Determine the Windows release version from the build version

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With Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11 initial release the release version is marked as 2009 in the registry. The Windows product group left the release version at the 2009 level for backwards compatibility.

To test use the powershell command 

$(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\').releaseid

On Windows 10 21H2 and Window 11 intial release it will return ‘2009’.

The solution is to switch to the build number, which relates to the release version.

$(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\').currentbuildnumber

Which will return 19044 for Windows 10 21H2 and 11000 for Windows 11 initial release.

I use the following PowerShell script to quickly find the release version

Switch ($((get-ciminstance Win32_OperatingSystem).buildnumber))
{
  17763 {'Windows 10 - 1809'}
  18362 {'Windows 10 - 1903'}
  18363 {'Windows 10 - 1909'}
  19041 {'Windows 10 - 2004'}
  19042 {'Windows 10 - 29H2'}
  19043 {'Windows 10 - 21H1'}
  19044 {'Windows 10 - 21H2'}
  22000 {'Windows 11'}
  Default {'unable to determine the release off of the build number ' }
}

Windows bug item which was resolved by design –> Bug 36426651: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion shows ReleaseId 2009 for Windows 10 and Windows 11 – Boards (visualstudio.com)

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