diff --git a/internal/desktopapp/desktopapp_test.go b/internal/desktopapp/desktopapp_test.go
index 3a7fb43..28532f4 100644
--- a/internal/desktopapp/desktopapp_test.go
+++ b/internal/desktopapp/desktopapp_test.go
@@ -856,13 +856,13 @@ func TestVerifyWindowsInstallerPassesPathViaEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestWorkBuddyWindowsVersionPassesPathViaEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
+func TestWindowsProductVersionPassesPathViaEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 	runner := &scriptedRunner{results: []process.Result{{ExitCode: 0, Stdout: "5.3.11\n"}}}
 	path := `C:\Users\test\AppData\Local\Programs\WorkBuddy\WorkBuddy.exe`
 
-	version := workBuddyWindowsVersion(context.Background(), Options{Runner: runner}, path)
+	version := windowsProductVersion(context.Background(), Options{Runner: runner}, path)
 	if version == nil || *version != "5.3.11" {
-		t.Fatalf("workBuddyWindowsVersion() = %v, want 5.3.11", version)
+		t.Fatalf("windowsProductVersion() = %v, want 5.3.11", version)
 	}
 	argv := runner.calls[0]
 	if len(argv) != 5 {
diff --git a/internal/desktopapp/dsh.go b/internal/desktopapp/dsh.go
index be6680a..e39aaf2 100644
--- a/internal/desktopapp/dsh.go
+++ b/internal/desktopapp/dsh.go
@@ -248,7 +248,10 @@ func inspectDSH(ctx context.Context, options Options) Status {
 	case "windows":
 		for _, candidate := range dshWindowsCandidates(options) {
 			if info, err := os.Stat(candidate); err == nil && !info.IsDir() {
+				// The on-disk ProductVersion is authoritative for the same reason
+				// as the macOS plist: electron-updater replaces the app in place.
 				status.Installed, status.Path = true, candidate
+				status.Version = windowsProductVersion(ctx, options, candidate)
 				return status
 			}
 		}
@@ -302,9 +305,8 @@ func inspectDSHMacOS(ctx context.Context, options Options) (Status, error) {
 
 // dshWindowsCandidates lists where the vendor's NSIS installer places the app.
 // It is configured perMachine: false with a fixed directory, which for
-// electron-builder is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\<productName>. Not verified on
-// Windows: this machine is macOS, so the path follows electron-builder's
-// documented default rather than an observed installation.
+// electron-builder is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\<productName>. Observed on a
+// Windows 11 install of 0.1.7-rc.2.
 func dshWindowsCandidates(options Options) []string {
 	if len(options.SearchRoots) > 0 {
 		candidates := make([]string, 0, len(options.SearchRoots))
diff --git a/internal/desktopapp/dsh_test.go b/internal/desktopapp/dsh_test.go
index e65b5bd..afbce8a 100644
--- a/internal/desktopapp/dsh_test.go
+++ b/internal/desktopapp/dsh_test.go
@@ -330,12 +330,59 @@ func TestInspectDSHWindowsLooksInThePerUserProgramsDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := os.WriteFile(exe, []byte("MZ"), 0o600); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	status = Inspect(context.Background(), DSHDesktopID, Options{Home: home, Platform: platform.For("windows", "x64")})
+	status = Inspect(context.Background(), DSHDesktopID, Options{Home: home, Platform: platform.For("windows", "x64"), Runner: &scriptedRunner{}})
 	if !status.Installed || status.Path != exe {
 		t.Fatalf("Inspect() after install = %#v", status)
 	}
 }
 
