Q85469: How to Detect Windows Mode and Version from a Batch File
Article: Q85469
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0; WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a,3.1,3.11
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): msdos
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22
- Microsoft Windows versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
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SUMMARY
=======
By itself, the MS-DOS batch file language cannot detect if Windows or the MS-DOS
Task Swapper is running. However, you can use the MS-DOS DEBUG utility to create
a program that sets the error level depending on whether Windows or the Task
Swapper is active. Once done, your batch file can run the program, then test the
error level using the IF ERRORLEVEL command.
Below is an example of how to use the MS-DOS DEBUG utility to create a program
file called WINCHECK.COM. WINCHECK.COM will determine:
- Which (the Task Swapper or Windows or neither) is running
- Which mode of Windows is running (real, standard, or enhanced)
- Which version of Windows (3.0 or 3.1) is running
MORE INFORMATION
================
WINCHECK.COM returns the following error levels:
Software active Error level
------------------------------------------------------------
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11 enhanced mode 6
Windows 3.1 or 3.11 enhanced mode 6
Windows 3.1 standard mode 5
Windows 3.0 enhanced mode 4
Windows 3.0 standard mode 3
Windows 3.0 real mode 2
MS-DOS Task Swapper 1
None of the above detected 0
Notes: WINCHECK.COM will not detect MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0 Shell if Task Swapper is
not enabled. It will not detect the MS-DOS 4.0 Shell. If Windows and the task
swapper are both enabled, only Windows will be detected. Windows/286 and
Windows/386 will likely be detected as Windows 3.0, but this has not been
confirmed.
Creating WINCHECK.COM
---------------------
WINCHECK.COM is created using a DEBUG script file, which contains all the
commands you would enter from within DEBUG to create WINCHECK.COM.
To create WINCHECK.COM, follow these steps exactly:
1. Create a text file called C:\WINCHECK.SCR using a text editor (for example,
Windows Notepad, EDIT, or EDLIN). This is the DEBUG script file.
C:\WINCHECK.SCR should contain exactly the following lines (press the ENTER
key after typing each line):
A 100
MOV AX,160A
INT 2F
OR AX,AX
JNZ 0117
XOR CX,0003
JNZ 0113
MOV AL,06
JMP 0159
MOV AL,05
JMP 0159
MOV AX,1600
INT 2F
TEST AL,7F
JZ 0124
MOV AL,04
JMP 0159
MOV AX,4680
INT 2F
OR AX,AX
JZ 0131
MOV AL,00
JMP 0159
MOV AX,4B02
XOR BX,BX
MOV DI,BX
MOV ES,BX
INT 2F
OR AX,AX
JNZ 0144
MOV AL,01
JMP 0159
MOV AX,1605
INT 2F
CMP CX,-01
JNZ 0152
MOV AL,03
JMP 0159
MOV AX,1606
INT 2F
MOV AL,02
MOV AH,4C
INT 21
RCX
5D
N WINCHECK.COM
W
Q
Note: You MUST press the ENTER key twice after the line "INT 21".
2. From the drive C command prompt, enter the following command to create the
WINCHECK.COM program:
" >DEBUG < WINCHECK.SCR" (without the quotation marks)
DEBUG will read and follow the instructions in the WINCHECK.SCR file. It is
recommended that you not use this command when other programs are running or
from within Windows. If WINCHECK.SCR contains an error, DEBUG will likely not
be told when to quit and you will have to restart your system to get out.
DEBUG might even be instructed to hang your system; if this happens, reboot
and examine WINCHECK.SCR for accuracy.
A few screens of information will scroll, ending with
nnnn:015B INT 21
nnnn:015D
-RCX
CX 0000
:5D
-N WINCHECK.COM
-W
Writing 0005D bytes
-Q
where "nnnn" is a combination of letters and numbers, the exact combination of
which will vary. The rest should be the same as above if WINCHECK.SCR is
correct.
DEBUG will place the WINCHECK.COM file in the current directory, which in the
example above is C:\. It should be 93 bytes in size.
