A Good WDK is Not Hard to Find
On September 24, 2008, Frank Gennaro made a comment to our August 2008 blog post titled "WDK Survey: Help Improve the Documentation in the Kit and on MSDN", saying: "The documentation is great, but there is one problem: Where do you download the Windows Driver Kit (WDK)???"
We certainly appreciate hearing that the documentation is great, but that's a good question. The Windows Driver Kit is much, much more than documentation. It has tools, samples, and a rock-solid build environment. I don't recommend that you try to build a driver or debug one without the tools, and the samples will help show you the way to better driver development.
You can get the latest WDK driver kit from our friends at Microsoft Connect. You might be thinking how much bother is that or how much does it cost, but the answer is that it is a few quick clicks and a not-so-quick download. Here is what you do.
This site will tell you what to do: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/DevTools/WDK/WDKpkg.mspx.
But really all that you have to do is this:
Step 1 - Go to the Windows Connect web site.
It is at http://connect.microsoft.com. If you have a Microsoft Passport, Live ID, or another secret password, go to step 3. If you don't have one, go to step 2.
Step 2 - If you don't have a registered email address ...
Registering is very easy. All they need is a valid email they can use to confirm your identity. If you don't have an email, you can get one at http://www.live.com.
Step 3 - If you have a registered email address ...
Enter the Microsoft Connect Website. Click on the Connection Directory box near the top. Then click on Developer Tools. You are a developer, aren't you? Next, scroll down until you find and click:
"Windows Driver Kit (WDK), Windows Logo Kit (WLK) and Windows Driver Framework (WDF)"
Step 4 - Download the ISO.
Click on the Download link at the left. Choose and click:
6.1.6001.18002.081017-1400_wdksp-WDK18002SP_EN_DVD.iso
Step 5 - Burn a DVD.
When the download is finished, you'll have a file with an .iso extension. You will need to have a DVD burner and a blank DVD you can record to. Burn your DVD and enjoy!
Thanks for the question, Frank!
— Seth McEvoy, [MSFT], WDK Doc Blogmaster
