Microsoft Windows SDK


Microsoft Windows SDK, and its predecessors Platform SDK, and .NET Framework SDK, are software development kits from Microsoft that contain documentation, header files, libraries, samples and tools required to develop applications for Microsoft Windows and.NET Framework. Platform SDK specializes in developing applications for Windows 2000, XP and Windows Server 2003. .NET Framework SDK is dedicated to developing applications for.NET Framework 1.1 and.NET Framework 2.0. Windows SDK is the successor of the two and supports developing applications for Windows XP and later, as well as.NET Framework 3.0 and later.

Features

Platform SDK is the successor of the original Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 3.1x and Microsoft Win32 SDK for Windows 9x. It was released in 1999 and is the oldest SDK. Platform SDK contains compilers, tools, documentations, header files, libraries and samples needed for software development on IA-32, x64 and IA-64 CPU architectures. however, came to being with.NET Framework. Starting with Windows Vista, the Platform SDK,.NET Framework SDK, Tablet PC SDK and Windows Media SDK are replaced by a new unified kit called Windows SDK. However, the.NET Framework 1.1 SDK is not included since the.NET Framework 1.1 does not ship with Windows Vista. DirectX SDK was merged into Windows SDK with the release of Windows 8.
Windows SDK allows the user to specify the components to be installed and where to install them. It integrates with Visual Studio, so that multiple copies of the components that both have are not installed; however, there are compatibility caveats if either of the two is not from the same era. Information shown can be filtered by content, such as showing only new Windows Vista content, only.NET Framework content, or showing content for a specific language or technology.
Windows SDKs are available for free; they were once available on Microsoft Download Center but were moved to MSDN in 2012.
A developer might want to use an older SDK for a particular reason. For example, the Windows Server 2003 Platform SDK released in February 2003 was the last SDK to provide full support of Visual Studio 6.0. Some older PSDK versions can still be downloaded from the Microsoft Download center; others can be ordered on CD/DVD.
NameVersion numberBuild numberRelease dateDownloadNotes
Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit3.1
Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit3.11
Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit3.1
Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit3.5
Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit3.51
Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit4.0
Included in Visual Studio 65.0.1636.11998-06
Microsoft Platform SDK April 19991999-04MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to officially install on Windows 95
Microsoft Platform SDK September 19991999-09MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to fully support Visual C++ 5.0
Microsoft Platform SDK February 20012001-02
Microsoft Platform SDK June 20012001-06MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to officially develop for Windows 95.
Microsoft Platform SDK August 20015.1.2601.02001-08MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to unofficially develop for Windows 95.
Microsoft Platform SDK November 20015.2.3590.22001-11
Microsoft Platform SDK May 20025.2.3639.12002-05
Microsoft Platform SDK July 20025.2.3663.02002-07
Microsoft Platform SDK August 20025.2.3672.12002-08
Microsoft Platform SDK November 20025.2.3718.12002-11
Microsoft Platform SDK February 20035.2.3790.02003-02Last version with VC6 support and latest version with Windows 95 and Windows 98 support.
.NET Framework SDK Version 1.11.1.4322.5732003-03-29Included in Visual Studio 2003. Does not include the Platform SDK.
Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows XP SP25.1.2600.21802004-08Introduced strsafe.h
Windows Server 2003 SP1 Platform SDK5.2.3790.1830.152005-05-02
Windows Server 2003 R2 Platform SDK5.2.3790.2075.512006-03-14Also suggested by MS to work with VS6
.NET Framework 2.0 Software Development Kit2.0.50727.422006-11-29Included in Visual Studio 2005 Professional. Does not include the Platform SDK.
Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows Vista and.NET Framework 3.0 Runtime Componentsv6.06.0.6000.163842006-10-30The C++ compilers in this SDK release support the /analyze key.
Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit Update for Windows Vistav6.16.1.6000.16384.102007-03-22First unified.NET and Platform SDK. Does not support Visual Studio.NET 2003 and Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003
Included in Visual Studio 2008v6.0a6.1.6723.12007-11-19
Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and.NET Framework 3.5v6.16.0.6001.18000.3672008-02-05.NET Framework 3.5
Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and.NET Framework 3.5 SP1v7.06.1.7600.163852009-07-24
Included in Visual Studio 2010v7.0a6.1.7600.163852010-04-12.NET Framework 4. Works only with Visual Studio 2010 and not Visual Studio 2010 Express. This is also the last version to include offline documentation.
Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and.NET Framework 4v7.17.1.7600.0.305142010-05-19, It is the latest version that officially supports Windows XP target.
Included in Visual Studio 2012 Update 1 v7.1A7.1.51106Introduces the "v110_xp" platform toolset
Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 8 and.NET Framework 4.5v8.06.2.9200.163842012-11-15.NET Framework 4.5, Windows Store apps and Integrated DirectX SDK
Included in Visual Studio 2012v8.0A8.0.50727
Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 8.1v8.18.100.25984.02013-10-17Windows 8.1,.NET Framework 4.5.1, Windows Store apps and Integrated DirectX SDK
Included in Visual Studio 2013v8.1A8.1.51636Includes the "v120_xp" platform toolset
Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10v1010.0.10240.02015-07-29Also included in Visual Studio 2015
Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10, Version 1511v1010.0.10586.2122015-11-30Also included in Visual Studio 2015 Update 1 & 2
Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10, Version 1607v1010.0.14393.7952016-08-02Also included in Visual Studio 2015 Update 3
Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10 Creators Update, Version 1703v1010.0.15063.02017-04-05Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.1
Windows 10 SDK for Fall Creators Updatev1010.0.16299.152017-10-10Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.4
Windows 10 SDK for April 2018 Updatev1010.0.17134.02018-05-08Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.7
Windows 10 SDK for October 2018 Updatev1010.0.17763.02018-10-02Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.8
Windows 10 SDK for Windows 10, version 1903v1010.0.18362.02019-05-21Included in Visual Studio 2019
Windows 10 SDK for Windows 10, version 2004v1010.0.19041.02020-05-12

