Windows 7 Beta Tool Kits

Tools to deploy, diagnose and develop for Windows are an integral part of the Windows 7 Beta Release – the Windows Kits provide easy discoverability, consistent support, and a regular release schedule coinciding with the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) helps you to install, customize, and deploy the Windows 7 beta operating system. It is a set of tools and documentation that supports the configuration and deployment of Windows operating systems. By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify images using Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State Migration Tool (USMT).

To go to the download page for the Windows Automated Installation Kit beta for Windows 7 beta, click here for:  English, German and Japanese.  For more information on the Windows AIK, click here.

The Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) is a set of tools, code samples, documentation, compilers, headers, and libraries that you can use to create applications that run on Windows operating systems using native (Windows 32) or managed (.NET Framework) programming models. This Windows SDK contains Beta materials related to Windows 7 Beta and is compatible with Visual Studio® 2008, including Visual Studio Express Editions.

To go to the download page for Windows Software Development Kit beta for Windows 7 beta, click here.  For more information on the SDK, click here.

The Windows Driver Kit (WDK) is a fully integrated driver development system that contains material formerly found in the Windows Driver Device Kit (DDK) and tests for stability and reliability of Windows drivers.  Additional material includes the Windows Driver Foundation (WDF), which simplifies the development and support of Windows drivers.  The WDK also features header file refactoring (Windows Vista and later versions) which reduces header file complexity by providing a simpler directory structure, eliminating declaration conflicts, and using a single set of header files for all supported Windows versions.  Material formerly in Installable File Systems (IFS) Kit, including headers, libraries, samples, and documentation, is now distributed as part of the WDK.  Finally, the WDK includes verifiers and static analysis tools, such as PREfast and Static Driver Verifier, help you find bugs at compile time.

For more information on the SDK, click here

The Windows Logo Kit (WLK) contains everything needed to test devices and drivers for compatibility with Windows: Driver Test Manager (DTM), the required tests, and the documentation needed to set up DTM and execute the tests.  To qualify for the Windows Logo Program, your product must pass testing with the WLK.  For a device logo: pass tests that verify device reliability and performance.  For a driver quality signature: meet all criteria for drivers, as defined in Logo Program requirements. For a system logo: all devices and drivers in the system must have device logos or driver quality signatures, and the system must pass an additional series of tests. With the release of the Windows 7 Beta, you can get started testing with the Windows Logo Kit 1.3 release*. This kit allows you to preview Windows 7 compatibility requirements while testing for the Windows Vista and XP Logo Program.

*Requires MS Connect registration. If you have not accessed Connect before, read here how to get the WDK and WLK.

Windows Sysinternals utilities help you manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows systems and applications. A variety of file and disk, security, networking, system information, process discovery and miscellaneous utilities are available; utilities that work on Windows Vista have been updated for use on Windows 7 beta.

To go to the Sysinternals page click here.