Other WDK downloads
The Windows Driver Kit (WDK) is used to develop, test, and deploy Windows Drivers. This topic contains information about versions of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK), Enterprise WDK (EWDK), and additional downloads for support purposes. To develop drivers, use the latest public versions of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) and tools, available for download on Download the Windows Driver Kit (WDK).
To use these earlier versions, you must first install the version of Visual Studio that is appropriate for your targeted platform.
Runtime requirements
Starting with the Windows 11, version 22H2 release of the WDK and EWDK, the kits support:
- Visual Studio 2022 exclusively
- Building and testing kernel-mode drivers for x64 and Arm64
- Building and testing drivers for Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 and later client and server versions
- Side by side (SxS) support with previous WDK/EWDK
Multiple WDKs and EWDKs can be installed concurrently on the same computer and even be part of the same build system. You can run the Windows 11, version 22H2 WDK on Windows 7 and later.
To target Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7, install an older WDK (Windows 11, version 21H2 and previous) and an older version of Visual Studio either on the same machine or on a separate machine. For links to older kits, see the table below.
Certain device-specific stacks (for example graphics) continue to have x86/ARM32 user-mode components to support x86/ARM32 apps.
Additionally, starting with Windows 11, version 22H2 release of the WDK and EWDK, WDF redistributable co-installers are no longer supported. To learn how to work around this change, see WDK Known Issues.
You can run the Windows 11, version 21H2 WDK (including the WDK for Windows Server 2022) on Windows 7 and later, to develop drivers for the following operating systems:
| Client OS | Server OS |
|---|---|
| Windows 11, version 21H2 | Windows Server 2022 |
| Windows 10 | Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016 |
| Windows 8.1 | Windows Server 2012 R2 |
| Windows 8 | Windows Server 2012 |
| Windows 7 | Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 |
Step 1: Install Visual Studio
The WDK requires Visual Studio. For more information about system requirements for Visual Studio, see Visual Studio 2022 System Requirements.
The following table indicates which Visual Studio version is required for the different releases of the WDK.
| Targeted versions of Windows | Edition(s) of Visual Studio |
|---|---|
| Windows 11, version 24H2 Windows 11, version 23H2 Windows 11, version 22H2 |
Visual Studio Community 2022 Visual Studio Professional 2022 Visual Studio Enterprise 2022 |
| Windows 11, version 21H2 Windows Server 2022 Windows 10, version 2004 Windows 10, version 1903 |
Visual Studio Community 2019 Visual Studio Professional 2019 Visual Studio Enterprise 2019 |
| Windows 10, version 1809 Windows 10, version 1803 Windows 10, version 1709 |
Visual Studio Community 2017 Visual Studio Professional 2017 Visual Studio Enterprise 2017 |
| Windows 10, version 1703 Windows 10, version 1607 |
Visual Studio Express 2015 for Desktop Visual Studio Community 2015 Visual Studio Professional 2015 Visual Studio Enterprise 2015 |
| Windows 8.1 Update Windows 8.1 |
Visual Studio 2013 |
| Windows 8 | Visual Studio Professional 2012 Visual Studio Ultimate 2012 |
Configure Visual Studio for Windows 11, version 22H2, version 21H2 and Windows 10, versions 1709, 1803, 1809, 1903, 2004, and Windows Server 2022
When you install Visual Studio, select the Desktop development with C++ workload. The Windows 11 Software Development Kit (SDK) is automatically included and is displayed in the right-hand Summary pane.
To develop drivers for Arm/Arm64, choose Individual components and under Compilers, build tools, and runtimes select Visual C++ compilers and libraries for Arm/Arm64.
Install the Windows SDK to target Windows 10, versions 1607 and 1703
If your development targets systems that run Windows 10, version 1607 or Windows 10, version 1703, you should install Visual Studio 2015, and then also download and install the version of the Windows SDK for the targeted version of Windows 10, as identified in the following table.
| Targeted versions of Windows | Version of Windows SDK |
|---|---|
| Windows 10, version 1703 | Windows SDK for Windows 10.0.15063.468 |
| Windows 10, version 1607 | Windows SDK for Windows 10.0.14393.795 |
| Windows 8.1 | Windows SDK for Windows 8.1 |
| Windows 8 | Windows SDK for Windows 8 |
The Windows SDK was not included in Visual Studio 2015, so you must install the SDK separately. Later versions of Visual Studio include the Windows SDK.
Step 2: Install the WDK
The WDK is integrated with Visual Studio and Debugging Tools for Windows (WinDbg). This integrated environment gives you the tools you need to develop, build, package, deploy, test, and debug drivers.
