How to Retrieve Windows System Information in C++

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In C++, you can use Windows API functions to retrieve various information about the Windows system. Below are some common API functions and sample code for obtaining Windows system information:

1. Operating System Version

#include <windows.h>  #include <iostream>  
int main() {    OSVERSIONINFOEX osvi;    ZeroMemory(&osvi, sizeof(OSVERSIONINFOEX));
    osvi.dwOSVersionInfoSize = sizeof(OSVERSIONINFOEX);    if (GetVersionEx((OSVERSIONINFO*)&osvi)) {        std::cout << "Operating System Version: " << osvi.dwMajorVersion << "." << osvi.dwMinorVersion << std::endl;    }
    return 0;}

2. Retrieve CPU Information

You can use the GetSystemInfo function to obtain CPU architecture information.
#include <windows.h>  #include <iostream>  
int main() {    SYSTEM_INFO sysInfo;    GetSystemInfo(&sysInfo);
    std::cout << "Processor Architecture: ";    switch (sysInfo.wProcessorArchitecture) {    case PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64:        std::cout << "AMD64" << std::endl;        break;    case PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_IA64:        std::cout << "IA64" << std::endl;        break;    case PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL:        std::cout << "x86" << std::endl;        break;        // Other architectures...      default:        std::cout << "Unknown" << std::endl;        break;    }
    return 0;}

3. Retrieve Memory Information

You can use the GlobalMemoryStatusEx function to obtain memory information.
#include <windows.h>  #include <iostream>    int main() {      MEMORYSTATUSEX statex;      statex.dwLength = sizeof (statex);      GlobalMemoryStatusEx (&statex);        std::cout << "Total physical memory: "                << statex.ullTotalPhys / (1024 * 1024) << " MB" << std::endl;      std::cout << "Available physical memory: "                << statex.ullAvailPhys / (1024 * 1024) << " MB" << std::endl;        return 0;  }

4. Retrieve Disk Information

You can use the GetDiskFreeSpaceEx function to obtain available disk space.
#include <windows.h>  #include <iostream>  
int main() {    ULARGE_INTEGER freeBytesAvailable, totalNumberOfBytes, totalNumberOfFreeBytes;    if (GetDiskFreeSpaceEx(L"C:\", &freeBytesAvailable, &totalNumberOfBytes, &totalNumberOfFreeBytes)) {        std::cout << "Total number of bytes: "            << totalNumberOfBytes.QuadPart / (1024 * 1024 * 1024) << " GB" << std::endl;        std::cout << "Free bytes available: "            << freeBytesAvailable.QuadPart / (1024 * 1024 * 1024) << " GB" << std::endl;    }    else {        std::cerr << "Failed to get disk space information." << std::endl;    }
    return 0;}

5. Retrieve Network Interface Information

Use the GetAdaptersInfo function to obtain information about network interfaces.
#include <winsock2.h>  #include <iphlpapi.h>  #include <iostream>  
#pragma comment(lib, "iphlpapi.lib")  #pragma comment(lib, "ws2_32.lib")  
int main() {    PIP_ADAPTER_INFO pAdapterInfo;    ULONG ulOutBufLen = sizeof(IP_ADAPTER_INFO);    pAdapterInfo = (IP_ADAPTER_INFO*)malloc(sizeof(IP_ADAPTER_INFO));
    if (pAdapterInfo == NULL) {        std::cerr << "Error allocating memory needed to call GetAdaptersInfo" << std::endl;        return 1;    }
    if (GetAdaptersInfo(pAdapterInfo, &ulOutBufLen) == ERROR_BUFFER_OVERFLOW) {        free(pAdapterInfo);        pAdapterInfo = (IP_ADAPTER_INFO*)malloc(ulOutBufLen);        if (pAdapterInfo == NULL) {            std::cerr << "Error allocating memory needed to call GetAdaptersInfo" << std::endl;            return 1;        }    }
    if (GetAdaptersInfo(pAdapterInfo, &ulOutBufLen) == NO_ERROR) {        PIP_ADAPTER_INFO pAdapter = pAdapterInfo;        while (pAdapter) {            std::wcout << L"Adapter Name: " << pAdapter->AdapterName << std::endl;            std::wcout << L"Description: " << pAdapter->Description << std::endl;            std::cout << "IP Address: ";            for (PIP_ADDR_STRING pIpAddressList = &pAdapter->IpAddressList; pIpAddressList; pIpAddressList = pIpAddressList->Next) {                std::cout << pIpAddressList->IpAddress.String << " ";            }            std::cout << std::endl;
            // Move to the next adapter              pAdapter = pAdapter->Next;        }    }    else {        std::cerr << "GetAdaptersInfo failed with error: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;    }
    if (pAdapterInfo) {        free(pAdapterInfo);    }
    return 0;}

6. Retrieve Computer Name and Username

In C++, you can use the Windows API function GetComputerName to obtain the name of the Windows computer.
#include <windows.h>#include <stdio.h>void GetSysInfo() {
  wchar_t szComputerName[MAXBYTE] = { 0 };  wchar_t szUserName[MAXBYTE] = { 0 };  unsigned long nSize = MAXBYTE;  OSVERSIONINFO OsVer;  OsVer.dwOSVersionInfoSize = sizeof(OSVERSIONINFO);  GetVersionEx(&OsVer);
  if (OsVer.dwPlatformId == VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT) {    if (OsVer.dwMajorVersion == 5 && OsVer.dwMinorVersion == 1) {      wprintf(L"window xp %s\r\n", OsVer.szCSDVersion);    }    else if (OsVer.dwMajorVersion == 5 && OsVer.dwMinorVersion == 0) {      wprintf(L"windows 2k \r\n");    }    else if (OsVer.dwMajorVersion == 6 && OsVer.dwMinorVersion >= 1) {      printf("windows win7 \r\n");    }  }  else {    wprintf(L"other system \r\n");  }  GetComputerName(szComputerName, &nSize);  wprintf(L"computer name is %s \r\n", szComputerName);
  nSize = MAXBYTE;  GetUserName(szUserName, &nSize);  wprintf(L"user name is %s \r\n", szUserName);}
int main(){  GetSysInfo();  system("pause");  return 0;}

Running the above code may produce an error

error C4996: ‘GetVersionExW’: declared deprecated

Need to disable SDL

How to Retrieve Windows System Information in C++

In Visual Studio (VS), SDL (Security Development Lifecycle) checks are a compile-time option designed to enhance code security. SDL is an iterative security development process developed by Microsoft, aimed at ensuring security and privacy considerations are integrated and implemented early in the development process. By combining SDL with Visual Studio’s compile-time checks, developers can identify and fix potential security vulnerabilities at the compile stage.
When SDL checks are enabled in Visual Studio, the compiler performs a series of additional security checks to ensure the code adheres to best practices for security and privacy protection. These checks may include buffer overflow checks, input data validation, prevention of cross-site scripting (XSS), etc. If the compiler detects potential security issues in the code, it generates warnings or errors so that developers can promptly identify and address these issues.
By enabling SDL checks, developers can achieve a higher level of security and privacy protection throughout the development process. This helps reduce the risk of discovering security vulnerabilities after software release and enhances user trust and satisfaction with the software.
How to Retrieve Windows System Information in C++

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