Utilities

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

Utilities are products such as shell extensions, disk optimizers, antivirus software, certain query engines, and accessibility aids for people with disabilities.

Because utilities are considered non-file-based applications, they are not required to provide OLE or UNC support.

These products must meet all other generic requirements with the following additional requirements and exceptions:

Additional Requirements for Utilities

• Provide meaningful functionality on both Windows 98 and Windows NT. (Required)
• Extensively test any utility that uses the Exclusive Volume Locking function. (Required)

Exceptions for Utilities

• Certain components of utilities may be 16-bit, such as those that must use the Exclusive Volume Locking function, soft interrupts, or components that must communicate directly to 16-bit drivers. The user interface and other components of these applications must be 32-bit and use the Windows® 95 thunking mechanism to access these 16-bit components.