FileVersionInfo

FileVersionInfo is a class in the .NET framework and .NET Core that provides read access to the version information stored in a file’s version resource. It reads data from the PE file’s version resource (the VS_VERSION_INFO structure) and exposes metadata that may describe the file, its product, and its origin. The class is typically used to retrieve version details for executables and libraries, and is useful for display in installers, logs, or diagnostics.

Instances are obtained by calling FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo with a file path. The same information can be accessed from a running process by inspecting its main module’s FileVersionInfo property. The object then exposes a set of read-only properties.

Common properties include FileVersion and ProductVersion for numeric strings, FileDescription, InternalName, OriginalFilename, ProductName, and CompanyName, as well as LegalCopyright, LegalTrademarks, and Comments. A Language property indicates the version resource language. In addition, boolean flags such as IsDebug, IsPatched, IsPreRelease, and IsPrivateBuild may be exposed to reflect compile-time build conditions.

If a file does not contain a version resource, many properties may be empty or null. The class is therefore often used defensively, with checks for missing information before presenting it to users or logs.