In search of a partition identifier ...

[barney]

Folk,

I thought this would be simplicity ... definitely misthought!

Been searching for something, preferably portable, that will identify the currently active OS partition.

OK, that's prolly not clear, so here's an example.

Take a desktop with multiple partitions on the HD(s).  Four (4) of these [bootable] partitions are loaded with the same OS, although there are variants within each.  OK, sounds stupid, but special circumstances make some sense of it.  Personally, I'd have done this with VMs, but, oh, well.

So what I'm trying to find is something that will let me identify the active partition w/o having to reboot.  Drive letters are not reliable in this instance, as they can be changed within each OS partition.

I really thought this was going to be simple, but it's turned out to be a bear.  Any thoughts that might be helpful?

[MilesAhead]

If nobody on BootLand forum knows, then I don't know who would:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?

[sword]

PowerQuest PartitionMagic v7 lists:
Disk | Partition |...| Status |...
 1       C...             Active

[MilesAhead]

There are some WinAPI calls to get volume information but I haven't used them myself to know if the info can be easily meaningfully interpreted. Just about everything at BootLand is boot related so there must be some programmers there willing to share some of their secrets.

[4wd]

Been searching for something, preferably portable, that will identify the currently active OS partition.

-barney (February 05, 2011, 03:28 PM)

When you say 'active' do you mean the partition that is marked as Active that carries the MBR, (I only have one per all drives), or do you mean the current System partition ?

ie. In the picture below: The Active or the Boot partition?



Try the attached compiled AutoIt script, it's console only, (so you can stick it in batch file or something), let me know if you want GUI instead.

D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot a
\Device\Harddisk2\Partition1
D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot b
\Device\Harddisk2\Partition2
D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot o
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot s
C:\Windows
D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot e
\Device\Harddisk2\Partition1
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
C:\Windows
\Device\Harddisk2\Partition2

D:\My Docs\AutoIt>whatboot
WhatBoot [A|O|B|S|E]
Where: A - Active partition
       O - Operating System
       B - Boot partition
       S - System directory
       E - Everything
D:\My Docs\AutoIt>

EDIT: Should have mentioned, numbering starts at 1 for partitions.

[barney]

When you say 'active' do you mean the partition that is marked as Active that carries the MBR, (I only have one per all drives), or do you mean the current System partition ?

-4wd (February 05, 2011, 05:57 PM)

OK, active refers to the partition which supports the OS version I'm using at the moment, i.e., the partition which carries the currently active OS.  Perhaps booted partition would be more clear.

Anyway, curse you, 4wd for making me learn another scripting bit - your WhatBoot seems to do what's needful here.  So I'll order the O'Reilly/Safari AutoIt V3:  Your Quick Guide and pray that it really is.  (I hate ebooks.)

Oh, yeah, about that curse ... many, many thanks, as well  .

[4wd]

It that case, perhaps you should sign up for the AutoHK Programming School, (which I'm currently going through in AutoIt)

Here's the source, (a heavily edited version of the CompInfo UDF), but I could have also used AutoIt ScriptOMatic to generate and butcher.

I took the easier route.

Code: AutoIt [Select]