+// The app replaces itself through electron-updater, so the version reported is
+// the installed exe's ProductVersion, read the way a real 0.1.7-rc.2 install
+// reports it: PowerShell's UTF-8 output with a BOM and a trailing newline.
+func TestInspectDSHWindowsReportsTheInstalledProductVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	exe := filepath.Join(home, "AppData", "Local", "Programs", "DeepSeek Harness", dshDesktopExeName)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exe), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(exe, []byte("MZ"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	runner := &scriptedRunner{results: []process.Result{{ExitCode: 0, Stdout: "\ufeff0.1.7-rc.2\r\n"}}}
+	status := Inspect(context.Background(), DSHDesktopID, Options{Home: home, Platform: platform.For("windows", "x64"), Runner: runner})
+	if !status.Installed || status.Path != exe {
+		t.Fatalf("Inspect() = %#v", status)
+	}
+	if status.Version == nil || *status.Version != "0.1.7-rc.2" {
+		t.Fatalf("Inspect().Version = %v, want 0.1.7-rc.2", status.Version)
+	}
+	if len(runner.calls) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("runner calls = %#v, want one version query", runner.calls)
+	}
+	if argv := runner.calls[0]; len(argv) != 5 || argv[0] != "powershell.exe" || strings.Contains(argv[4], exe) {
+		t.Fatalf("version query argv = %#v; the path must not be interpolated into the script", argv)
+	}
+	if got := runner.environments[0]["BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH"]; got != exe {
+		t.Fatalf("BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH = %q, want %q", got, exe)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInspectDSHWindowsLeavesVersionUnsetWhenTheQueryFails(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	exe := filepath.Join(home, "AppData", "Local", "Programs", "DeepSeek Harness", dshDesktopExeName)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exe), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(exe, []byte("MZ"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	runner := &scriptedRunner{results: []process.Result{{ExitCode: 1, Stderr: "Get-Item : access denied"}}}
+	status := Inspect(context.Background(), DSHDesktopID, Options{Home: home, Platform: platform.For("windows", "x64"), Runner: runner})
+	if !status.Installed || status.Version != nil || status.InspectionUnavailable != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Inspect() = %#v, want installed with no version", status)
+	}
+}
+
 // Not offered means both halves: Supported is false so the UI shows no install
 // entry, and Install refuses if called anyway.
 func TestDSHIsNotOfferedOnIntelMacOrLinux(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/desktopapp/windows_verify.go b/internal/desktopapp/windows_verify.go
index 1d1b54b..4b0ae58 100644
--- a/internal/desktopapp/windows_verify.go
+++ b/internal/desktopapp/windows_verify.go
@@ -135,6 +135,19 @@ func approvedWindowsSigner(value string, allowed []string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// windowsProductVersion reads the executable's VersionInfo.ProductVersion. It
+// returns nil when the query fails: an unknown version is not an inspection
+// failure worth surfacing.
+func windowsProductVersion(ctx context.Context, options Options, path string) *string {
+	const script = `[Console]::OutputEncoding = [Text.Encoding]::UTF8
+(Get-Item -LiteralPath $env:BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH).VersionInfo.ProductVersion`
+	result, err := runWithEnvironment(options, ctx, []string{"powershell.exe", "-NoProfile", "-NonInteractive", "-Command", script}, map[string]string{"BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH": path}, inspectTimeout)
+	if err != nil || result.ExitCode != 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nonEmptyPointer(strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(result.Stdout), "\ufeff"))
+}
+
 func windowsAuthenticodeQuery() []string {
 	const script = `[Console]::OutputEncoding = [Text.Encoding]::UTF8
 $signature = Get-AuthenticodeSignature -LiteralPath $env:BOOTAGENT_VERIFY_PATH
diff --git a/internal/desktopapp/workbuddy.go b/internal/desktopapp/workbuddy.go
index 40d32e6..0028b16 100644
--- a/internal/desktopapp/workbuddy.go
+++ b/internal/desktopapp/workbuddy.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func inspectWorkBuddyWindows(ctx context.Context, edition workBuddyEdition, opti
 		}
 		if !info.IsDir() {
 			status.Installed, status.Path = true, candidate
-			status.Version = workBuddyWindowsVersion(ctx, options, candidate)
+			status.Version = windowsProductVersion(ctx, options, candidate)
 			return status, nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -276,16 +276,6 @@ func workBuddyWindowsCandidates(edition workBuddyEdition, options Options) []str
 	return result
 }
 
-func workBuddyWindowsVersion(ctx context.Context, options Options, path string) *string {
-	const script = `[Console]::OutputEncoding = [Text.Encoding]::UTF8
-(Get-Item -LiteralPath $env:BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH).VersionInfo.ProductVersion`
-	result, err := runWithEnvironment(options, ctx, []string{"powershell.exe", "-NoProfile", "-NonInteractive", "-Command", script}, map[string]string{"BOOTAGENT_VERSION_PATH": path}, inspectTimeout)
-	if err != nil || result.ExitCode != 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return nonEmptyPointer(strings.TrimSpace(result.Stdout))
-}
-
 // workBuddyStartAppsQuery matches on the Start menu display name, which carries
 // no ".app" suffix. The name reaches the script through an environment variable
 // rather than string interpolation, so quoting in the display name cannot alter