Determining System Version from a Windows-Based Application

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK), version 3.1

SUMMARY

To create a Windows-based application that takes advantage of the features of each platform, it is necessary to determine what operating system the application is currently running with.

The GetVersion() function can be used to determine what operating system and version is currently being used. A 16-bit Windows-based application might be running with Microsoft MS-DOS/Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation, Microsoft Windows NT Server, or Microsoft Windows 95. Windows on Win32 (WOW) is the term given for the operating environment when running a 16-bit Windows-based application with Microsoft Windows NT Workstation or Microsoft Windows NT Server.

MORE INFORMATION

According to the documentation, the return value of the GetVersion() function is a DWORD that specifies the major and minor version numbers. The following table shows the return values from the GetVersion() function when used with various operating environments:

   Environment   LOWORD                 HIWORD
   -------------------------------------------------------

   Windows 3.x   Windows version        MS-DOS version
   WFW           Windows version 3.1    MS-DOS version
   WOW           Windows version 3.1    MS-DOS version 5.0
   Windows 95    Windows version 3.95   MS-DOS version 7.0

GetWinFlags() is an existing function that has been modified to detect other platforms. To test for Microsoft Windows NT, add the following flag to your header file and use it to perform the test:

   #define WF_WINNT         0x4000

Sample Code

#include <windows.h>

void main()

   DWORD dwVersion;
   char szVersion[80];

   dwVersion = GetVersion();

   wsprintf (szVersion, "Microsoft Windows %u.%u - MS-DOS %u.%u",
            (LOBYTE(LOWORD(dwVersion))),
            (HIBYTE(LOWORD(dwVersion))),
            (HIBYTE(HIWORD(dwVersion))),
            (LOBYTE(HIWORD(dwVersion))));

   MessageBox( NULL, szVersion, "Version Check", MB_OK );

If you want to be able to distinguish between Windows and Windows for Workgroups, use the following test.

Sample Code

   #define WNNC_NET_MultiNet           0x8000
   #define WNNC_SUBNET_WinWorkgroups   0x0004
   #define WNNC_NET_TYPE               0x0002

   HINSTANCE hModInst      = NULL;
   FARPROC   lpWNetGetCaps = NULL;
   WORD      wNetType;

   hModInst = LoadLibrary( "USER.EXE" );
   if( !(lpWNetGetCaps = GetProcAddress( hModInst, (LPSTR)"WNetGetCaps")) )
      MessageBox (hWnd, "WNetGetCaps Not Found", NULL, MB_OK);
   else
   {
   // Get the network type
      wNetType = (*lpWNetGetCaps) (WNNC_NET_TYPE);
      if( wNetType & WNNC_NET_MultiNet )
      {
      // a multinet driver is installed
         if( LOBYTE(wNetType) & WNNC_SUBNET_WinWorkgroups )
         // It is WFW
            MessageBox( hWnd, "Windows for Workgroups", NULL, MB_OK);
         else
         // It is not WFW
            MessageBox( hWnd, "Not Windows for Workgroups", NULL, MB_OK);
      }
   }

   // Clean up the module instance
   if( hModInst )
      FreeLibrary( hModInst );