How Can I Accurately Detect the Windows Version in .NET?

Determining Your Windows Version with .NET

Accurately identifying the specific Windows version within a .NET application can be tricky due to the many variations of Windows. While System.Environment.OSVersion offers a starting point, it's limitations require further consideration for precise version detection.

System.Environment.OSVersion provides three key properties: PlatformID, Major Version, and Minor Version. These components can help differentiate between some older Windows versions:

Component	PlatformID	Major Version	Minor Version
Windows 95	Win32Windows	4	0
Windows 98	Win32Windows	4	10
Windows Me	Win32Windows	4	90

For more precise identification, especially for distinguishing between newer Windows releases and minor updates, leveraging external libraries is recommended. These libraries often provide more granular detail than the built-in System.Environment.OSVersion.

Critical Consideration:

Your application's manifest file should explicitly declare compatibility with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Without this, System.Environment.OSVersion might incorrectly report Windows 8 (6.2) instead of the actual version (6.3 or 10.0).

Important Update:

Starting with .NET 5.0 and subsequent versions, System.Environment.OSVersion reliably returns the correct OS version, reducing the reliance on manual compatibility adjustments in the manifest.

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