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Version checks are also the reason why we have Windows 10 and not Windows 9 because people checked whether the OS version started with "Windows 9" (for Windows

by svisser 11y ago

Version checks are also the reason why we have Windows 10 and not Windows 9 because people checked whether the OS version started with "Windows 9" (for Windows 95 and Windows 98).

ryandrake 11y ago
The source to that information (as far as I can tell) is a Reddit post claiming to be from a Microsoft developer. I've worked with programmers dumb enough to write such a version check, so I totally believe this might be true, but I'd love an official source.
- renata 11y ago
  This search turns up some quite a few results, including some OpenJDK code: https://searchcode.com/?q=if%28version%2Cstartswith%28%22windows+9%22%29 https://searchcode.com/?q=if%28version%2Cstartswith%28%22win....
  - gruez 11y ago
    that's irrelevant because Microsoft fakes version information for applications by default[1]. [1] https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724439%28v=vs.85%29.aspx https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms7...
    - ryandrake 11y ago
      It's cute, because the dedication to backwards compatibility is so uniquely Microsoftian: "We're going to create this API that idiots will inevitably abuse or misuse. Then, in the next version, after all the idiots have abused or misused the API, we're going to deliberately return wrong results from it so that the idiots' applications don't all break." It's really baked into their DNA, all the way back to the early days of Windows where they replicated all those DOS bugs so buggy games that took advantage of them would still function on Windows.
    - Arnavion 11y ago
      Whether or not it's true, it's certainly not irrelevant. Application manifests only apply to applications. If an application aware of W10 loads a third-party plugin that isn't, the plugin will still get the real version. This is a very real scenario when you consider the application is explorer.exe and the plugin is any software that installs custom context menu actions.
    - jug 11y ago
      But the above isn't looking at (faked) version information / GetVersion, but the name of the operating system, which is not faked in any call that I know.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]

by svisser 11y ago

Version checks are also the reason why we have Windows 10 and not Windows 9 because people checked whether the OS version started with "Windows 9" (for Windows 95 and Windows 98).

ryandrake 11y ago

The source to that information (as far as I can tell) is a Reddit post claiming to be from a Microsoft developer. I've worked with programmers dumb enough to write such a version check, so I totally believe this might be true, but I'd love an official source.

renata 11y ago
This search turns up some quite a few results, including some OpenJDK code: https://searchcode.com/?q=if%28version%2Cstartswith%28%22windows+9%22%29 https://searchcode.com/?q=if%28version%2Cstartswith%28%22win....
- gruez 11y ago
  that's irrelevant because Microsoft fakes version information for applications by default[1]. [1] https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724439%28v=vs.85%29.aspx https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms7...
  - ryandrake 11y ago
    It's cute, because the dedication to backwards compatibility is so uniquely Microsoftian: "We're going to create this API that idiots will inevitably abuse or misuse. Then, in the next version, after all the idiots have abused or misused the API, we're going to deliberately return wrong results from it so that the idiots' applications don't all break." It's really baked into their DNA, all the way back to the early days of Windows where they replicated all those DOS bugs so buggy games that took advantage of them would still function on Windows.
  - Arnavion 11y ago
    Whether or not it's true, it's certainly not irrelevant. Application manifests only apply to applications. If an application aware of W10 loads a third-party plugin that isn't, the plugin will still get the real version. This is a very real scenario when you consider the application is explorer.exe and the plugin is any software that installs custom context menu actions.
  - jug 11y ago
    But the above isn't looking at (faked) version information / GetVersion, but the name of the operating system, which is not faked in any call that I know.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]