

In Windows 11 and its predecessor operating systems, it is possible to change the original date value. In some cases, you may want to modify the date of the system you have installed.

But before you try to change the system date, it’s a good idea to back up the whole Registry. This helps avoid possible mistakes. Editing the value or other entries in the Registry settings can be risky. So, be careful and think about your PC’s stability before you do this.

1. To open the editor program, use the “regedit” command from the Start menu or the Run tool.
2. Open the Registry Editor and look at the choices on the left side. Go through them one by one and find the location mentioned below.

   • Patch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersionCopy

3. Choose CurrentVersion; you’ll see many settings on the right side. From here, find the “InstallDate” value and double-click on it.
4. A little window will pop up, letting you change the InstallDate value. In this window, you’ll see the Hexadecimal and Decimal sections.
5. To change the date of Windows, you need to enter the Epoch time value in the Decimal field on this screen. Therefore, to increase the date by one day, add the current decimal value to 86400 and enter the result.
6. When you recheck the date with CMD or PowerShell, you will see that you have added only +1 day.
7. Visit this website to add a specific year, month, or day as the installation date. On this page, you can obtain the Epoch time value for the current time. Additionally, you can manually edit the date and convert it to a Timestamp.

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows System Date (FAQ)

Conclusion

You can easily find the installation date of your Windows by following any of the above steps. For example, this information may be helpful when troubleshooting or to keep track of the age of your OS.

However, remember to make a backup when examining the registry or changing a record first.