1. #Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
2. #AutoIt3Wrapper_UseUpx=n
3. #AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=n
4. #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
5. #EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
6.  
7. #region Global Variables and Constants
8. If Not(IsDeclared("$cI_CompName")) Then
9.         Global  $cI_CompName = @ComputerName
10. EndIf
11. Global Const $cI_VersionInfo            = "00.03.08"
12. Global Const $cI_aName                          = 0, _
13.                          $cI_aDesc                              = 4
14. Global  $wbemFlagReturnImmediately      = 0x10, _       ;DO NOT CHANGE
15. $wbemFlagForwardOnly            = 0x20                          ;DO NOT CHANGE
16. Global  $ERR_NO_INFO                            = "Array contains no information", _
17.                 $ERR_NOT_OBJ                            = "$colItems isnt an object"
18. #endregion Global Variables and Constants
19.  
20. #region Boot Configuration
21. Dim $BootConfig
22. _ComputerGetBootConfig($BootConfig)
23. If @error Then
24.         $error = @error
25.         $extended = @extended
26.         Switch $extended
27.                 Case 1
28.                         _ErrorMsg($ERR_NO_INFO)
29.                 Case 2
30.                         _ErrorMsg($ERR_NOT_OBJ)
31.         EndSwitch
32. EndIf
33. #endregion Boot Configuration
34.  
35. #region ComputerOS Configuration
36. Dim $OSs
37. _ComputerGetOSs($OSs)
38. If @error Then
39.         $error = @error
40.         $extended = @extended
41.         Switch $extended
42.                 Case 1
43.                         _ErrorMsg($ERR_NO_INFO)
44.                 Case 2
45.                         _ErrorMsg($ERR_NOT_OBJ)
46.         EndSwitch
47. EndIf
48. #endregion ComputerOS Configuration
49.  
50. $CompOS = StringSplit($OSs[1][0],'|')
51. $CompOS[0] = $BootConfig[1][0]
52.  
53. If $CmdLine[0] = 1 Then
54.         Switch $CmdLine[1]
55.                 Case 'A', 'a'
56.                         ConsoleWrite($CompOS[0])
57.                 Case 'O', 'o'
58.                         ConsoleWrite($CompOS[1])
59.                 Case 'B', 'b'
60.                         ConsoleWrite($CompOS[3])
61.                 Case 'S', 's'
62.                         ConsoleWrite($CompOS[2])
63.                 Case 'E', 'e'
64.                         For $i = 0 To 3
65.                                 ConsoleWrite($CompOS[$i] & @CRLF)
66.                         Next
67.                 Case Else
68.         EndSwitch
69. Else
70.         $info = 'WhatBoot [A|O|B|S|E]' & @CRLF & 'Where: A - Active partition' & @CRLF & '       O - Operating System' & _
71.                                 @CRLF & '       B - Boot partition' & @CRLF & '       S - System directory' & @CRLF & '       E - Everything'
72.         ConsoleWrite($info)
73. EndIf
74.  
75. Exit
76.  
77. Func _ComputerGetBootConfig(ByRef $aBootConfigInfo)
78.         Local $colItems, $objWMIService, $objItem
79.         Dim $aBootConfigInfo[1][8], $i = 1
80.  
81.         $objWMIService = ObjGet("winmgmts:\\" & $cI_Compname & "\root\CIMV2")
82.         $colItems = $objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_BootConfiguration", "WQL", $wbemFlagReturnImmediately + $wbemFlagForwardOnly)
83.  
84.         If IsObj($colItems) Then
85.                 For $objItem In $colItems
86.                         ReDim $aBootConfigInfo[UBound($aBootConfigInfo) + 1][8]
87.                         $aBootConfigInfo[$i][0]  = $objItem.Description
88.                         $i += 1
89.                 Next
90.                 $aBootConfigInfo[0][0] = UBound($aBootConfigInfo) - 1
91.                 If $aBootConfigInfo[0][0] < 1 Then
92.                         SetError(1, 1, 0)
93.                 EndIf
94.         Else
95.                 SetError(1, 2, 0)
96.         EndIf
97. EndFunc ;_ComputerGetBootConfig
98.  
99. Func _ComputerGetOSs(ByRef $aOSInfo)
100.         Local $colItems, $objWMIService, $objItem
101.         Dim $aOSInfo[1][60], $i = 1
102.  
103.         $objWMIService = ObjGet("winmgmts:\\" & $cI_Compname & "\root\CIMV2")
104.         $colItems = $objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_OperatingSystem", "WQL", $wbemFlagReturnImmediately + $wbemFlagForwardOnly)
105.  
106.         If IsObj($colItems) Then
107.                 For $objItem In $colItems
108.                         ReDim $aOSInfo[UBound($aOSInfo) + 1][60]
109.                         $aOSInfo[$i][0]  = $objItem.Name
110.                         $i += 1
111.                 Next
112.                 $aOSInfo[0][0] = UBound($aOSInfo) - 1
113.                 If $aOSInfo[0][0] < 1 Then
114.                         SetError(1, 1, 0)
115.                 EndIf
116.         Else
117.                 SetError(1, 2, 0)
118.         EndIf
119. EndFunc ;_ComputerGetOSs
120.  
121. #region ---- Internal Functions
122. Func _ErrorMsg($message, $time = 0)
123.         ConsoleWrite("Error! - " & $message)
124. EndFunc
125. #endregion Internal Functions

Happy it worked  

You might not need the ebook, I find the examples in the help docs and throughout the AutoIt forum are usually enough to get me either headed in the right direction or almost exactly what I require.  The hard part is getting the search terms right.  Many a time I've started writing a function to do something then searched in the forum to find that it's included in a UDF so all I need is a function call  

ATM I can't work out how to tell whether or not the program is run via CLI or GUI which would allow me to add both types of output.  I'm sure it's really easy but stuffed if I can find a variable, (or process), to check for so I can do it.

