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NTObjects

Windows Kernel/Executive Object Explorer

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NTObjects.
for Windows 2000/XP
ZIP file, 534 KB
NTObjects (v2.9.4) is a kernel/executive object explorer utility for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

NTObjects is useful for exploring and understanding Windows system objects that reside in the kernel memory space. You can control the display to filter by object categories and/or object types. You can also look at the total number of objects currently existing on a system. Examples of Kernel objects are:

  • TypeObjects
  • Directories
  • SymbolicLinks
  • Security Tokens
  • Processes
  • Threads
  • Events
  • EventPairs
  • Mutants
  • Semaphores
  • Timers
  • Profiles
  • WindowStations
  • Desktops
  • Sections
  • Registry Keys
  • Ports
  • Adapters
  • Controllers
  • Devices
  • Drivers
  • IoCompletion Ports
  • Files

Examples of User objects are:

  • Windows
  • Menus
  • Icons
  • DeferWindows
  • Hooks
  • Thread Info objects
  • CB Format objects
  • Call Proc objects
  • Accelerator Table
  • DDE Objects
  • Keyboard Layout objects
  • WindowStation objects
  • Cursors

Finally, examples of GDI objects are:

  • Device Contexts
  • Regions
  • Bitmaps
  • Palettes
  • Fonts
  • Brushes
  • Enh. Metafile DC objects
  • Metafile objects
  • Pens
  • Enhanced Metafile objects
  • Extended Pens
  • Metafile DC objects

Many objects can be displayed in a details window where individual fields contained in the object are named and displayed. All objects can be dumped to a memory window. And where available and defined security descriptors can be shown for an individual object.

Program caveats - NTObjects is highly experimental and makes use of information that has been reverse engineered or inferred by indirect observation, e.g., writing a small sample program that creates and uses an object and observing how it is laid out in memory. The utility is prone to breaking (BSOD's are not unheard of), especially when new versions of the operating system are made public. Most important of all, since objects and memory in kernel is highly volatile, each display is a snapshot of what the object looks like when a request is made through the user interface. There is no real-time monitoring or diffing features (although the latter can be approximated by opening a details or memory window repeatedly on the same object and looking for changes.)

Screenshot:

NTObjects screenshot

Download NTObjects.

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