diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
index 6c63a30de4..53001c0eb5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ describe("runEnvironmentChecks", () => {
   const originalFfmpegPath = process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFMPEG_PATH;
   const originalFfprobePath = process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFPROBE_PATH;
 
+  const realPlatform = process.platform;
+
   beforeEach(() => {
+    // The `--version` tests below describe the Unix path; the Windows block sets its own platform.
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "linux", configurable: true });
     process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFMPEG_PATH = process.execPath;
     process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFPROBE_PATH = process.execPath;
     runProcess.mockReset();
@@ -42,6 +46,7 @@ describe("runEnvironmentChecks", () => {
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: realPlatform, configurable: true });
     if (originalFfmpegPath === undefined) delete process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFMPEG_PATH;
     else process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFMPEG_PATH = originalFfmpegPath;
     if (originalFfprobePath === undefined) delete process.env.HYPERFRAMES_FFPROBE_PATH;
@@ -211,6 +216,48 @@ describe("runEnvironmentChecks", () => {
     expect(result.browserInstall).toMatchObject({ pathAscii: true });
   });
 
+  describe("on Windows", () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "win32", configurable: true });
+    });
+
+    it("reads Chrome's version from the file, never from a `--version` run that exits 21", async () => {
+      runProcess.mockImplementation((binaryPath: string, args: string[]) => {
+        if (binaryPath === process.execPath && args[0] === "--version")
+          throw Object.assign(new Error("exit 21"), { status: 21 });
+        if (binaryPath === "powershell.exe")
+          return Promise.resolve({ stdout: "131.0.6778.85\r\n", stderr: "" });
+        return Promise.resolve({ stdout: "ffmpeg version 7.1.1\n", stderr: "" });
+      });
+
+      const result = await runEnvironmentChecks({
+        includeBrowser: true,
+        browserPath: process.execPath,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.outcomes.find((outcome) => outcome.name === "Chrome")).toMatchObject({
+        ok: true,
+        versionMajor: 131,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("still reports Chrome usable when its version cannot be read", async () => {
+      runProcess.mockImplementation((binaryPath: string) => {
+        if (binaryPath === "powershell.exe") throw new Error("powershell unavailable");
+        return Promise.resolve({ stdout: "ffmpeg version 7.1.1\n", stderr: "" });
+      });
+
+      const result = await runEnvironmentChecks({
+        includeBrowser: true,
+        browserPath: process.execPath,
+      });
+
+      const chrome = result.outcomes.find((outcome) => outcome.name === "Chrome");
+      expect(chrome?.ok).toBe(true);
+      expect(chrome?.versionMajor).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+
   it("reports Chrome as not found (no throw) when browser discovery throws on a corrupt cache", async () => {
     const spy = vi.spyOn(manager, "findBrowser").mockRejectedValue(
       Object.assign(new Error("ENOTDIR: not a directory, scandir 'chrome-headless-shell'"), {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
index 543f14cf57..a01c76862d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
@@ -255,6 +255,34 @@ function chromeLaunchFailureDetails(error: unknown): string {
     .join(", ");
 }
 
+// Windows chrome.exe prints nothing for --version and can exit 21 while rendering fine: read the file's version.
+async function windowsChromeVersionMajor(
+  executablePath: string,
+  signal?: AbortSignal,
+): Promise<number | undefined> {
+  try {
+    const { stdout } = await runCancellableProcess(
+      "powershell.exe",
+      [
+        "-NoProfile",
+        "-NonInteractive",
+        "-Command",
+        "(Get-Item -LiteralPath $env:HF_CHROME).VersionInfo.ProductVersion",
+      ],
+      {
+        signal,
+        timeoutMs: 10_000,
+        maxBufferBytes: 4 * 1024,
+        env: { ...process.env, HF_CHROME: executablePath },
+      },
+    );
+    return extractMajorVersion(stdout);
+  } catch {
+    if (signal?.aborted) signal.throwIfAborted();
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
 async function chromeLaunchOutcome(
   executablePath: string,
   found: EnvironmentCheckOutcome,
@@ -262,6 +290,9 @@ async function chromeLaunchOutcome(
 ): Promise<EnvironmentCheckOutcome> {
   const libraries = await chromeSharedLibOutcome(executablePath, found, signal);
   if (!libraries.ok) return libraries;
+  if (process.platform === "win32") {
+    return { ...found, versionMajor: await windowsChromeVersionMajor(executablePath, signal) };
+  }
   try {
     const { stdout } = await runCancellableProcess(executablePath, ["--version"], {
       signal,