[MilesAhead]

I found this console detection code. I have no idea if it really works though.

http://www.autoitscr...earch__1#entry787423

(scroll up to the post by GodlessSinner for the script)

Not exactly great for doing it inside the file you're checking but you can probably work around it somehow.

Also there's a new UDF WinApiEx.au3 that has tons of stuff. It's by the guy who figured out how to get the translucent blue glass dialogs on Windows Seven Aero.

[4wd]

Great!  Thanks Miles, I'll have a look at it - had a look at the WinApiEx UDF earlier but couldn't see anything.

I couldn't believe they didn't have a macro, (eg. @console), already available.

EDIT: Seems that you need to have UPX'd the compiled script for it to work...bummer!  Still, might be able to adapt it.

Found something here, ie. get the parent process - if it's explorer.exe then it was run via double-click, if it's cmd.exe it's via CLI.

[MilesAhead]

Thanks for the link.  Added it to my code snippets.

I also found a port of the Linux "file" command:

http://www.vowles-ho...windows_file_exe.htm

One of the infos output is console or gui when run against an exe file.
C Source is included.  Assuming it works it's some good info on PE fields.
I'm not sure if the exes "compiled" by AutoIt3 conform to the standard.

[4wd]

I'm not sure if the exes "compiled" by AutoIt3 conform to the standard.

-MilesAhead (February 06, 2011, 04:42 PM)

Excellent!  Works in detecting CUI/GUI compiled AutoIt...now to apply my meager C knowledge in working out how they do it

EDIT: Here's a AutoIt conversion, not the whole file.exe program, just up to the part I was interested in.  Seems to work OK as long as the AutoIt program hasn't been UPX'd of course.

Now to turn it into a function.

Code: AutoIt [Select]

