Windows 10 will catched as Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

Question

I have a program which returns the OS version.

If run on a Windows 10, it detects it as as Windows 8|8.1.

public string GetWindwosClientVersion()  //Get OS Version and if 64 or 32 bit
    {
        int major = System.Environment.OSVersion.Version.Major;
        int minor = System.Environment.OSVersion.Version.Minor;
        int build = System.Environment.OSVersion.Version.Build;
        string bit;

        if (System.Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem == true) //get 64 or 32 bit
        {
            bit = " 64bit";
        }
        else
        {
            bit = " 32bit";
        }
        if (major == 4 && minor == 0 && build == 950) 
            return "Win95 Release 1" + bit;
        else if (major == 4 && minor == 0 && build == 1111)
            return "Win95 Release 2" + bit;
        else if (major == 4 && minor == 3 && (build == 1212 || build == 1213 || build == 1214))
            return "Win95 Release 2.1" + bit;
        else if (major == 4 && minor == 10 && build == 1998)
            return "Win98" + bit;
        else if (major == 4 && minor == 10 && build == 2222)
            return "Win98 Second Edition" + bit;
        else if (major == 4 && minor == 90)
            return "WinMe" + bit;
        else if (major == 5 && minor == 0)
            return "Win2000" + bit;
        else if (major == 5 && minor == 1 && build == 2600)
            return "WinXP" + bit;
        else if (major == 6 && minor == 0)
            return "Vista" + bit;
        else if (major == 6 && minor == 1)
            return "Win7" + bit;
        else if (major == 6 && minor == 2 && build == 9200)
            return "Win8 | Win8.1" + bit;
        else if (major == 6 && minor == 2 && build == 9600)
            return "Win8.1 Update 1" + bit;
        else if (major == 10 && minor == 0 && build == 10240)
            return "Win10" + bit;
        else
            return "Can not find OS version.";

    }

In other codes I see that Windows 10 should be major == 10 but it seems to be major == 6 && minor == 2 && build == 9200. With Windows 7 it works fine.

Because I don't use VS 2015 and can't update the client to Windows 8.1 SDK, the IsWindows10OrGreater solution in the old question doesn't work for me!

Your code seems right. Are you absolutely sure you are running it on a machine witn Windows 10? — Lars Kristensen, Dec 07 '15 at 10:53
Yes i am sure it is Windows 10. I checked it in Workspace Options. @Marged it seems to be the same problem. I will work with this answer. Thank you! — Shadow, Dec 07 '15 at 11:04

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:08

To detect that you are running on a Windows 10, you need to add a manifest file to your project and insert these compatibility tags according to your needs:

<compatibility xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:compatibility.v1">
  <application>
    <!-- List of all Windows versions this app is compatible with -->
    <!-- Windows Vista -->
    <supportedOS Id="{e2011457-1546-43c5-a5fe-008deee3d3f0}"/>
    <!-- Windows 7 -->
    <supportedOS Id="{35138b9a-5d96-4fbd-8e2d-a2440225f93a}"/>
    <!-- Windows 8 -->
    <supportedOS Id="{4a2f28e3-53b9-4441-ba9c-d69d4a4a6e38}"/>
    <!-- Windows 8.1 -->
    <supportedOS Id="{1f676c76-80e1-4239-95bb-83d0f6d0da78}"/>
    <!-- Windows 10 -->
    <supportedOS Id="{8e0f7a12-bfb3-4fe8-b9a5-48fd50a15a9a}"/>
  </application>
</compatibility>

If you don't declare your app as compatible with Windows 10 via a manifest, the framework will always pretend you were running on a Windows 8.1. We had the same issue some weeks ago and solved it by adding a manifest containing these compatibility tags.

I want to get the OS version. But with this code it is onliy compatible with. Can i get the version out of this code? — Shadow, Dec 07 '15 at 11:10
No, your code is correct, except that the framework won't tell it's Windows 10 if you don't declare your assembly as compatible with Windows 10 via a manifest with the compatibility tags I posted. — René Vogt, Dec 07 '15 at 11:11

Ahmad · Answer 2 · 2015-12-07T11:12:05.617

I can not recall the page, but as far as I remember Windows 10 is returning 603 for its VersionNT which is same as Windows 8 ... basically Win 10 thinks its Win 8.

Have a look at this https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/1c8be9b3-a8be-4070-b8e9-51f3c5448c5c/windows-10-msi-installer-sets-versionntversionnt64-to-603-should-be-1000.

So in your conditional statement Windows 10 is being caught as Windows 8 simply because it is at the end of the statement. This is the solution from Microsoft:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn481241(v=vs.85).aspx

Windows 10 will catched as Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

2 Answers2