[VB6/VBA/twinBASIC] The quickest way to the real Windows version: KUSER_SHARED_DATA

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Originally Posted by HackerVlad

After seeing this, people will expect that this code will work in Windows 98 and will be extremely disappointed when they realize that this is not the case.

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I find it hard to believe anyone interested in retro computing is unaware the ME/9x kernel, APIs and architecture is substantially different from the NT side and therefore confused by why a lot of code from the past 20 years has far less compatibility with non-NT versions, or that legacy artifacts exist but don't continue to be meaningful/active/working.

I have hundreds of thousands of potential Win98 users but in reality, none. So it will never be a problem.

Ha ha ha :D, they amused me with their humor, of course, but if anyone is interested, I launched Windows 98 and checked what values it gives.

Major: 2143127994
Minor: 2143128004

The numbers are clearly overstated, as you can see, and now I fully realize that this code is only for NT platforms.

To check if Windows is a system bigger than Windows XP, I had to use the old GetVersionExA function.

Code:

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Private Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetVersionExA" (lpVersionInformation As Any) As Long

...

Dim inf(36) As Long ' instead of a structure
Dim IsXPAndLater As Boolean

inf(0) = 148: GetVersionEx inf(0): IsXPAndLater = inf(4) = 2 And inf(1) >= 5 And inf(2) >= 1 ' Get the Windows version

If IsXPAndLater = True Then
    ' This is Windows XP or later
Else
    ' It's less than WinXP, maybe Windows 98!
End If

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I wanted to use the ready-made IsWindowsXPOrGreater function first, but the description says that it only works since Windows 2000 (it's strange that it doesn't work with XP) and therefore Windows 98 simply doesn't know such a function...

Unless there's a good reason or requirement, I don't even try support Windows before Vista/7 anymore. So much great stuff was added in that like using the much easier and better IFileDialog instead of GetOpenFileName. I do however try to avoid requiring Windows 8 or higher.

I am testing on ReactOS (NT5 moving slowly to NT6) so I do have a reason to create apps that are XP tolerant but no Windows oses prior to XP. I can't find a reason to do so.

ReactOS is very interesting by the way! I've been dreaming of installing it for a long time, I'll have to do it...
I wonder what version of Windows does the ReactOS system issue?

ReactOS is in a state of flux at the moment.

Development is moving over to 64bit and the beginnings of NT6 functionality. Moving away from the the NT5 32bit target.

Lots of progress being made but it does not make for a stable environment, so set your expectations low. The only builds to try are the dailies, there hasn't been s table release for a long time (two years) as they only release once they get down to a certain number of bugs and with all the change, they have introduced a lot of new bugs.

There is a 32bit release that is more stable whilst the 64bit version is only for seeing that they are making progress, not usable at all at the moment. Lots happening though and a very dynamic team.

You can test a ReactOS daily build and VB5 will install, VB6 with some effort depending upon the release, you have some stuff to copy from Windows to make it happen, runtime components.

IF you do try it, do it in a VM only, NOT real hardware, use virtualbox and not the most recent versions of Vbox as they introduce some bugs of their own.

ReactOS still pretending they never used the leaked XP source? :lol:

It's a damn tragedy none of the Windows source leaks even included msvbvm60.dll.

Can't believe no version of VB's source has leaked either.

They don't pretend. They don't use it. You can't even mention MS source code on the chat, instant ban. Their code has been rewritten and improved dozens of times. It was required as the early code was often rather bad. The 64bit code is all new and being written by very few.

What do they say about **** though? ... it sticks.

The story goes that an elderly English couple were taking an evening stroll along some Spanish beach when they came across a tanned and weather-beaten old man painting his boat. They got talking and after a while introduced themselves. But when they asked what the old man’s name was the conversation turned a little cold.

“You see the fish on the market stalls in town every day?” he said. “I catch those fish. I bring them to market. I feed the people. Do they call me Alberto the Fisherman? No!”
“You see the boats on the shoreline all clean and brightly painted? I paint those boats. Do they call me Alberto the Boatman? No!”
"You see the maisonettes on the hillside with their red roofs? I make those tiles and lay them on the roofs. Do they call me Alberto the Tiler? No!”.
"You see that bridge to the village?, I built that bridge with my own sweat and my own bare hands. Do they now call me Alberto the Bridge-builder? No, they do not! - but you know, you shag one lousy sheep.”

So you haven't answered my question. what version of Windows is defined in ReactOS? For example, using the GetVersionEx function
Or using the code that is discussed in this article. What will be the version? 5.1? Like in XP?

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Originally Posted by fafalone

ReactOS still pretending they never used the leaked XP source? :lol:

It's a damn tragedy none of the Windows source leaks even included msvbvm60.dll.

Can't believe no version of VB's source has leaked either.

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The ReactOS code was written before the XP source code was leaked, but perhaps later, after the leak, the ReactOS developers began to borrow something for themselves, but no one will ever know about it. I sometimes borrow code myself, it can be very useful.
There are some things I couldn't do at all without looking at the ReactOS source codes, which sometimes helps a lot to figure out some of the subtleties...

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Originally Posted by HackerVlad

So you haven't answered my question. what version of Windows is defined in ReactOS? For example, using the GetVersionEx function
Or using the code that is discussed in this article. What will be the version? 5.1? Like in XP?

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ReactOS version, though I believe it can be spoofed for apps that specifically request it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HackerVlad

The ReactOS code was written before the XP source code was leaked, but perhaps later, after the leak, the ReactOS developers began to borrow something for themselves, but no one will ever know about it. I sometimes borrow code myself, it can be very useful.
There are some things I couldn't do at all without looking at the ReactOS source codes, which sometimes helps a lot to figure out some of the subtleties...

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The specific code in question was re-written a few times. A lot of the other code is being continuously re-written. It is just a work massively in progress.

ReactOS code is very useful to understand what Windows might be doing, always 'might' as very little of the important stuff has been documented by MS. A lot of ReactOS code is being looked at by AI and fed back as helper code. Some of that leaked source from MS is sure to bubble its way to the surface in the same manner. It will soon be hard to distinguish any code's provenance.

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Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber

ReactOS version, though I believe it can be spoofed for apps that specifically request it.

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And again you didn't answer. I'm asking what the version number will be? Major number version? Minor number version?
The functions determine the Windows version. And these functions already work in ReactOS. But what values will be given by the functions that determine the Windows version in the ReactOS system?