Correct way of getting Windows version

Question

What is the correct way of getting the Windows version (more or less what the now deprecated GetVersionEx does, but without lying).

Please don't tell me that I shouldn't use version checking, or that I should use VerifyVersionInfo. It's not for version checking but for generating a report. And it should also work in future versions of Windows (e.g Windows 11 or whatever)

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been [moved to chat](https://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/169095/discussion-on-question-by-michael-walz-correct-way-of-getting-windows-version). — Andy, Apr 16 '18 at 15:16
There are tons of questions on StackOverflow, and many duplicates, about how to get the true OS version without using `GetVersionEx()`. Please do some research before asking new questions. For example, [this answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/39173324/65863) — Remy Lebeau, Apr 16 '18 at 15:25
@RichardCritten yes, but that's not what I need (the title _Getting the System Version_ is somewhat misleading, this doesn't work for future WIndows versions, only for known Windows versions). There are ~25 comments which have been move to chat (see first comment above). — Jabberwocky, Apr 16 '18 at 15:30

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 16 '18 at 16:18

2

If you need a real Windows version with build number that is not virtualized regarding your app.manifest file you can get a Windows kernel version from ntoskrnl.exe:

std::string GetNtDllVersion()
  {
    std::string versionString;
    DWORD someHandle;
    wchar_t systemFolderPath[ _MAX_PATH + 1 ];
    UINT systemFolderPathSize = GetSystemDirectory( systemFolderPath, _MAX_PATH );
    if ( systemFolderPathSize > 0 )
    {
      std::wstring ntDllPath( systemFolderPath, systemFolderPathSize );
      ntDllPath += L"\\ntoskrnl.exe";
      DWORD versionSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize( ntDllPath.c_str(), &someHandle );
      if ( versionSize > 0 )
      {
        LPVOID dataPtr = malloc( versionSize );
        if ( dataPtr != NULL )
        {
          if ( GetFileVersionInfo( ntDllPath.c_str(), 0, versionSize, dataPtr ))
          {
            UINT length;
            LPVOID outputPtr;
            if ( VerQueryValue( dataPtr, L"\\", &outputPtr, &length ))
            {
              VS_FIXEDFILEINFO* versionStructPtr = ( VS_FIXEDFILEINFO* )outputPtr;
              if ( versionStructPtr->dwSignature == 0xFEEF04BD )
              {
                versionString = std::to_string( HIWORD( versionStructPtr->dwFileVersionMS ));
                versionString += ".";
                versionString += std::to_string( LOWORD( versionStructPtr->dwFileVersionMS ));
                versionString += ".";
                versionString += std::to_string( HIWORD( versionStructPtr->dwFileVersionLS ));
                versionString += ".";
                versionString += std::to_string( LOWORD( versionStructPtr->dwFileVersionLS ));
              }
            }
          }
          free( dataPtr );
        }
      }
    }
    return versionString;
  }

answered Apr 16 '18 at 16:18

crea7or

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This looks like one of the good options... – Jabberwocky Apr 16 '18 at 16:20
if you'll launch `winver.exe` you'll see the same windows version as `ntoskrnl.exe` – crea7or Apr 16 '18 at 16:24
3

Although this is how Microsoft *suggests* solving this problem, it is not the simplest solution. Using [`RtlGetVersion()`](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt723418.aspx), [`NetServerGetInfo()`](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa370624.aspx), or [`NetWkstaGetInfo()`](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa370663.aspx) would work just as well, and require much less coding. – Remy Lebeau Apr 16 '18 at 17:43
1

and if you run this code you can got 6.2 version on windows 10. this nothing solve - [*You are reading the wrong fields from the version information for this task. Instead of dwFileVersionMS and dwFileVersionLS use dwProductVersionMS and dwProductVersionLS*](https://stackoverflow.com/a/38069323/6401656) – RbMm Apr 16 '18 at 19:02
@RbMm challenge accepted. [Source of win32 app](https://github.com/crea7or/getwindowsversion) that only show the version in MessageBox with the supplied code. Does work well in Windows 8.1 - 10. No embeded manifest and build with Windows XP compiler tools of VS2012. – crea7or Apr 16 '18 at 20:36
@crea7or - in windows 10, this code give me 6.2 if use `dwFileVersionMS`. if use `dwProductVersionMS` - 10.0. and anyway - why not simply use documented for user mode api `RtlGetVersion` ? – RbMm Apr 16 '18 at 20:59
I just run your exe - it really show 10.0, however my test code - 6.2 - I now look, why/where different – RbMm Apr 16 '18 at 21:18
1

ok, your error that you use `ntoskrnl.exe` - in 64bit system it exist in `system32` folder but not in `syswow64`. and your app is 32 bit - where active fs-redirector. say we got path `c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe` - but it redirected to `c:\windows\syswow64\ntoskrnl.exe` - this file simply not exist. but `GetFileVersionInfo` silently try `system32` folder too. but in critical place - [`IsFileOwnedByTrustedInstaller`](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tDeuy.png) called - it return false for 32bit app in 64bit system. otherwise we go to 6.2 version fix – RbMm Apr 16 '18 at 21:38
anyway use `ntoskrnl.exe` which is exist only in `system32` but not in `syswow64` - this is by fact *UB*. build your app as 64 bit - and you got 6.2, when 32bit got 10.0. or change `ntoskrnl.exe` to say `ntdll.dll` or `kernel32.dll` (both this dlls exist in both places) and you again got 6.2 version. of course possible use `dwProductVersionMS` or get version info yourself without use api `GetFileVersionInfo`.. anyway I be not say that this is more reliable way compare use ntdll api – RbMm Apr 16 '18 at 22:06

Correct way of getting Windows version

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