Programming reference for the Win32 API

The Win32 API reference documentation is presented in several different views. You can browse a list of popular technologies on this page, or you can browse the full list of technologies in the table of contents. To browse all of the headers, see the list at the bottom of the table of contents.

Get started

Overview

• Build desktop Windows apps using the Win32 API

Download

• Development tools
• Windows code samples

User Interface and desktop

Reference

• Windows controls
• Windows and messages
• Menus and other resources
• Windows Shell
• Accessibility features
• Internationalization

Graphics and gaming

Reference

• Direct2D
• Direct3D 11 Graphics
• Direct3D 12 Graphics
• DirectML
• DXGI
• Windows GDI
• GDI+
• Windows Imaging Component

Audio and video

Reference

• Microsoft Media Foundation
• Windows Multimedia
• XAudio2 APIs
• Core Audio APIs
• Audio Devices DDI Reference

Data access and storage

Reference

• Data access and storage
• Backup
• Background Intelligent Transfer Service
• Cloud Filter API
• Data Exchange
• Structured storage
• Virtual Storage

Devices

Reference

• Kernel-mode driver reference
• Device and driver installation reference
• Storage driver DDI reference
• USB driver reference
• Display devices reference
• Human Interface Devices reference
• Print DDI reference

Networking and internet

Reference

• Bluetooth
• HTTP Server API
• IP Helper
• Network Management
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
• Windows HTTP Services (WinHTTP)
• Windows Internet
• Windows Sockets 2

Security and identity

Reference

• Security and identity
• Network Access Protection
• Network Policy Server
• Parental controls
• Windows Biometric Framework
• TPM Base Services

Diagnostics

Reference

• Event tracing
• Network Diagnostics Framework
• Performance counters
• Application Recovery and Restart
• TraceLogging
• Windows Event Collector
• Windows Error Reporting

Application installation

Reference

• Application installation and servicing
• Packaging and deployment Windows 10 apps
• Developer licensing
• Restart Manager

System services

Reference

• Component Object Model (COM)
• COM+ (Component Services)
• Microsoft Interface Definition Language (MIDL)
• Compression API
• Activity Coordinator
• Hardware Requirement Evaluator (HWREQCHK)