The GINA (or MS gina dll) is the graphical identification and authentication library of Microsoft, which provides secure login services on Microsoft Windows operating systems. Only systems based on the Windows NT kernel have such libraries; the Windows 95 family and earlier did not have a mandatory logon of this form.
Winlogon is the component responsible for handling the default secure attention key, loading the user profile on logon, and optionally locking the computer when a screensaver is running (requiring another authentication step). The actual obtaining and verification of user credentials is left to the GINA.
The default GINA is provided by Microsoft as part of the operating system, and offers authentication against Windows ___domain servers with a supplied user name/password combination. Winlogon can be configured to use a different GINA, providing for non-standard authentication methods (like smart card readers or identification based on biometrics, for example).
In Windows Vista, GINA has been entirely replaced by Credential Providers, which allows for significantly more flexibility in supporting multiple credential collection methods.
Exported Functions
| Function name | Ordinal | Function name | Ordinal |
| ShellShutdownDialog | 29 | WlxActivateUserShell | 30 |
| WlxDisconnectNotify | 31 | WlxDisplayLockedNotice | 32 |
| WlxDisplaySASNotice | 33 | WlxDisplayStatusMessage | 34 |
| WlxGetConsoleSwitchCredentials | 35 | WlxInitialize | 37 |
| WlxIsLockOk | 38 | WlxIsLogoffOk | 39 |
| WlxLoggedOnSAS | 40 | WlxLoggedOutSAS | 41 |
| WlxLogoff | 42 | WlxNegotiate | 43 |
| WlxNetworkProviderLoad | 44 | WlxReconnectNotify | 45 |
| WlxRemoveStatusMessage | 46 | WlxScreenSaverNotify | 47 |
| WlxShutdown | 48 | WlxStartApplication | 49 |
| WlxWkstaLockedSAS | 50 |
External links
- Winlogon and GINA, developer information on how the login components interact
- Customizing Gina Tutorial, developer tutorial for developing ones own GINA.