System Information API Reference
Overview
This section provides APIs for retrieving and managing system-level information about the Windows operating system and its hardware components. Developers can use these APIs to gain insights into system performance, configuration, and available resources.
Key areas covered include:
- Hardware details (CPU, memory, disk, network adapters)
- Operating system version and build information
- User session data
- System power status
- Device enumeration
Core APIs
GetSystemInfo()
Retrieves general information about the current system.
DWORD GetSystemInfo(
LPSYSTEM_INFO lpSystemInfo
);Parameters
lpSystemInfo: A pointer to aSYSTEM_INFOstructure that receives information about the current system.
Return Value
If the function succeeds, the return value is non-zero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError().
GlobalMemoryStatusEx()
Fills the MEMORYSTATUSEX structure with information about the current memory availability. This includes information about the total physical memory and available physical memory, the total virtual memory and available virtual memory, and the amount of memory used by the operating system.
BOOL GlobalMemoryStatusEx(
LPMEMORYSTATUSEX lpBuffer
);Parameters
lpBuffer: A pointer to aMEMORYSTATUSEXstructure that receives information about the current memory status.
Return Value
If the function succeeds, the return value is a non-zero value, and lpBuffer is updated with the memory information.
If the function fails, the return value is zero, and lpBuffer is not updated.
GetNativeSystemInfo()
Retrieves detailed information about the current processor and operating system. This function is similar to GetSystemInfo but provides more architecture-specific information.
VOID GetNativeSystemInfo(
LPSYSTEM_INFO lpSystemInfo
);Parameters
lpSystemInfo: A pointer to aSYSTEM_INFOstructure that receives information about the current system.
Related Topics
GetLastError() when necessary to diagnose issues.