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Q82773: How Setup Determines a File Version

Article: Q82773
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 28-SEP-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 
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SUMMARY
=======

The Windows version 3.1 Setup program, SETUP.EXE, can extract file version
information from Windows and from some MS-DOS executable files.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows Setup does not use the file date or the file size to determine file
version information. Windows is now able to extract file version information
from Windows or MS-DOS executable files through a new VER API (Application
Programming Interface), which is built into Windows 3.1.

The VER API exists in VER.DLL for Windows applications and is also available as a
static link library for MS-DOS applications. The version information is
physically stored as a resource for Windows binary files. Version information
for MS-DOS binary files is simply stored as additional binary information
appended to the executable file.

Note: This does not allow for "version stamping" of MS-DOS device drivers (*.SYS
files).

All "stampable" files that ship with Windows 3.1 are "version stamped" at
Microsoft. The version stamp contains the following information:

- Date the file was built

- An actual file version

- The languages the file supports

- The manufacturer of the file

- Other optional information

Setup, or more precisely VER.DLL, decides whether or not to update a file based
on the files version stamp. If a file does not have a version stamp, it is
assumed to be older than a file of the same name that has a version stamp. If
neither the new file or the existing file have a version stamp, VER.DLL always
copies the file.

Additional query words: 3.10 3.11 VERINFO

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11

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