Using WINCHECK.COM
------------------
You can now run the WINCHECK.COM program from within a batch file to get
information about the current operating environment. Below are three example
batch files:
CHKSAFE.BAT
-----------
@ECHO OFF
REM This batch file runs the MS-DOS CHKDSK /F command if and
REM only if Windows or the Swapper are not running.
WINCHECK
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO SAFE
ECHO It is not safe to run CHKDSK /F when Windows or Shell
ECHO Task Swapper is active because other programs (or Windows
ECHO itself) may be updating the disk information.
ECHO
ECHO Press any key to see the current disk information, or
PAUSE CTRL+C to break out of the batch process.
CHKDSK
:SAFE
CHKDSK /F
SYSVER.BAT
----------
@ECHO OFF
REM This batch file informs the user which MS-DOS and (if any)
REM Windows version is running.
ECHO You are using:
VER
WINCHECK
IF ERRORLEVEL 5 GOTO WIN31
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO WIN30
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO SWAPPER
:WIN31
ECHO and you're running Windows 3.1.
GOTO END
:WIN30
ECHO and you're running Windows 3.0.
GOTO END
:SWAPPER
ECHO and you've enabled the MS-DOS Shell Task Swapper.
:END
WINMODE.BAT
-----------
@ECHO OFF
REM This batch file informs the user which Windows version and
REM mode (if any) is running.
WINCHECK
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO Nothing detected.
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 2 ECHO Task swapper enabled.
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 ECHO Windows 3.0 real mode.
IF ERRORLEVEL 3 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 4 ECHO Windows 3.0 standard mode.
IF ERRORLEVEL 4 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 5 ECHO Windows 3.0 enhanced mode.
IF ERRORLEVEL 5 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 6 ECHO Windows 3.1 standard mode.
IF ERRORLEVEL 6 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 7 ECHO Windows 3.1x enhanced mode.
How WINCHECK Works
------------------
In determining the Windows version, WINCHECK assumes that either Windows 3.0 or
Windows 3.1 is running.
WINCHECK first checks if Windows 3.1 is running using Interrupt 2F, function
160A. If Windows 3.1 is running, then CX will be set equal to 3 (for 386
enhanced mode) or 2 (for 286 standard mode). If 3.1 is not running, WINCHECK
looks for the Windows 386 memory manager (WIN386.EXE) using Interrupt 2F
function 1600. If WIN386.EXE is not running, WINCHECK looks for WINOLDAP.MOD
using Interrupt 2F, function WINOLDAP.MOD runs non-Windows applications in real
and standard mode; in addition, Task Swapper pretends to be WINOLDAP.MOD. If
WINOLDAP.MOD is not installed, then WINCHECK gives up and returns 0.
If WINOLDAP.MOD appears to be installed, it could be Task Swapper, real mode 3.0,
or standard mode 3.0. WINCHECK uses Interrupt 2F, function 4B02, to determine if
it is Task Swapper. If it is not, WINCHECK issues Interrupt 2F, function 1605
and checks the response. If CX is -01, standard mode responded (and so must be
running); if not, real mode is running.
WINCHECK.COM is derived from an assembly language fragment that determines the
mode and version of Windows from an MS-DOS application. It has been adapted for
DEBUG and batch file usability. For more information on the procedures used to
detect the Windows mode and version, query on the following word in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
" WIN31CHECK" (without the quotation marks)
The MS-DOS Task Swapper application program interface is documented in the
"Microsoft MS-DOS Programmer's Reference," published by Microsoft Press (ISBN
1-55615-329-5).
Additional query words: 3.2 3.20 3.21 3.3 3.30 3.3a 3.30a 4.00 4.0 4.00a 4.0a 4.01 4.01a 5.0 5.00 5.0a 5.00a 6.00 win286 win386
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Keywords : msdos
Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbWFWSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin300 kbWin300a kbWin310 kbWin311 kbWFW310 kbWFW311 kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a
Version : MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0; WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a,3.1,3.11
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