paint desktop version registry key

typically there is version information displayed in the lower right hand corner of windows in pre release versions, but there is a quick way to display the desktop version information on your computer by changing a registry key.

windows 7 service pack 1 displays as build 7601

open regedit.exe, navigate to the hkey_current_user\control panel\desktop subkey and double click on paintdesktopversion.   change the default 0 to a 1

this only shows up in the lower right hand corner if the wallpaper is not white (the text is always white)

harder to read because there is a lot of white in the lower right hand corner

paintdesktopversion appears to do nothing because the lower right of this wallpaper is white

so what if you created or edited a wallpaper and placed certain information of your own in the lower right hand corner?  let’s just say i got a number of internal emails inquiring about the next version of windows a while back (and this friday is april fools day after all…)

from the ces keynote video where steve ballmer and michael angiulo demonstrated the next major version of windows running on system on a chip (soc) architectures (notice the information in the lower right?)

so let’s say you were watching live in january and wrote down the build number and sent it around to coworkers in email as a joke.  someone else suggested a dvd with the information written with a sharpie (less work and equally interesting to people i interact with!)  have a great week and april fools day on friday!

now i’m going to add the disclaimer.  all of my postings but especially this one are provided "as is" with no warranties, and confer no rights.