The GetTickCount function retrieves the number of milliseconds that have elapsed since the system was started. It is limited to the resolution of the system timer. If you need a higher resolution timer, use a multimedia timer or a high-resolution timer.
DWORD GetTickCount(VOID)
This function has no parameters.
The return value is the number of milliseconds that have elapsed since the system was started.
The following table describes the resolution of the system timer.
| System | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Windows NT 3.5 and later | The system timer runs at approximately 10ms. |
| Windows NT 3.1 | The system timer runs at approximately 16ms. |
| Windows 95 and later | The system timer runs at approximately 55ms. |
The elapsed time is stored as a DWORD value. Therefore, the time will wrap around to zero if the system is run continuously for 49.7 days.
Windows NT: To obtain the time elapsed since the computer was started, look up the System Up Time counter in the performance data in the registry key HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA. The value returned is an 8-byte value.
Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
Windows CE: Requires version 1.0 or later.
Header: Declared in winbase.h.
Import Library: Use kernel32.lib.