1. #Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
2. #AutoIt3Wrapper_UseUpx=n
3. #AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=n
4. #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
5. #EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
6. ; file.au3
7.  
8. $maxfilesize = 8192
9. Dim $buffer[$maxfilesize]
10.  
11. If $CmdLine[0] = 0 Then Exit
12.  
13. $hFile = FileOpen($CmdLine[1], 16)
14. If $hFile = -1 Then
15.         MsgBox(0, 'Error!', 'Failed to open file.')
16.         Exit
17. EndIf
18. For $i = 0 To 8191
19.         $buffer[$i] = Dec(StringMid(FileRead($hFile, 1), 3))
20.         If @error Then ExitLoop
21. Next
22.  
23. FileClose($hFile)
24.  
25. ; Test for executable
26. If ($buffer[0]=77 And $buffer[1]=90) Or ($buffer[0]=90 And $buffer[1]=77) Then ; MZ or ZM
27.         ConsoleWrite('DOS/Win executable')
28. Else
29.         ConsoleWrite('Not DOS/Win executable')
30. EndIf
31.  
32. $offset=0
33. $format=0
34.  
35. ; Test for NE/PE format
36. $neoffset=($buffer[61] + $buffer[60]) * 256
37. If ($buffer[$neoffset] = 78 And $buffer[$neoffset + 1] = 69) Then
38.         $format = 3
39.         $offset = $neoffset
40. EndIf
41.  
42. $peoffset = $buffer[60]
43. If ($peoffset > $maxfilesize) Then
44.         $peoffset = 0
45. EndIf
46.  
47. If ($buffer[$peoffset] = 80 And $buffer[$peoffset + 1] = 69) Then
48.         $format = 1
49.         $offset = $peoffset
50. EndIf
51.  
52. If ($format = 0) Then
53.         $i = 0
54.         While (($format = 0) And ($i < $maxfilesize - 4))
55.                 If ($buffer[$i] = 80) And ($buffer[$i + 1] = 69) And ($buffer[$i + 2] = 0) And ($buffer[$i + 3] = 0) Then
56.                         $offset = $i
57.                         $format = 2
58.                 EndIf
59.                 $i += 1
60.         WEnd
61. EndIf
62.  
63. ; Depending on the type of Format try to gain further information about the file
64. If ($format = 1 Or $format = 2) Then
65.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 0 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', defined as an ANY / unknown machine type executable')
66.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 76 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', i386 32bit executable')
67.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 100 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 134) Then ConsoleWrite(', x86-64 64bit executable')
68.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 0 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 2) Then ConsoleWrite(', Intel Itanium executable')
69.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 240 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Power PC (little endian) executable')
70.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 241 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Power PC (with floating point support) executable')
71.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 211 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Matsushita AM33')
72.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 192 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', ARM little endian')
73.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 188 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 14) Then ConsoleWrite(', EFI byte code')
74.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 65 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 144) Then ConsoleWrite(', Mitsubishi M32R little endian')
75.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 102 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 2) Then ConsoleWrite(', MIPS16')
76.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 102 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 3) Then ConsoleWrite(', MIPS with FPU')
77.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 102 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 4) Then ConsoleWrite(', MIPS 16 with FPU')
78.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 102 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', MIPS little endian / R4000')
79.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 162 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Hitachi SH3')
80.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 163 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Hitachi SH3 DSP')
81.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 166 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Hitachi SH4')
82.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 168 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Hitachi SH5')
83.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 194 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Thumb')
84.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 105 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', MIPS little-endian WCE v2')
85.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 132 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 1) Then ConsoleWrite(', Alpha')
86.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 104 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 2) Then ConsoleWrite(', Motorola 68000')
87.         If ($buffer[$offset + 4] = 144 And $buffer[$offset + 5] = 2) Then ConsoleWrite(', PA-RISC')
88.  
89.         If ($buffer[$offset + 23] = 32 And $buffer[$offset + 22] > 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', dll')
90.         If ($buffer[$offset + 23] = 10 And $buffer[$offset + 22] > 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', system file')
91.  
92.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 0 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', unknown system')
93.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 1 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', native')
94.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 2 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', GUI')
95.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 3 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', console/cmd')
96.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 7 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then ConsoleWrite(', POSIX')
97. EndIf
98.  
99. Exit

EDIT: Got sidetracked, while it will tell how the program was compiled it still won't tell you how it was run...but at least I can make a single program that covers both compilation options.

Here's a function, returns True if compiled for GUI, False for anything else.

Code: AutoIt [Select]

1. MsgBox(0, '', _GUITest(@ScriptFullPath))
2.  
3. Func _GUITest($file)
4.         Local $maxfilesize = 8192, $hFile, $offset, $buffer, $i, $format, $neoffset, $peoffset
5.         Dim $buffer[$maxfilesize]
6.  
7.         $hFile = FileOpen($file, 16)
8.         For $i = 0 To 8191
9.                 $buffer[$i] = Dec(StringMid(FileRead($hFile, 1), 3))
10.                 If @error Then ExitLoop
11.         Next
12.         FileClose($hFile)
13.  
14.         $offset=0
15.         $format=0
16.  
17.         $peoffset = $buffer[60]
18.         If ($peoffset > $maxfilesize) Then
19.                 $peoffset = 0
20.         EndIf
21.  
22.         If ($buffer[$peoffset] = 80 And $buffer[$peoffset + 1] = 69) Then
23.                 $format = 1
24.                 $offset = $peoffset
25.         EndIf
26.  
27.         If ($format = 0) Then
28.                 $i = 0
29.                 While (($format = 0) And ($i < $maxfilesize - 4))
30.                         If ($buffer[$i] = 80) And ($buffer[$i + 1] = 69) And ($buffer[$i + 2] = 0) And ($buffer[$i + 3] = 0) Then
31.                                 $offset = $i
32.                                 $format = 2
33.                         EndIf
34.                         $i += 1
35.                 WEnd
36.         EndIf
37.  
38. ; Depending on the type of Format try to gain further information about the file
39. If ($format = 1 Or $format = 2) Then
40.         If ($buffer[$offset + 92] = 2 And $buffer[$offset + 93] = 0) Then
41.                 Return True
42.         Else
43.                 Return False
44.         EndIf
45. EndIf
46. EndFunc