VersionRemoved feature
Windows SDK for Windows 7 and.NET Framework 3.5 SP1
  • capicom.dll
  • iacom.dll
  • ialoader.dll
  • msistuff.exe
  • perflibmig.exe
  • permcalc.exe
  • secutil.exe
  • windowssideshowvirtualdevice.exe
  • wpfperf.msi
  • xamlpad.exe
Windows SDK for Windows 7 and.NET Framework 4
  • UISpy.exe
  • Wpt_arch.msi
  • Managed code samples
  • DExplore document viewer
    • Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 8
  • Command-line build environment, including:
  • * Windows SDK Platform Toolset
  • * Visual C++ Compilers and C Runtime
  • * Windows SDK Configuration Tool
  • Tools and reference assemblies for versions of the.NET Framework earlier than 4.5
  • Apatch.exe
  • Bind.exe
  • Checkv4.exe
  • Consume.exe
  • DeviceSimulatorForWindowsSideShow.msi
  • Err.exe
  • FDBrowser.exe
  • FXCopSetup.exe
  • Guidgen.exe
  • Make-Shell.exe
  • MDbg.exe
  • Mpatch.exe
  • MSIZap.exe
  • PTConform.exe
  • ReBase.exe
  • sddlgen.exe
  • setenv.cmd
  • SetReg.exe
  • SoapSuds.exe
  • Sporder.exe
  • TcpAnalyzer.exe
  • TSPDesigner.exe
  • UTL2IDL.exe
  • ValidateSD.exe
  • VirtualLightSensor.exe
  • WinDiff.exe
  • WpfPerf.exe
  • All Windows samples
  • Microsoft Help Viewer
  • IntelliSense XML documentation comments for the.NET Framework reference assemblies
    • Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 8.1Nothing
    Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 10Nothing

    Documentation

    The Windows SDK documentation includes manuals documenting: