`:top

The `!Windows Driver Kit`! (`!WDK`!) is a software toolset from `F33f`_`[Microsoft`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Microsoft]`_`f that enables the development of `F33f`_`[device drivers`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Device_driver]`_`f for the `F33f`_`[Microsoft Windows`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Microsoft_Windows]`_`f platform.`:cite-ref-2[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-2]`_`f] It includes documentation, samples, build environments, and tools for driver developers.`:cite-ref-3[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-3]`_`f] A complete toolset for driver development also need the following: a compiler `F33f`_`[Visual Studio`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Visual_Studio]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Windows SDK`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_SDK]`_`f, and `F33f`_`[Windows HLK`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_HLK]`_`f.

>>Contents

• `F0af`_`[History`#history]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[DDK versions`#ddk-versions]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[WDK versions`#wdk-versions]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[See also`#see-also]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f

-─

>>History

Previously, the WDK was known as Device Development Kit (DDK)`:cite-ref-4[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-4]`_`f] for Windows 3.x and Windows 9x. It supported the development of `F33f`_`[VxD`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=VxD]`_`f drivers. Later versions for Windows NT and Windows 98SE and ME were called Driver Development Kit (DDK)`:cite-ref-5[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-5]`_`f] and supported `F33f`_`[Windows Driver Model`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Driver_Model]`_`f (WDM) development. It got its current name when Microsoft released `F33f`_`[Windows Vista`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Vista]`_`f and added the following previously separated tools to the kit: `F33f`_`[Installable File System`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Installable_File_System]`_`f Kit (IFS Kit), `F33f`_`[Driver Test Manager`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Driver_Test_Manager]`_`f (DTM), though DTM was later renamed and removed from WDK again.

The DDK for Windows 2000 and earlier versions did not include a compiler; instead one had to install `F33f`_`[Visual C++`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Visual_C++]`_`f separately to compile drivers. From the version for Windows XP the DDK and later the WDK include a command-line compiler to compile drivers. One of the reasons Microsoft gave for including a compiler was that the quality of drivers would improve if they were compiled with the same version of the compiler that was used to compile Windows itself while Visual C++ is targeted to application development and has a different product cycle with more frequent changes. The WDK 8.x and later series goes back to require installing a matched version of `F33f`_`[Visual Studio`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Visual_Studio]`_`f separately, but this time the integration is more complete in that you can edit, build and debug the driver from within Visual Studio directly.

>>DDK versions

`t

| Version | Build number | Release date | Supported Driver Model |

|---|---|---|---|

| Windows 3.0 DDK | | 1990 ( 1990 ) | VxD |

| Windows 3.1 DDK | | 1992 ( 1992 ) | VxD |

| Windows NT 3.1 DDK | | 1993 ( 1993 ) | NTDM |

| Windows NT 3.5 DDK | | 1994 ( 1994 ) | NTDM |

| Windows NT 3.51 DDK | 1025.1 | July 1995 ( 1995-07 ) | NTDM |

| Windows 95 DDK | | October 1995 ( 1995-10 ) | VxD |

| Windows 95 DDK a | | June 1996 ( 1996-06 ) | VxD |

| Windows 95 DDK b | | | VxD |

| Windows 95 DDK c (MSDN July 1998) | | June 1998 ( 1998-06 ) | VxD |

| Windows NT DDK (for Windows NT Workstation 3.51) | | July 1996 ( 1996-07 ) | NTDM |

| Windows NT DDK (for Windows NT Workstation 4.0) | 1381.1 | August 1996 ( 1996-08 ) | NTDM |

| Windows 98 DDK | | July 1998 ( 1998-07 ) | VxD, WDM? |

| Windows 98 SE DDK | | May 1999 ( 1999-05 ) | VxD, WDM? |

| Windows 2000 DDK | 2195.1 | February 2000 ( 2000-02 ) | WDM |

| Windows Me DDK | | August 7, 2000 ( 2000-08-07 ) | VxD only |

| Windows XP Driver Development Kit (DDK) | 2600 | September 21, 2001 ( 2001-09-21 ) | WDM |

| Windows XP SP1 Driver Development Kit (DDK) | 2600.1106 | November 14, 2002 ( 2002-11-14 ) | WDM |

| Windows Server 2003 DDK | 3790 | April 9, 2003 ( 2003-04-09 ) | WDM |

| Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 DDK | 3790.1830 | April 6, 2005 ( 2005-04-06 ) | WDM |

`t

Note: Windows NT DDK, Windows 98 DDK and Windows 2000 DDK are no longer made available by Microsoft because of Java-related settlements made by Microsoft with Sun Microsystems.`:cite-ref-6[`F5bf`_`[6`#cite-note-6]`_`f]

