Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp,comp.os.msdos.programmer Subject: Re: Detecting Windows and Windows directory from DOS References: <8am5ub$o0v$1 AT news6 DOT svr DOT pol DOT co DOT uk> X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #5 From: dgdavis AT nyx10 DOT nyx DOT net (DONALD G. DAVIS) Organization: Nyx Net, The spirit of the Night (www.nyx.net) Message-ID: <953587279.534707@iris.nyx.net> Cache-Post-Path: iris.nyx.net!dgdavis AT nyx10 DOT nyx DOT net X-Cache: nntpcache 2.3.3 (see http://www.nntpcache.org/) Lines: 12 Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 21:25:28 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 206.124.29.7 X-Trace: wormhole.dimensional.com 953587528 206.124.29.7 (Mon, 20 Mar 2000 14:25:28 MST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 14:25:28 MST To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com "AndrewJ" writes: >Lot's of solutions have already been provided, but I didn't see anyone >mention this one. Why not just try opening C:\MSDOS.SYS and checking if the >first 7 characters is equal to [Paths]. If it's some strange binary value, >you don't have Windows '9x installed, if it is there, you can get just about >all the windows installation information you like. Unless the user is >incredibly perverse and has changed the contents of the file. =) Better search the *whole* MSDOS.SYS for a line beginning with that string...it need not be the first seven characters. --Donald Davis