How do I retrieve the version of a file from a batch file on Windows Vista?

Check out sigcheck.exe from Sysinternals Suite. This is a command-line utility that shows file version number, timestamp information, and digital signature details.

and three ways without external tools

1.WMIC

WMIC DATAFILE WHERE name="C:\\install.exe" get Version /format:Textvaluelist

Pay attention to the double slashes of file name.

Ready to use script:

@echo off
:wmicVersion pathToBinary [variableToSaveTo]
setlocal
set "item=%~1"
set "item=%item:\=\\%"


for /f "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`"WMIC DATAFILE WHERE name='%item%' get Version /format:Textvaluelist"`) do (
    for /f "delims=" %%# in ("%%a") do set "%%#"
)

if "%~2" neq "" (
    endlocal & (
        echo %version%
        set %~2=%version%
    )
) else (
    echo %version%
)

2.MAKECAB as the WMIC is not installed on home versions of windows here's a way with makecab that will run on every windows machine:

; @echo off
;;goto :end_help
;;setlocal DsiableDelayedExpansion
;;;
;;;
;;; fileinf /l list of full file paths separated with ;
;;; fileinf /f text file with a list of files to be processed ( one on each line )
;;; fileinf /? prints the help
;;;
;;:end_help

; REM Creating a Newline variable (the two blank lines are required!)
; set NLM=^


; set NL=^^^%NLM%%NLM%^%NLM%%NLM%
; if "%~1" equ "/?" type "%~f0" | find ";;;" | find /v "find" && exit /b 0
; if "%~2" equ "" type "%~f0" | find ";;;" | find /v "find" && exit /b 0
; setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
; if "%~1" equ "/l" (
;  set "_files=%~2"
;  echo !_files:;=%NL%!>"%TEMP%\file.paths"
;  set _process_file="%TEMP%\file.paths"
;  goto :get_info
; )

; if "%~1" equ "/f" if exist "%~2" (
;  set _process_file="%~2"
;  goto :get_info
; )

; echo incorect parameters & exit /b 1
; :get_info
; set "file_info="

; makecab /d InfFileName=%TEMP%\file.inf /d "DiskDirectory1=%TEMP%" /f "%~f0"  /f %_process_file% /v0>nul

; for /f "usebackq skip=4 delims=" %%f in ("%TEMP%\file.inf") do (
;  set "file_info=%%f"
;  echo !file_info:,=%nl%!
; )

; endlocal
;endlocal
; del /q /f %TEMP%\file.inf 2>nul
; del /q /f %TEMP%\file.path 2>nul
; exit /b 0

.set DoNotCopyFiles=on
.set DestinationDir=;
.set RptFileName=nul
.set InfFooter=;
.set InfHeader=;
.Set ChecksumWidth=8
.Set InfDiskLineFormat=;
.Set Cabinet=off
.Set Compress=off
.Set GenerateInf=ON
.Set InfDiskHeader=;
.Set InfFileHeader=;
.set InfCabinetHeader=;
.Set InfFileLineFormat=",file:*file*,date:*date*,size:*size*,csum:*csum*,time:*time*,vern:*ver*,vers:*vers*,lang:*lang*"

example output (it has a string version which is a small addition to wmic method :) ):

c:> fileinfo.bat /l C:\install.exe
    file:install.exe
    date:11/07/07
    size:562688
    csum:380ef239
    time:07:03:18a
    vern:9.0.21022.8
    vers:9.0.21022.8 built by: RTM
    lang:1033

3 Using shell.application and hybrid batch\jscript.Here's tooptipInfo.bat :

@if (@X)==(@Y) @end /* JScript comment
    @echo off

    rem :: the first argument is the script name as it will be used for proper help message
    cscript //E:JScript //nologo "%~f0" %*

    exit /b %errorlevel%

@if (@X)==(@Y) @end JScript comment */

////// 
FSOObj = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
var ARGS = WScript.Arguments;
if (ARGS.Length < 1 ) {
 WScript.Echo("No file passed");
 WScript.Quit(1);
}
var filename=ARGS.Item(0);
var objShell=new ActiveXObject("Shell.Application");
/////


//fso
ExistsItem = function (path) {
    return FSOObj.FolderExists(path)||FSOObj.FileExists(path);
}

getFullPath = function (path) {
    return FSOObj.GetAbsolutePathName(path);
}
//

//paths
getParent = function(path){
    var splitted=path.split("\\");
    var result="";
    for (var s=0;s<splitted.length-1;s++){
        if (s==0) {
            result=splitted[s];
        } else {
            result=result+"\\"+splitted[s];
        }
    }
    return result;
}


getName = function(path){
    var splitted=path.split("\\");
    return splitted[splitted.length-1];
}
//

function main(){
    if (!ExistsItem(filename)) {
        WScript.Echo(filename + " does not exist");
        WScript.Quit(2);
    }
    var fullFilename=getFullPath(filename);
    var namespace=getParent(fullFilename);
    var name=getName(fullFilename);
    var objFolder=objShell.NameSpace(namespace);
    var objItem=objFolder.ParseName(name);
    //https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb787870(v=vs.85).aspx
    WScript.Echo(fullFilename + " : ");
    WScript.Echo(objFolder.GetDetailsOf(objItem,-1));

}

main();

used against cmd.exe :

C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe :
File description: Windows Command Processor
Company: Microsoft Corporation
File version: 6.3.9600.16384
Date created: ?22-?Aug-?13 ??13:03
Size: 347 KB

The file version could be simply read without external tools by PowerShell like this:

(Get-Item myFile.exe).VersionInfo.FileVersion

and if you want to read it from an Batch file use:

powershell -NoLogo -NoProfile -Command (Get-Item myFile.exe).VersionInfo.FileVersion

and to save the file version to a variable use:

FOR /F "USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`powershell -NoLogo -NoProfile -Command ^(Get-Item "myFile.exe"^).VersionInfo.FileVersion`) DO (SET fileVersion=%%F)
echo File version: %fileVersion%

I've taken a realtive path here, you could also define it absolutely, like: C:\myFile.dll

More information about the file is shown if you omit .FileVersion

Here is a solution in PowerShell using FileVersionInfo.