wdk

WDK stands for Windows Driver Kit, a collection of tools, headers, libraries, samples, and documentation produced by Microsoft for developing drivers on the Windows operating system. It provides a complete environment for building, testing, and deploying both kernel-mode and user-mode drivers, and is used by hardware vendors and independent developers to create Windows-compatible drivers.

The kit includes the Windows Driver Frameworks, such as the Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) and the User-Mode Driver Framework (UMDF), which offer high-level abstractions to simplify driver development. It also provides the necessary WDM-compatible headers and libraries, as well as debugging and testing tooling. Debugging tools typically included are WinDbg and component-specific diagnostics, along with verifier and static analysis utilities to help identify and fix driver issues. The WDK ships with driver samples, INF files, and documentation to guide development, testing, and deployment.

WDK integrates with Microsoft Visual Studio, offering driver project templates, build tasks, and deployment support that streamline workflow from coding to signing and installation. It supports multiple target architectures, including x86, x64, and ARM64, enabling cross-platform driver development for various Windows devices.

Versioning and distribution differ by Windows release; the Windows Driver Kit is aligned with Windows development cycles and is distributed as part of the Windows Software Development Kit in modern Windows environments. The WDK evolved from earlier Driver Development Kits to provide a unified, framework-based approach to Windows driver development.