>Does anyone know how to retrieve the BIOS information using VB? I am writing an app that (among other things) checks to make sure the BIOS settings are correct. I have checked everywhere and nobody seems to know how to do this! Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

This is long but it handles all of the DMA, IRQ and I/O for me. You arr welcome to check it out. Save the following into as a form. I hope its not too long for the thread. If so email me at storm@the-forest.net and I will send you the actual form. I dont know that this is as good an answer as you need, I did BIOS queries for fox DOS in .PLB's but that was back in the day. :) ASM blocks in C++. Here is my code.

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VERSION 5.00
Begin VB.Form frmAbout
BorderStyle = 3 'Fixed Dialog
Caption = "About Whatever"
ClientHeight = 3645
ClientLeft = 45
ClientTop = 330
ClientWidth = 5910
ClipControls = 0 'False
Icon = "frmAbout.frx":0000
LinkTopic = "Form1"
MaxButton = 0 'False
MinButton = 0 'False
ScaleHeight = 3645
ScaleWidth = 5910
ShowInTaskbar = 0 'False
StartUpPosition = 1 'CenterOwner
Tag = "About ..."
Begin VB.CommandButton cmdOK
Cancel = -1 'True
Caption = "OK"
Default = -1 'True
Height = 345
Left = 4275
TabIndex = 0
Tag = "OK"
Top = 2625
Width = 1452
End
Begin VB.CommandButton cmdSysInfo
Caption = "&System Info..."
Height = 345
Left = 4290
TabIndex = 1
Tag = "&System Info..."
Top = 3075
Width = 1452
End
Begin VB.PictureBox picIcon
AutoSize = -1 'True
BackColor = &H00C0C0C0&
ClipControls = 0 'False
Height = 1500
Left = 120
Picture = "frmAbout.frx":0442
ScaleHeight = 1440
ScaleMode = 0 'User
ScaleWidth = 1185
TabIndex = 2
TabStop = 0 'False
Top = 375
Width = 1245
End
Begin VB.Label lblDescription
BackStyle = 0 'Transparent
Caption = "App Description"
BeginProperty Font
Name = "Arial"
Size = 9.75
Charset = 0
Weight = 400
Underline = 0 'False
Italic = 0 'False
Strikethrough = 0 'False
EndProperty
ForeColor = &H00000000&
Height = 1170
Left = 1560
TabIndex = 6
Tag = "App Description"
Top = 1005
Width = 4095
End
Begin VB.Label lblTitle
BackStyle = 0 'Transparent
Caption = "Application Title"
BeginProperty Font
Name = "Arial"
Size = 14.25
Charset = 0
Weight = 400
Underline = 0 'False
Italic = 0 'False
Strikethrough = 0 'False
EndProperty
ForeColor = &H00000000&
Height = 480
Left = 1560
TabIndex = 5
Tag = "Application Title"
Top = 120
Width = 4095
End
Begin VB.Line Line1
BorderColor = &H00808080&
BorderStyle = 6 'Inside Solid
Index = 1
X1 = 255
X2 = 5687
Y1 = 2430
Y2 = 2430
End
Begin VB.Line Line1
BorderColor = &H00FFFFFF&
BorderWidth = 2
Index = 0
X1 = 270
X2 = 5687
Y1 = 2445
Y2 = 2445
End
Begin VB.Label lblVersion
BackStyle = 0 'Transparent
Caption = "Version"
BeginProperty Font
Name = "Arial"
Size = 9.75
Charset = 0
Weight = 400
Underline = 0 'False
Italic = 0 'False
Strikethrough = 0 'False
EndProperty
Height = 225
Left = 1560
TabIndex = 4
Tag = "Version"
Top = 660
Width = 4095
End
Begin VB.Label lblDisclaimer
BackStyle = 0 'Transparent
Caption = "Warning: ..."
BeginProperty Font
Name = "Arial"
Size = 9.75
Charset = 0
Weight = 400
Underline = 0 'False
Italic = 0 'False
Strikethrough = 0 'False
EndProperty
ForeColor = &H00000000&
Height = 825
Left = 285
TabIndex = 3
Tag = "Warning: ..."
Top = 2625
Width = 3885
End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "frmAbout"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Option Explicit

' Reg Key Security Options...
Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = &H2003F


' Reg Key ROOT Types...
Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 0
Const REG_SZ = 1 ' Unicode nul terminated string
Const REG_DWORD = 4 ' 32-bit number


