I am completing a script that copies some directories off as a backup and writing a log at the same time.

I would like to also dump the version of an application to the same log for reference purposes in CASE the system ever needs to be restored. Is this possible in DOS? If not is there a way to write this function into VBS then return the value back to DOS? What application? The application itself usually has to have a function such as a help feature that will give this output. Only other way to tell is maybe by date/time stamp of the exe of the application in which you can perform a DIR and write >> to log file for that file such as

DIR application.exe>>APVersion.log

The date/time stamp of the exe's would be unique to the version.That is a good idea. Thank you for the suggestion. Dave has given good advice - but Microsoft do not always follow the rules.

My son installed a "Vista Experience" on my XP.
I did not like the experience and un-installed.
Months later Windows File Protection had a hissy fit.

I found that the un-installer had failed to reinstate some *.cpl files etc.
It left me with "Vista compatibles" that had identical dates and version strings to XP,
but did not match the catalogue checksums etc.

Also a few years ago a security update replaced a vital file, I think I remember it as Explorer.exe.  For some people this update broke functionality.
The truly horrendous ASPECT was that all the date stamps and version strings appeared identical.

I would suggest a hash checksum as secondary confirmation.

Regards
Alan
Hey Alan ...Good Idea ...WOW what a mess with that Vista. I went with MD5 hash. I found a nice LITTLE program on Microsoft's website that will compute the value at command line. I hard coded what I thought the value should be and DUMPED to log weather or not they matched.