Getsystemtimepreciseasfiletime Windows 7 Upd Jun 2026
Before diving into the update, let’s define the function.
if (osvi.dwMajorVersion >= 6 && osvi.dwMinorVersion >= 2) // Supports GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime (Windows 8+) else // Windows 7 or older - use fallback
. There is no official Microsoft update to add this function to Windows 7, as the operating system has reached its end of life
VxKex is a popular third-party tool designed to extend the Windows 7 kernel. It acts as a wrapper that "fakes" the presence of newer APIs like GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime , allowing modern programs to run without modification.
PGETSYSTEMTIMEPRECISEASFILETIME pGetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime = (PGETSYSTEMTIMEPRECISEASFILETIME)GetProcAddress( GetModuleHandle("kernel32.dll"), "GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime" ); getsystemtimepreciseasfiletime windows 7 upd
if (pGetTimePrecise) FILETIME ft; pGetTimePrecise(&ft); printf("High-res UTC time obtained.\n"); // Convert ft to human-readable if needed... else printf("GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime not available (missing KB2670838?)\n"); // Fallback to GetSystemTimeAsFileTime FILETIME ft; GetSystemTimeAsFileTime(&ft);
GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime function is not supported on Windows 7
: VxKex acts as an extension layer for the Windows 7 kernel. It catches missing function calls (like GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime ) and translates them into legacy calls that Windows 7 understands.
If you are shipping an application that targets Windows 7 and needs high-precision time: Before diving into the update, let’s define the function
Since this is an API deficiency rather than a missing file, a simple copy-paste of a DLL file usually won't work. Here are the practical solutions:
This error happens because the software requires a high-precision time function that is natively available only in Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and later versions. Windows 7 (even with Service Pack 1) lacks this specific API in its kernel32.dll .
cl /D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601 source.c
// Read initial time base at app startup LARGE_INTEGER freq, qpcStart; FILETIME ftStart; QueryPerformanceFrequency(&freq); QueryPerformanceCounter(&qpcStart); GetSystemTimeAsFileTime(&ftStart); // Later: compute elapsed QPC, convert to FILETIME offset It acts as a wrapper that "fakes" the
The user is on Windows 8, 10, or 11. Use the precise version.
GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime by default. The function was introduced in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, meaning Windows 7 (and earlier versions) simply do not contain this API in their kernel32.dll .
// win7_api_patch.dll void WINAPI GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime(LPFILETIME lpSystemTimeAsFileTime) GetSystemTimeAsFileTime(lpSystemTimeAsFileTime);