How to Find an OS Install Date

Your Operating System, or OS, is the main software component that allows your computer's hardware and applications to work together. The OS on your computer may have been installed by the manufacturer before you purchased it, or by a previous owner. If you need to find the original install date of your operating system, or you're simply curious, both Windows and OSX have a quick, simple way of accessing this information.

Things You'll Need

• Computer equipped with Windows or Mac OSX

Instructions

For Windows Users

1. Click "Start>Run".

2. Enter "cmd" in the following dialog box.

3. In the command dialog box, type "systeminfo | find /i "install date" and press Enter. Windows will now display the original display date and time in the following format: "Original Install Date: 3/15/2008, 02:40:38 PM."

For Mac Users

1. Open the Terminal utility by selecting "Applications>Utilities>Terminal."

2. In Terminal, enter "vi /var/log/OSInstall.custom" and press Enter.

3. Mac OSX will now return the initial install date in the following format: 2008-08-12 16:22:58. Note the date and close Terminal.

References

• "Macfidelity: Check Installation Date of Mac OS X"
• "The Techno Talk: How to Know When Windows was Installed?"