[comp.windows.ms] MS Windows Video Controllers

lak@lznh.UUCP (<10000>Lisa Krauth) (06/15/89)

Does anyone know how I can find out (from within an Windows application)
which video display controller Windows thinks is currently installed in
the PC?

Thanks in advance.

	Lisa Krauth

michaelt@microsoft.UUCP (Michael Thurlkill 1/1029) (06/18/89)

In article <2023@lznh.UUCP> lak@lznh.UUCP (<10000>Lisa Krauth) writes:
>
>Does anyone know how I can find out (from within an Windows application)
>which video display controller Windows thinks is currently installed in
>the PC?
>
There isn't a Windows call to tell you what display adapter (CGA,
EGA,VGA) is installed. However, the GetDeviceCaps function tells
you the capabilities of the device, including the size, resolution,
colors available, etc. These are the things really important to a
Windows application, since the display driver may have set the
board to anyone of it's various modes, eg. you may be using the EGA
driver with a VGA board. Also, this same function is also used to 
determine the capabilities of the selected printer.

If, for some reason, you really need to find out what board is installed,
you will have to directly check the hardware registers and such.
I don't really know right off how to do that though.

Mike Thurlkill

Disclaimer: These opinions are mine, may be completely bogus, and
are in no way related to those of my employer.