How to Show or Hide OS Edition on Windows 11

Have you ever wanted to see your Windows version right on your desktop wallpaper? This guide shows you how to show hide OS edition Windows 11 watermark. We will explore how to use the Registry Editor and Group Policy to manage this system customization.

Why do this?

Normally, you have to dig through settings to find your system info. By adding a desktop build number, you can see your exact Windows version at a glance without opening extra menus. This is helpful for IT professionals or users managing multiple test machines.

What happens when you are done?

Once you finish these steps and restart your PC, your desktop background will either show or hide the small text watermark that lists your Windows edition and build number. This change is purely visual and does not alter your system files or activation status.

Steps to Show or Hide the Watermark

Note: These steps require admin privileges to modify system settings.

First, open the Windows Registry by pressing Win + R, typing regedit.exe, and hitting Enter. You can change this for your current user or for every user on the PC.

• Use HKEY_CURRENT_USER to change settings for your account only.
• Use HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to change settings for all users on the computer.

Navigate to this path for your current user:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

If you don’t see the Desktop folder, right-click the Control Panel key and create the subkey folder named “Desktop.”

1. Right-click in the empty space on the right side of the Desktop folder.
2. Select New then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
3. Name this new item PaintDesktopVersion.
4. Double-click PaintDesktopVersion and ensure the Base is set to Decimal.
5. In the Value data box, type 1 to show the watermark or 0 to hide it.

If you want to apply this to all users on the computer, use this path instead:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

1. Create and update the item PaintDesktopVersion.
2. Set the Base to Decimal.
3. Type 1 to show the watermark or 0 to hide it.

Using Group Policy Editor (GPO)

If you are using Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Group Policy Editor. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop. Find the setting for the desktop watermark and toggle it to Enabled or Disabled. Note that this method is not available on Windows 11 Home edition.

Risk Mitigation and Updates

Will Windows updates revert my changes? Occasionally, major feature updates may reset registry keys to default values. If your watermark disappears after an update, simply repeat the steps above. Always refer to official Microsoft documentation for system requirements and update details.

Summary

This tutorial taught you how to modify the Windows registry to toggle your system version watermark on your desktop. By adjusting the PaintDesktopVersion key, you can quickly customize your desktop view. Remember that this will not affect Windows Insider Preview evaluation copies, which are hardcoded to display version info.