Const gREGKEYSYSINFOLOC = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools Location"
Const gREGVALSYSINFOLOC = "MSINFO"
Const gREGKEYSYSINFO = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSINFO"
Const gREGVALSYSINFO = "PATH"


Private Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32" Alias "RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, ByRef phkResult As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, ByRef lpType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, ByRef lpcbData As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
Me.Caption = "About " & App.Title
lblVersion.Caption = "Application Version " & App.Major & "." & App.Minor & "." & App.Revision
lblTitle.Caption = App.Title
lblDescription.Caption = "This application is designed to allow franchise services managers " & _
"to view both budget and P/L information summarized for all three " & _
"letter codes and details for individual three letter codes. "
lblDisclaimer.Caption = "Unauthorized use is prohibited by law. "
End Sub



Private Sub cmdSysInfo_Click()
Call StartSysInfo
End Sub


Private Sub cmdOK_Click()
Unload Me
End Sub


Public Sub StartSysInfo()
On Error GoTo SysInfoErr


Dim rc As Long
Dim SysInfoPath As String


' Try To Get System Info Program Path\Name From Registry...
If GetKeyValue(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, gREGKEYSYSINFO, gREGVALSYSINFO, SysInfoPath) Then
' Try To Get System Info Program Path Only From Registry...
ElseIf GetKeyValue(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, gREGKEYSYSINFOLOC, gREGVALSYSINFOLOC, SysInfoPath) Then
' Validate Existance Of Known 32 Bit File Version
If (Dir(SysInfoPath & "\MSINFO32.EXE") <> "") Then
SysInfoPath = SysInfoPath & "\MSINFO32.EXE"


' Error - File Can Not Be Found...
Else
GoTo SysInfoErr
End If
' Error - Registry Entry Can Not Be Found...
Else
GoTo SysInfoErr
End If


Call Shell(SysInfoPath, vbNormalFocus)


Exit Sub
SysInfoErr:
MsgBox "System Information Is Unavailable At This Time", vbOKOnly
End Sub


Public Function GetKeyValue(KeyRoot As Long, KeyName As String, SubKeyRef As String, ByRef KeyVal As String) As Boolean
Dim i As Long ' Loop Counter
Dim rc As Long ' Return Code
Dim hKey As Long ' Handle To An Open Registry Key
Dim hDepth As Long '
Dim KeyValType As Long ' Data Type Of A Registry Key
Dim tmpVal As String ' Tempory Storage For A Registry Key Value
Dim KeyValSize As Long ' Size Of Registry Key Variable
'------------------------------------------------------------
' Open RegKey Under KeyRoot {HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE...}
'------------------------------------------------------------
rc = RegOpenKeyEx(KeyRoot, KeyName, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey) ' Open Registry Key


If (rc <> ERROR_SUCCESS) Then GoTo GetKeyError ' Handle Error...


tmpVal = String$(1024, 0) ' Allocate Variable Space
KeyValSize = 1024 ' Mark Variable Size


'------------------------------------------------------------
' Retrieve Registry Key Value...
'------------------------------------------------------------
rc = RegQueryValueEx(hKey, SubKeyRef, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize) ' Get/Create Key Value


If (rc <> ERROR_SUCCESS) Then GoTo GetKeyError ' Handle Errors


tmpVal = VBA.Left(tmpVal, InStr(tmpVal, VBA.Chr(0)) - 1)
'------------------------------------------------------------
' Determine Key Value Type For Conversion...
'------------------------------------------------------------
Select Case KeyValType ' Search Data Types...
Case REG_SZ ' String Registry Key Data Type
KeyVal = tmpVal ' Copy String Value
Case REG_DWORD ' Double Word Registry Key Data Type
For i = Len(tmpVal) To 1 Step -1 ' Convert Each Bit
KeyVal = KeyVal + Hex(Asc(Mid(tmpVal, i, 1))) ' Build Value Char. By Char.
Next
KeyVal = Format$("&h" + KeyVal) ' Convert Double Word To String
End Select


GetKeyValue = True ' Return Success
rc = RegCloseKey(hKey) ' Close Registry Key
Exit Function ' Exit


GetKeyError: ' Cleanup After An Error Has Occured...
KeyVal = "" ' Set Return Val To Empty String
GetKeyValue = False ' Return Failure
rc = RegCloseKey(hKey) ' Close Registry Key
End Function