XL: Getting Windows Status Information from Windows API

ID: Q152601


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows


SUMMARY

The following Visual Basic for Applications sample procedure demonstrates how you can obtain system status information similar to the information displayed in the Windows Program Manager About box. The sample program displays the following information using the Windows API function(s) indicated:

  • The Windows version number with the GetVersion function.


  • The CPU processor type.


  • The amount of free memory



MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
To get Windows status information using Windows API calls, use the following steps to enter and run the code:
  1. In Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook.


  2. On the Insert menu, point to Macro, and then click Module.

    In Microsoft Excel 97, click the Tools menu, point to Macro, and click Visual Basic Editor. Then, click Module on the Insert menu.


  3. On the new module sheet, type the following code:
    
            Option Explicit
    
        Type SYSTEM_INFO
            dwOemID As Long
            dwPageSize As Long
            lpMinimumApplicationAddress As Long
            lpMaximumApplicationAddress As Long
            dwActiveProcessorMask As Long
            dwNumberOrfProcessors As Long
            dwProcessorType As Long
            dwAllocationGranularity As Long
            dwReserved As Long
        End Type
    
        Type OSVERSIONINFO
            dwOSVersionInfoSize As Long
            dwMajorVersion As Long
            dwMinorVersion As Long
            dwBuildNumber As Long
            dwPlatformId As Long
            szCSDVersion As String * 128
        End Type
    
        Type MEMORYSTATUS
            dwLength As Long
            dwMemoryLoad As Long
            dwTotalPhys As Long
            dwAvailPhys As Long
            dwTotalPageFile As Long
            dwAvailPageFile As Long
            dwTotalVirtual As Long
            dwAvailVirtual As Long
        End Type
    
        'The following three Declare lines must be each entered on a single
        'line.
        Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetVersionExA" _
                     (LpVersionInformation As OSVERSIONINFO) As Long
        Declare Sub GlobalMemoryStatus Lib "kernel32" (lpBuffer As _
                    MEMORYSTATUS)
        Declare Sub GetSystemInfo Lib "kernel32" (lpSystemInfo As _
                      SYSTEM_INFO)
    
        Public Const PROCESSOR_INTEL_386 = 386
        Public Const PROCESSOR_INTEL_486 = 486
        Public Const PROCESSOR_INTEL_PENTIUM = 586
        Public Const PROCESSOR_MIPS_R4000 = 4000
        Public Const PROCESSOR_ALPHA_21064 = 21064
    
        Sub SystemInformation()
        Dim msg As String         ' Status information.
        Dim NewLine As String     ' New-line.
        Dim ret As Integer        ' OS Information
        Dim ver_major As Integer  ' OS Version
        Dim ver_minor As Integer  ' Minor Os Version
        Dim Build As Long         ' OS Build
    
              NewLine = Chr(13) + Chr(10)  ' New-line.
               ' Get operating system and version.
              Dim verinfo As OSVERSIONINFO
              verinfo.dwOSVersionInfoSize = Len(verinfo)
              ret = GetVersionEx(verinfo)
              If ret = 0 Then
                  MsgBox "Error Getting Version Information"
                  End
              End If
    
              Select Case verinfo.dwPlatformId
                  Case 0
                      msg = msg + "Windows 32s "
                  Case 1
                      msg = msg + "Windows 95 "
                  Case 2
                      msg = msg + "Windows NT "
              End Select
    
              ver_major = verinfo.dwMajorVersion
              ver_minor = verinfo.dwMinorVersion
              Build = verinfo.dwBuildNumber
              msg = msg & ver_major & "." & ver_minor
              msg = msg & " (Build " & Build & ")" & NewLine & NewLine
    
              ' Get CPU type and operating mode.
              Dim sysinfo As SYSTEM_INFO
              GetSystemInfo sysinfo
              msg = msg + "CPU: "
              Select Case sysinfo.dwProcessorType
                  Case PROCESSOR_INTEL_386
                      msg = msg + "Intel 386" + NewLine
                  Case PROCESSOR_INTEL_486
                      msg = msg + "Intel 486" + NewLine
                  Case PROCESSOR_INTEL_PENTIUM
                      msg = msg + "Intel Pentium" + NewLine
                  Case PROCESSOR_MIPS_R4000
                      msg = msg + "MIPS R4000" + NewLine
                  Case PROCESSOR_ALPHA_21064
                      msg = msg + "DEC Alpha 21064" + NewLine
                  Case Else
                      msg = msg + "(unknown)" + NewLine
              End Select
    
              msg = msg + NewLine
    
              ' Get free memory.
              Dim memsts As MEMORYSTATUS
              Dim memory As Long
              GlobalMemoryStatus memsts
              memory = memsts.dwTotalPhys
              msg = msg + "Total Physical Memory: "
              msg = msg + Format(memory \ 1024, "###,###,###") + "K" + NewLine
              memory = memsts.dwAvailPhys
              msg = msg + "Available Physical Memory: "
              msg = msg + Format(memory \ 1024, "###,###,###") + "K" + NewLine
              memory = memsts.dwTotalVirtual
              msg = msg + "Total Virtual Memory: "
              msg = msg + Format(memory \ 1024, "###,###,###") + "K" + NewLine
              memory = memsts.dwAvailVirtual
              msg = msg + "Available Virtual Memory: "
              msg = msg + Format(memory \ 1024, "###,###,###") + "K" + NewLine
    
              MsgBox msg, vbOKOnly, "System Info"
        End Sub 


  4. On the Tools menu, click Macro, click SystemInformation, and then click Run to run the macro.

    In Microsoft Excel 97, click the Tools menu, point to Macro, and click Macros. Then, click SystemInformation and click Run.


The macro should display a message box that shows your system information.


REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q147886 How VB Can Get Windows Status Information via API Calls

Q146650 Popular Windows API Functions to Use with Visual Basic 4.0

Additional query words: 97 8.00 XL97 API System Info Information Win95 vbapp

Keywords : kbprg kbdta kbdtacode KbVBA kbhowto
Version : WINDOWS:97; Win95:7.0,7.0a
Platform : Win95 WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: November 9, 1999
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