Windows Driver Kit (WDK) Documentation
Updated: December 21, 2009
By using this download, you can install the latest Microsoft Windows Driver Kit (WDK) documentation for Windows 7.
The Windows Driver Kit documentation is normally updated on MSDN and WHDC in bi-monthly intervals between major releases. Either location might contain newer content than the version you currently have installed on your computer. To check, compare the build date in the footer section of any topic in your installed documentation against the release date of the WDK documentation download on WHDC or the topic on MSDN. If the release date on WHDC is more recent, you should consider updating your locally installed documentation.
Installation Instructions for WDKdoc.exe
1. | Click the WDKdocs.exe file. |
2. | When prompted, click Run to start the installation, or Save to save the .exe file on your computer. |
3. | If you click Run, proceed with the installation and if the Microsoft Document Explorer 2005 Setup Wizard appears, click Next.
Note: If you already have Document Explorer installed on your computer, you will not see this wizard. |
4. | Accept the license agreement for Document Explorer, and then click Install. |
5. | After you click Finish to complete the installation, you will see the Setup Wizard for the WDK documentation. Make note of the version number of this file. It will look like this: 7600.12112009, where 7600 refers to the WDK for Windows 7, 12 is the month, 11 is the day, and 2009 is the year.
Note: The version number will change every time that updated WDK documentation is posted to WHDC. Each installation will install independently of the previous one. You can install multiple versions on your computer. However, if you want to keep only the most recent version, you must uninstall previous versions. |
6. | Click Next. |
7. | Click Next to install in the default location, and then click Install.
If you installed in the default location, you can open the documentation by clicking Start, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Windows Driver Kit Documentation, and then clicking WDK version number, where version number is the number that you noted in step 5. |
Installation Instructions for WDKchm*
1. | Click the WDKchm.chm file. |
2. | When prompted, click Save to save the .chm file on your computer. |
3. | (Optional) Right-click the readme_monthdayyear.txt file and select Save Target As... to save the file on your computer. Or, if you click the readme.txt file, it will be displayed in your browser window.
Note If, when you open the .chm file, you receive an error message similar to the following: “The address is not valid,” and the .chm file has no content, you must unblock the .chm file to view its contents. |
To unblock the .chm file
1. | Make sure the .chm file is closed, and in Windows Explorer, right-click the .chm file, and click Properties. |
2. | To the right of the Security section, click Unblock. |
3. | Click OK, and then reopen the .chm file.
For more information about this error message, see the Why do I get "The Address Is Not Valid" when viewing the CHM? page at the .net Validation Framework Web site. |
*Note: CHM version does not include documentation for Windows Portable Devices.
