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Windows version and system

Reports the Windows version, build, edition and bitness, and the version of any file.

The version functions ask the system kernel directly, so they return the real version whatever the program's manifest says. The older GetVersionExW call does not: in a program without a manifest it reports 6.2, build 9200 (Windows 8), even on Windows 11. Windows 10 and Windows 11 both report version 10.0; tell them apart by the build number, which is 22000 or higher on Windows 11.

Versions are returned as one number, the major version times 100 plus the minor version: 1000 for 10.0, 601 for 6.1, 582 for 5.82.

Importing

#import "sys/win"
using win

Example

A console program that describes the Windows it runs on:

#import "sys/win"
using win

function main() as long
    dim nBuild as long = GetWindowsBuild()
    dim ustrName as ustring
    if GetWindowsMajorVersion() = 10 andalso nBuild >= 22000 then
        ustrName = "Windows 11"
    else
        ustrName = "Windows " & GetWindowsMajorVersion() & "." & GetWindowsMinorVersion()
    end if
    print ustrName; " "; GetWindowsFeatureUpdate(); ", build"; nBuild; ","; GetWindowsBitness(); "-bit"
    print "version number:"; GetWindowsVersion()
    print "user32.dll version:"; GetFileVersion( "user32.dll" )
    return 0
end function

end main()

On a 64-bit Windows 11, build 26300, it prints Windows 11 26H2, build 26300, 64-bit, then version number: 1000 and user32.dll version: 1000.

Functions

Function	Does
GetWindowsVersion	Returns the Windows version as one number, 1000 for 10.0.
GetWindowsMajorVersion	Returns the major version, 10 on Windows 10 and 11.
GetWindowsMinorVersion	Returns the minor version, 0 on Windows 10 and 11.
GetWindowsBuild	Returns the build number.
GetWindowsBitness	Returns 64 on a 64-bit Windows, 32 on a 32-bit one.
GetWindowsProductType	Returns the edition, as a PRODUCT_* value.
GetWindowsFeatureUpdate	Returns the feature update name, such as 26H2.
GetFileVersion	Returns the version of a file as one number.
ShowSysInfo	Opens the System Information program.
GetMACAddress	Returns the hardware address of a network adapter.

Reference

GetWindowsVersion

function GetWindowsVersion() as long

Returns the version of Windows as the major version times 100 plus the minor version.

Value	Windows
600	Vista, Server 2008
601	7
602	8
603	8.1
1000	10 and 11, Server 2016 and later

Returns the version, or 0 if it could not be read.

Example

if GetWindowsVersion() < 1000 then print "this program needs Windows 10 or later"

Microsoft Learn: RtlGetVersion

GetWindowsMajorVersion

function GetWindowsMajorVersion() as long

Returns the major version of Windows: 10 on Windows 10 and Windows 11, 6 on Vista to 8.1.

Returns the major version, or 0 if it could not be read.

Example

print "major version:"; GetWindowsMajorVersion()

GetWindowsMinorVersion

function GetWindowsMinorVersion() as long

Returns the minor version of Windows: 0 on Windows 10 and Windows 11, 1 on Windows 7.

Returns the minor version, or 0 if it could not be read.

Example

print "Windows"; GetWindowsMajorVersion(); "."; GetWindowsMinorVersion()

GetWindowsBuild

function GetWindowsBuild() as long

Returns the build number of Windows. It is 22000 or higher on Windows 11, lower on Windows 10.

Returns the build number, or 0 if it could not be read.

Example

if GetWindowsBuild() >= 22000 then print "Windows 11"

GetWindowsBitness

function GetWindowsBitness() as long

Returns the bitness of the operating system, not of the program: 64 on an x64 or ARM64 Windows, 32 otherwise.

Returns 64 or 32.

Example

print GetWindowsBitness(); "-bit Windows"

Microsoft Learn: GetNativeSystemInfo

GetWindowsProductType

function GetWindowsProductType() as DWORD

Returns the edition of Windows installed, as one of the PRODUCT_* values: for example PRODUCT_PROFESSIONAL (&h30) for Pro, PRODUCT_CORE (&h65) for Home and PRODUCT_ENTERPRISE (&h04) for Enterprise.

Returns the PRODUCT_* value, or PRODUCT_UNDEFINED (0) if it could not be read.

Example

if GetWindowsProductType() = PRODUCT_PROFESSIONAL then print "Windows Pro"

Microsoft Learn: GetProductInfo

GetWindowsFeatureUpdate

function GetWindowsFeatureUpdate() as ustring

Returns the name of the installed feature update, the twice-yearly release name such as 22H2 or 26H2, as Windows shows it under Settings › System › About. It is read from the DisplayVersion value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.

Returns the name, or an empty string on Windows versions that do not record one.

Example

print "feature update: "; GetWindowsFeatureUpdate()

Microsoft Learn: RegGetValueW

GetFileVersion

function GetFileVersion( byval pwszFileName as wstring ptr ) as long

Returns the version of a file from its version resource, as the major version times 100 plus the minor version: 610 for 6.10. The build and revision parts are not included. A minor version above 99 runs into the major part, so the number is only unambiguous for minor versions of 0 to 99.

A file name without a path is looked for the way Windows looks for a DLL. So GetFileVersion( "comctl32.dll" ) returns 582, the version-5 common controls in the system folder, even in a program that uses version 6 through its manifest.

Parameter	Meaning
pwszFileName	The file: an executable, a DLL or any other file with a version resource.

Returns the version, or 0 if the file has no version resource or cannot be found.

Example

print "user32.dll:"; GetFileVersion( "user32.dll" )   ' 1000 on Windows 10 and 11

Microsoft Learn: GetFileVersionInfoW, VS_FIXEDFILEINFO

ShowSysInfo

function ShowSysInfo( byval hWin as HWND ) as boolean

Starts the Windows System Information program (msinfo32.exe), found through the path it records under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSInfo. It does not wait for the program to close.

Parameter	Meaning
hWin	The window that owns any error message Windows shows, or NULL.

Returns true if the program was started; false if its path is not recorded or it could not be started.

Example

if ShowSysInfo( hwnd ) = false then MsgBox( hwnd, "System Information is not available." )

Microsoft Learn: ShellExecuteW

GetMACAddress

function GetMACAddress() as string

Returns the hardware (MAC) address of a network adapter as six pairs of upper-case hexadecimal digits joined by dashes, MM-MM-MM-SS-SS-SS: 17 characters. The first three pairs identify the maker of the adapter.

The address is the one Windows puts into a sequential UUID, so on a computer with several adapters it is one of them and you cannot choose which. On a computer with no network adapter Windows makes the address up.

Returns the address, or an empty string if it could not be read.

Example

dim mac as string = GetMACAddress()
if len( mac ) then print "adapter address: "; mac

Microsoft Learn: UuidCreateSequential

See also

• Category: sys/win
• Program basics
• System folders