The MASM Forum Archive 2004 to 2012

General Forums => The Campus => Topic started by: asmfan on May 13, 2006, 05:09:43 AM

Title: Kernel API
Post by: asmfan on May 13, 2006, 05:09:43 AM
I wonder why Windows' kernel has so much undocumented API functions only referenced by ordinal? What is it for made so? And where can i found something on meaning of those ordinals? Any your suggestions...
Title: Re: Kernel API
Post by: Ar-ras on May 13, 2006, 09:56:35 AM
Maybe you load the windows symbols from microsoft.com and use ida to open kernel32.dll (what you mean with kernel?)
I read ordinal 59 or something like that is the shutdown dialog :)
Title: Re: Kernel API
Post by: Ossa on May 13, 2006, 10:00:31 AM
From what I've heard, your best bet would be books like "Undocumented Windows 2000 Secrets", although I'm guessing there might be some info on the internet somewhere. But even then, I would never use undocumented functions. Why? Because they aren't documented, Microsoft has no obligation to keep them the same (or even keep them at all) between one version of windows and the next, so your code would be of very limited use.

Ossa
Title: Re: Kernel API
Post by: hutch-- on May 13, 2006, 10:14:45 AM
Igor,

In the XP DDK there is an include file and library for NTDLL.DLL which contains many lower level functions that different system DLLs call functionality from. The same comment as Ossa though, it may not be the same in a later windows version.
Title: Re: Kernel API
Post by: asmfan on May 13, 2006, 09:16:03 PM
Big Thanks fellows! I'll try to put my eyes on sources you pointed... Curiosity of every people can bring him to his local discovery:) or maybe even global...