heres more detail.

source sql server:

This is the server i'm makeing the open query call from....

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 - 11.0.2100.60 (X64)

Feb 10 2012 19:39:15

Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

Standard Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)

command:

SELECT *

FROM OPENQUERY([100XXX01], 'set fmtonly off exec master.dbo.xp_FixedDrives')

DEST:

This is the server version the [100XXX01] linked server is pointing to.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3000.0 (X64)

Oct 19 2012 13:38:57

Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

Standard Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) (Hypervisor)

This is the error i get:

Msg 11519, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_describe_first_result_set, Line 1

The metadata could not be determined because statement 'exec master.dbo.xp_FixedDrives' invokes an extended stored procedure.

When i run the same command w/ linked server pointing to the below sql version i dont get any errors

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (SP2) - 10.0.4000.0 (X64)

Sep 16 2010 19:43:16

Copyright (c) 1988-2008 Microsoft Corporation

Standard Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) (VM)

Lastly, i realize that i can use a 4 part query. That' sreally not the point. The point is the process that's calling this is quite a bit more complex and is going to take a lot of cycles and time to change to dynamically get the version and then branch off and do 4 part query loading results into a table. etc. This process will not run agains sql server 2012 versions until the dev work and testing is complete. I just dont understand why they would make the 2012 product less useful as they have in this instance.