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Writing Windows Virtual Device Drivers by David Thielen & Bryan Woodruff Recommended

ISBN: 0-201-62706-X)       Publisher: Addison-Wesley       Pages: 650pp+disk       Price: £31-95

Categories:   internals and hardware     MS Windows

Reviewed by Derek Jones in C Vu 6-4 (May 1994)

This book starts off by assuming that the reader knows a lot about Windows internals. It provides a lot of nitty gritty details, along with code examples, of how to write a VxD. There is little in the way of a design overview and almost nothing about how Windows makes use of VxDs. It is all about writing your own and how to do it. If you already know what a VxD is and have been wanting to learn more then this is the book for you (be warned, you will need to use lots of assembler).

What this book did for me was to make me want to learn more about how Windows uses Vxds. There were lots of interesting passing references to the fact that the Windows executable (WIN386.EXE) was composed of a number of VxDs. These entities provide a pre-emptive, multi-tasking kernel that controls multiple virtual machines. It looks like there is a lot in Windows that we have yet to hear about. Perhaps all will become visible in Chicago (Windows 4, one of the authors also works in this group).

The 168 pages are well written (people who write assembly code knowing the value of good commentary). There are plenty of useful debugging tips, coding suggestions and insider tricks. So for its specialist intended audience I have no trouble recommending this book.