Properly detect Windows version in C# .NET – even Windows 11

Allows you to determine the correct Windows version, since System.Environment.OSVersion.Version in .NET Framework and .NET Core until version 4.8 respectively 3.1 returns wrong results on Windows 10. It works starting with Windows 2000 and also on Windows 11/Windows 10/Server 2022/Server 2019/Server 2016 right away.

Also available on Nuget: https://www.nuget.org/packages/OSVersionExt/

Console.WriteLine($"Windows version: " +
    $"{OSVersion.GetOSVersion().Version.Major}." +
    $"{OSVersion.GetOSVersion().Version.Minor}." +
    $"{OSVersion.GetOSVersion().Version.Build}" +
    $"");

Console.WriteLine($"OS type: {OSVersion.GetOperatingSystem()}");
Console.WriteLine($"is workstation: {OSVersion.IsWorkstation}");
Console.WriteLine($"is server: {OSVersion.IsServer}");
Console.WriteLine($"64-Bit OS: {OSVersion.Is64BitOperatingSystem}");

if (OSVersion.GetOSVersion().Version.Major >= 10)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Windows Release ID: {OSVersion.MajorVersion10Properties().ReleaseId ?? "(Unable to detect)"}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Windows Display Version: {OSVersion.MajorVersion10Properties().DisplayVersion ?? "(Unable to detect)"}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Windows Update Build Revision: {OSVersion.MajorVersion10Properties().UBR ?? "(Unable to detect)"}");
}

List of detected operating systems

The class can return the OS as an enum.

    public enum OperatingSystem
    {
        Unknown,
        Windows2000,
        WindowsXP,
        WindowsXPProx64,
        WindowsHomeServer,
        WindowsServer2003,
        WindowsServer2003R2, 
        WindowsVista,
        WindowsServer2008,
        WindowsServer2008R2,
        Windows7,
        WindowsServer2012,
        Windows8,
        Windows81,
        WindowsServer2012R2,
        WindowsServer2016,
        WindowsServer2019,
        Windows10,
        Windows11,
        WindowsServer2022
    }

Operating system	tested	remarks
Windows 11	yes
Windows Server 2022	yes
Windows 10	yes	21H2 (build 19044), 21H1 (build 19043), 2009/20H2 (build 19042), 2004 (build 19041), 1909 (build 18363), 1903 (build 18362), 1809 (build 17763) - all x64
Windows Server 2019	yes
Windows Server 2016	yes
Windows Server 2012 R2	yes
Windows 8.1	yes	x64
Windows 8	-
Windows 7	yes	x86
Windows Server 2008 R2	yes	x64
Windows Server 2008	-
Windows Vista	-
Windows Server 2003 R2	yes
Windows Server 2003	-
Windows Home Server	-
Windows XP 64-Bit Edition	-
Windows XP	-
Windows 2000	-

Target framework

NET Framework 4.6.2 (as one of the checks calls Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem). Yet, you can inject your own environment provider, which runs on lower versions.

Technical information

Please refer to https://www.prugg.at/2019/09/09/properly-detect-windows-version-in-c-net-even-windows-10/