## Display Device Driver Reference for OS/2

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### Windows Shield

The Windows (Win) Shield is the Windows counterpart of the PM Shield. It is both an executable file and a dynamic link library (WINSHELD.EXE and WINSMSG.DLL, respectively). Win Shield serves a complementary purpose, maintaining Workplace Shell windowing-state information for its DOS session .

Initial state information for the desktop is received when the Win Shield registers with VWIN. Subsequently, VWIN notifies the Win Shield whenever changes on the desktop occur. All the desktop information is received from the PM Shield and passed on by VWIN.

Additionally, the Win Shield registers with the Windows User component to obtain notification of internal Windows events. This information is then forwarded to VWIN to update the PM Shield.