Testing your application using Microsoft Test Manager

Use Microsoft Test Manager (MTM) to help you test the application you built. MTM stores your test plans and results on Team Foundation Server (TFS).

Should I use Microsoft Test Manager or Team Web Access?

If you don’t need all the features of Microsoft Test Manager, you can use Team Web Access to plan and run your tests.

Team Web Access lets you create test cases and organize them into test plans and suites. When you perform a test, Team Web Access displays the test steps and lets you mark which steps passed or failed.

In addition, Microsoft Test Manager can record your actions, screenshots, Intellitrace logs and other diagnostic data. It also lets you manage lab environments.

But you don’t have to decide upfront - you can always use either tool to edit your test plans or run your tests.

Where do I get Microsoft Test Manager?

It’s installed along with Visual Studio Ultimate, Visual Studio Premium, or Visual Studio Test Professional.

What you can do with Microsoft Test Manager

Go to one of the topics below for detailed how-to instructions.

Topic	What you can do
Exploratory testing using Microsoft Test Manager	Record your actions while you perform a test without pre-planned steps.
Plan manual tests with Microsoft Test Manager	Plan tests with the option of creating steps from recorded actions.
Run manual tests with Microsoft Test Manager	Display the test case at the side of the screen while you perform the test. Automatically record your actions, screenshots, and other diagnostic data for inclusion in test results and bug reports.
Test configurations: specifying test platforms	Create multiple versions of a test, to be performed on different hardware or software configurations.
Collect more diagnostic data in manual tests	Collect event logs, IntelliTrace data, video, and other diagnostic data while you perform a test.
Testing Windows Store apps	Collect diagnostic data and screenshots while you perform tests on a Windows 8 device or PC, with Microsoft Test Manager running on a separate PC.
Copying and cloning test suites and test cases	Copy test suites or plans from one project to another.
Record and play back manual tests	Record your keystrokes and gestures while you perform a test, and then repeat the actions rapidly on a later occasion.
Plan application tests from a Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word document	Use Microsoft Excel to edit test plans in bulk, and synchronize with plans embedded in Microsoft Word documents.
Test on a lab environment	Gather diagnostic data from servers while you perform a test. Manage the assignment of server machines to testers. Quickly set up fresh test configurations by using virtual machines.
Tracking software quality	Monitor the progress of your project by tracking the tests that pass or fail. Manage bugs.
Automate system tests	Link test methods in code to emulate your manual tests, so that they can be repeated regularly. Automate the deployment of your application and tests to a lab environment. Set up a completely automatic build-deploy-test workflow. Add existing automated tests from Visual Studio to your test suites.
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Test Manager