>>WDK versions

`t

| Version | Build number | Release date | Develops drivers for | Visual Studio integration | Notes |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| Windows Driver Kit for Windows Vista | 6000 | November 29, 2006 ( 2006-11-29 ) | Windows Vista | - | - |

| Windows Driver Kit – Server 2008 (x86, x64, ia64) | 6001.18000 | January 1, 2008 ( 2008-01-01 ) | Windows XP SP1 – Vista SP1, Windows Server 2000 SP4 – 2008 | - | - |

| Windows Driver Kit – Server 2008 (x86, x64, ia64) | 6001.18001 | April 1, 2008 ( 2008-04-01 ) | - | - | - |

| Windows Driver Kit – Server 2008 Release SP1 (x86, x64, i64) | 6001.18002 | December 8, 2008 ( 2008-12-08 ) | Windows XP SP1 – Vista SP1, Windows Server 2000 SP4 – 2008 SP1 | - | - |

| Windows Driver Kit 7.0.0 | 7600.16385.0 | August 6, 2009 ( 2009-08-06 ) | Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 | - | - |

| Windows Driver Kit 7.1.0 | 7600.16385.1 | February 26, 2010 ( 2010-02-26 ) | Windows XP SP3 – 7, Windows Server 2003 SP1 – 2008 R2 | - | [ 7 ] |

| Windows Driver Kit 8.0 | 8.59.25584 | August 15, 2012 ( 2012-08-15 ) | Windows 7 – 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 – 2012 | Visual Studio 2012 | Downloads before 8/17/2012 had a bug in WDF co-installer [ 8 ] |

| Windows Driver Kit 8.1 | 8.100.26638 | September 16, 2013 ( 2013-09-16 ) | Windows 7 – 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2 – 2012 R2 | Visual Studio 2013 [ 9 ] | - |

| Windows Driver Kit 8.1 Update | 8.100.26846 | August 20, 2014 ( 2014-08-20 ) | Windows 7 – 8.1 Update, Windows Server 2008 R2 – 2012 R2 | Visual Studio 2013 | - |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1507 | 10.0.26639 | July 2015 | Windows 7 SP1 – 10 | Visual Studio 2015 RTM – Update 3 | - |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1511 | 10.0.10586 | November 2015 | Windows 7 SP1 – 10 Version 1511 | Visual Studio 2015 Update 1 – 3 | Windows 10 November Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1607 | 10.0.14393 | August 2016 | Windows 7 SP1 – 10 Version 1607 (Excludes Win10 Version 1507 & 1511) | Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 | Windows 10 Anniversary Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1703 | 10.0.15063 | April 2017 | Windows 7 SP1 – 10 (Version 1607 & 1703 only), Windows Server 2008 R2 – 2016 | Visual Studio 2017 Ver.15.1 | Windows 10 Creators Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1709 | 10.0.16299 | October 2017 | | Visual Studio 2017 Ver.15.4 | Windows 10 Fall Creators Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1803 | 10.0.17134 | April 2018 | | | Windows 10 April 2018 Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1809 [ 10 ] | 10.0.17763 | October 2018 | | | Windows 10 October 2018 Update |

| Windows Driver Kit 10, Version 1903 | 10.0.18362.1 | April 2019 | Windows 7 SP1 – 10 (Version 1607 to 1903), Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 – 2019 | Visual Studio 2019 Ver.16 | Windows 10 May 2019 Update |

`t

>>See also

• `F33f`_`[Windows Driver Frameworks`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Driver_Frameworks]`_`f

• `F33f`_`[Windows Driver Model`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Driver_Model]`_`f

• `F33f`_`[Windows Logo Kit`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Logo_Kit]`_`f

>>References

`:cite-note-1`!1.`! "Other WDK downloads". `*Microsoft Learn`*. Retrieved 2024-12-03.

`:cite-note-2`!2.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-2]`_`f `:citerefenrico-perlamassimiliano-oldani2010`aEnrico Perla; Massimiliano Oldani (2010). `*A Guide to Kernel Exploitation; Attacking the Core`*. `F33f`_`[Elsevier Science`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Elsevier_Science]`_`f. p. 277. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 9781597494878.

`:cite-note-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-3]`_`f `:citerefbhatt2019`aBHATT, PRAMOD CHANDRA P. (2019). `*AN INTRODUCTION TO OPERATING SYSTEMS : CONCEPTS AND PRACTICE (GNU/LINUX AND WINDOWS), FIFTH EDITION`*. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 529. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 9789387472884.

`:cite-note-4`!4.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-4]`_`f README.TXT from Windows 3.1 Device Development Kit (DDK)

`:cite-note-5`!5.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-5]`_`f `:citerefbill-blunden2009`aBill Blunden (2009). `*The Rootkit Arsenal; Escape and Evasion`*. `F33f`_`[Jones & Bartlett Learning`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Jones_&_Bartlett_Learning]`_`f. p. 142. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 9781449661229.

`:cite-note-6`!6.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-6]`_`f MSDN: Products Unavailable due to Java-related Settlement

`:cite-note-7`!2.`! [1] Windows Driver Kit Version 7.1.0

`:cite-note-8`!3.`! WDF co-installer issue

`:cite-note-9`!4.`! `:citerefkraig-brockschmidt2014`aKraig Brockschmidt (2014). `*Programming Windows Store Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript`*. `F33f`_`[Pearson Education`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Pearson_Education]`_`f. p. 1002. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 9780735695702.

`:cite-note-10`!5.`! `:citerefliuzhengwuchen2021`aLiu, Zhifeng; Zheng, Desheng; Wu, Xinlong; Chen, Jixin; Tang, Xiaolan; Ran, Ziyong (2021). `*VABox: A Virtualization-Based Analysis Framework of Virtualization-Obfuscated Packed Executables`*. International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Security. `F33f`_`[Springer International Publishing`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Springer_International_Publishing]`_`f. pp. 73–84. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 9783030786212. We use Visual Studio 2017 and WDK for Windows 10, version 1809 for development.

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