Quastion

wnt5 or NT5 is what we use to describe Windows OS versions with NT5-based kernel structures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NT5
Windows 2000, XP & Server 2003 variants all use some version of the NT5 kernel.
Vista, Win7 and Server 2008 variants all use the NT6 kernel.

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Windows Vista & 7 are referred to as NT6.0 & NT6.1, respectively.  Isn't XP NT5.1, or is that Win2003?

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In a Security Catalog (*.cat) file this would correspond to the OSAttr variable contained along with a sha1 hash value.  For example: OSAttr      2:5.00,2:5.1,2:5.2,2:6.0,2:6.1
for the first digit:   1=Win9x, 2=WinNT
the remainder (colon excluded):   Win98=4.10, 98me=4.90, Win2K=5.00, WinXP=5.1, Win2K3=5.2, Vista=6.0, Win7=6.1, Win8=6.2(preliminary)

Architecture variability can be expressed within the Catalog Information, contained in a noncritical extension.  From the same .cat file as the OSAttr example:

30 68 1e 04 00 4f 00 53   0h...O.S
02 04 10 01 00 01 04 5a   .......Z
32 00 30 00 30 00 30 00   2.0.0.0.
2c 00 58 00 50 00 58 00   ,.X.P.X.
38 00 36 00 2c 00 58 00   8.6.,.X.
50 00 58 00 36 00 34 00   P.X.6.4.
2c 00 56 00 69 00 73 00   ,.V.i.s.
74 00 61 00 58 00 38 00   t.a.X.8.
36 00 2c 00 56 00 69 00   6.,.V.i.
73 00 74 00 61 00 58 00   s.t.a.X.
36 00 34 00 2c 00 37 00   6.4.,.7.
58 00 38 00 36 00 2c 00   X.8.6.,.
37 00 58 00 36 00 34 00   7.X.6.4.
00 00                     ..

A Vista Security Catalog may be accepted as valid on a 7 system within the same architecture, even if '2:6.1' is not explicit within the OSAttr variable, as long as it contains '2:6.0'.
This could help explain why many Vista drivers can be 'seen' as WHQL on Win7 systems of similar architecture.

I see that a previously mentioned Intel ME Management engine had no such noncritical extension embedded, and apparently was verified as WHQL.  Can anyone tell me how the noncritical extension can influence this behavior or point to some relevant info,  as i still don't fully understand all of the circumstances when & why a Vista .cat file can work with Win7.

Last edited by TechDud (2011-08-29 13:47:18)

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