I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Windows driver development community. My name is Keith Boyd, and I joined the WDK/WLK documentation team as Senior Manager about four months ago. I’m excited and humbled to be a part of this important team at Microsoft.

While many management changes are accompanied by bold promises of a new organizational direction, I instead will commit to staying the course, and continuing the positive work begun by my predecessor. Recent documentation surveys have indicated that the overall quality of our WDK/WLK documentation is improving. Through a steady program of talent recruitment and retention, and targeted reinvestments in high-value content, I intend to continue moving this team forward.


I came to the WDK team after an eight year stint with the Windows Client organization, where I supported a number of different platform technologies as both a writer and as a manager, including:

  • Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
  • The Windows Shell and Common Controls library
  • Internet Explorer 6
  • XML Paper Specification (XPS)
  • Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and User Interface Automation
  • Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)

While I am not a driver developer by trade, I’ve successfully managed developer documentation teams at Microsoft for nearly five years. The opportunity to move into driver documentation was a fascinating one for me, as I see it as a prime opportunity to improve the customer and partner experience with Windows. In my experience, software engineers require the following in order to be successful:

  • Up to date and technically accurate documentation
  • Thorough conceptual material that describes and enables key scenarios
  • Accompanying samples that are well commented and demonstrate key concepts
  • A responsive writing team that takes the needs of its community seriously
  • Accountable and accessible management dedicated to improving the documentation experience

These principles will guide the WDK/WLK Documentation team while I’m manager.


In the coming months, the documentation team will be focused primarily on writing and delivering content in support of Windows 7. Our first release of content will correspond with the public Beta, due in early 2009. In addition, the team will be engaging in the following activities:

  • Reinvesting in the team blog, in order to provide better insight into our activities and provide a channel for customer feedback.
  • Completing documentation Road Maps for each device technology in the WDK.
  • Attending WinHEC (four members of the documentation team will be present) and collecting community feedback from participants.
  • Targeted reinvestment in key technologies that will improve the driver development experience, including a focus on Kernel Mode Architecture.
  • Releasing the WDK version 18002 to correspond with Windows Server 2008 R2.
  • Investigating documentation localization strategies to improve the customer experience for customers outside of North America.

I will be attending and speaking this year at WinHEC, where I’m very looking forward to meeting and engaging with members of the community. If you have any feedback, ideas, or concerns about the WDK/WLK documentation that you’d like to share with me, I encourage you to email me directly (keith.boyd@microsoft.com). I look forward to engaging with the Windows driver development community for years to come.

     — Keith Boyd, [MSFT] WDK Senior Content Publishing Manager