Get the Windows 10 version (e.g. 1909) via CLI (even on a fresh installation)

Updated question

Winver gives you the Windows 10 full version number: Version + Build + "SubBuild", e.g. 1909 (Build 18363.1556) as GUI a window.

I found the ver command which gives the full build number as a CLI output but not the version number or the code name. All other usual CLI suspects like systeminfo etc. don't give you version number either.

Is there a command that will give you the version number (preferably as well as the code name) as a CLI output?

I'm interested in CMD as well as PowerShell. The thing I prefer is a easy to remember command.

Old question (just for reference)

Winver gives you the Windows 10 code name as well as the Windows full version number (Version + Build + "SubBuild") as GUI a window. I found the ver command which gives the full version number as a CLI output but not the code name (code name is called DisplayVersion in the registry since 20H1). All other usual suspects like systeminfo etc. give you a more or less complete version number or the ReleaseId but they don't give you code name either.

Is there a command that give you the code name as a CLI output. I'm interested in CMD as well as PowerShell. The thing I prefer is a easy to remember command.

Note: I checked the answers of the supposed duplicate question, I didn't find any answer which gives you the code name, plz let me know if I overlook it.

Note: The registry holds the code name DisplayVersion-value under the HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion-key. But it gets created only after an update has been made (even if was a minor update did not change the version number).

Note: I just realized, the version number becomes the code name since 20H2.

Solution 1:

This answer was edited after the discussion in the comments. It seems that if you upgrade from a previous install, the following powershell command will work:

(Get-Item "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion").GetValue('DisplayVersion')

This will query the register key and display its result as text without any object.

In my case, that will display:

20H2

If this doesn't work, then this key is not in your registry, which seems to be the case for a fresh install, but it seems that doing at least one Windows Update run with reboot creates that registry key.

See below what I have in my registry:

Do note, that this is something that changed since version 20H2 and newer. Before that, the codename was equal to the ReleaseId, so if DisplayVersion returns nothing, also check the following command:

(Get-Item "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion").GetValue('ReleaseId')