How do I check the installed .NET version from the command line?

General Discussions
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1

I want a simple way, like java -version, to find out which versions of .NET are installed on a Windows machine. Visual Studio might not be installed, so I need a reliable method to check .NET version cmd using only the command prompt or PowerShell.

2

I’ve been working with .NET since the Core days, and honestly, the quickest way I check .net version cmd is by running:

dotnet --info

This gives me the installed SDKs and runtimes, super handy, especially when I don’t have Visual Studio set up. If I’m in a rush and just need the version number:

dotnet --version

That’s the simplest. But keep in mind, this won’t cover the older .NET Framework versions.

3

Same here, been in .NET projects for a while. To add to what @yanisleidi-rodriguez mentioned, if you’re dealing with legacy systems or older Windows apps, you’ll likely need to check .NET Framework too. Here’s how I check .net version cmd via PowerShell:

Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full" | Select-Object Release

Then you just match the ‘Release’ number with Microsoft’s official version list. It’s not as clean, but works even if you don’t have dotnet CLI installed.

4

That’s pretty much my approach too, after a few years troubleshooting across environments, I combined both methods. If you want a one-stop way to check .net version cmd, both Core and Framework, I use this PowerShell combo:

dotnet --info

Get-ChildItem 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP' -Recurse |
  Get-ItemProperty -Name Version -EA 0 | 
  Where { $_.Version -match '^\d' } |
  Select Version, PSChildName

This way, I get the full picture, Framework versions tucked away in the registry, and modern .NET versions from the CLI. Saves time when I’m auditing multiple setups