Note
Starting with Windows 10, version 1709, installing the WDK will by default install the WDK extensions for Visual Studio. These extensions are required for integration of the WDK with Visual Studio.
| Released with | WDK and related downloads |
|---|---|
| Windows 11, Version 24H2 | WDK 10.0.26100.1882 (released October 14, 2024) |
| Windows 11, Version 24H2 | WDK 10.0.26100.1591 (released September 18, 2024) |
| Windows 11, Version 24H2 | WDK 10.0.26100.1 (released May 2024) |
| Windows 11, Version 23H2 | WDK 10.1.22621.2428 (released October 24, 2023) |
| Windows 11, version 22H2 | WDK for Windows 11, version 22H2 (10.0.22621.382, released May 24, 2022) |
| Windows 11, version 21H2 | WDK for Windows 11, version 21H2 |
| Windows Server 2022 | WDK for Windows Server 2022 |
| Windows 10, version 2004 | WDK for Windows 10, version 2004 |
| Windows 10, version 1903 | WDK for Windows 10, version 1903 |
| Windows 10, version 1809 Windows Server 2019 |
WDK for Windows 10, version 1809 |
| Windows 10, version 1803 | WDK for Windows 10, version 1803 |
| Windows 10, version 1709 | WDK for Windows 10, version 1709 |
| Windows 10, version 1703 | WDK for Windows 10, version 1703 |
| Windows 10, version 1607 Windows Server 2016 |
WDK for Windows 10, version 1607 |
| Windows 8.1 Update | WDK 8.1 Update (English only) - permanently unavailable WDK 8.1 Update Test Pack (English only) - permanently unavailable WDK 8.1 Samples Note: You can use any WDK from Windows 10, version 1607 through Windows 11, version 21H2 to build drivers for Windows 8.1. |
| Windows 8 | WDK 8 (English only) WDK 8 redistributable components (English only) WDK 8 Samples |
| Windows 7 | WDK 7.1.0 |
Note
Please review Hardware development kits for Windows 10, Version 2004 (10.19041.1), which addresses a bug with ExAllocatePoolZero.
Important
If you have installed the WDK for Windows 10, version 1703 on a system that had the WDK for Windows 10, version 1607 installed, some files from the earlier version of the WDK might have been removed. To restore these files:
- On the Start menu, enter Apps & features in the search box, and select Apps & features from the results.
- Find Windows Driver Kit - Windows 10.0.15063.0 in the list of Apps & Features, and then select the program.
- Select Modify, select Repair, and then follow the directions on the screen.
- The files will be restored.
Download previous versions of the EWDK
The Enterprise WDK (EWDK) is a standalone, self-contained, command-line environment for building drivers and basic Win32 test applications. It includes the Visual Studio Build Tools, the SDK, and the WDK. This environment doesn't include all the features available in Visual Studio, such as the integrated development environment (IDE).
Using the EWDK requires .NET Framework 4.7.2. For more information about which systems run this version of the framework, see .NET Framework system requirements. For links to download the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework system requirements.
For more information about the EWDK, see Using the Enterprise WDK.
| Versions of Windows | EWDK |
|---|---|
| Windows 11, version 24H2 | Windows 11, version 24H2 (released October 2024) EWDK |
| Windows 11, version 24H2 | Windows 11, version 24H2 (released September 2024) EWDK |
| Windows 11, version 24H2 | Windows 11, version 24H2 (released May 2024) EWDK |
| Windows 11, version 22H2 | Windows 11, version 22H2 (released May 2023) EWDK |
| Windows 11, version 21H2 | Windows 11, version 21H2 EWDK |
| Windows Server 2022 | EWDK for Windows Windows Server 2022 |
| Windows 10, version 2004 | EWDK for Windows 10, version 2004 |
| Windows 10, version 1903 | EWDK for Windows 10, version 1903 |
| Windows 10, version 1809 | EWDK for Windows 10, version 1809 |
| Windows 10, version 1803 | EWDK for Windows 10, version 1803 |
| Windows 10, version 1709 | EWDK for Visual Studio with Build Tools 15.6 (Recommended) EWDK for Visual Studio with Build Tools 15.4 EWDK for Visual Studio with Build Tools 15.2 |
| Windows 10, version 1703 | EWDK for Windows 10, version 1703 |
Note
Starting in Windows 10 version 1709, the EWDK is ISO-based. To get started, download and mount the ISO, and then run LaunchBuildEnv.
Optional: Install updated test certificates for HAL extensions
To work with HAL Extensions, prepare your development system, running Windows 10, version 1709 or a later version of Windows 10. Also install the WDK or the EWDK, and then install the updated version of the Windows OEM HAL Extension Test Cert 2017 (TEST ONLY), available for download as a ZIP file: HAL_Extension_Test_Cert_2017.zip.
For more information about using this updated certificate, see Update for "Windows OEM HAL Extension Test Cert 2017 (TEST ONLY)" test certificate on Windows Support.
Optional: Install WinDbg
WinDbg is the latest version of WinDbg with more modern visuals, faster windows, a full-fledged scripting experience, built with the extensible debugger data model front and center. Formerly known as WinDbg Preview, it supports Windows 10 and Windows 11.
For download links and more information about WinDbg, see Download and install the WinDbg Windows debugger and Debugging Tools for Windows.
Standalone tools for debugging Windows XP and Windows Vista
If you're debugging Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008 (or using one of these operating systems to run Debugging Tools for Windows), you need to use the Windows 7 release of the debugging tools. It's included in the SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4.0.
Important
Newer versions of the Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable can cause issues when you install the SDK for Windows 7.
Get the standalone debugging tools for Windows XP by first downloading the Windows 7 SDK: Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4.
To install the Debugging Tools for Windows as a standalone component, start the SDK installer, and in the installation wizard, select Debugging Tools for Windows, and clear all other components.