Windows SDK vs PSDK: what's the difference?
The Windows SDK has replaced the PSDK. The PSDK is no more. Here are the details.
What’s the Windows SDK?
The Windows SDK provides support for development using both the Win32/64 and the .NET Framework programming models, for both 32- and 64-bit platforms. The Windows SDK is the name used for Windows Vista and later OS SDKs that include all content found in recent PSDKs plus content for the .NET Framework.
What’s the PSDK?
The Platform SDK or PSDK is the name used for the main operating system SDK prior to Windows Vista shipment. PSDKs do not include any content for the .NET Framework programming model. The Windows SDK has replaced the PSDK; there will be no new PSDKs. Some PSDKs can still be downloaded from Microsoft Download center; others can be ordered on CD/DVD from http://www.qmedia.ca/launch/psdk.htm. (The cost is about $9 for delivery in the US; about $16 for international delivery.)
Is there any reason to use the old PSDKs?
You might want to use an older SDK for a particular reason. For example, the Windows Server 2003 PSDK released in February 2003 was the last SDK to provide full support of VC 6.
Does the Windows SDK support development only for Vista?
The Windows SDK Update for Windows Vista supports more than just Vista: Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 x64 editions; all versions of Windows Vista; and Windows XP Service Pack 2. The “Supported Operating Systems” statement on an SDK download page indicates what the latest content is and what OSes you can build on and for.
Karin Meier
Windows SDK Team
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Windows SDK vs PSDK: what's the difference? (microsoft.com)
Microsoft Windows SDK - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (wikipedia.org)
| Name | Version number | Build number | Release date | Download | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit | 3.1 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit | 3.11 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit | 3.1 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit | 3.5 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit | 3.51 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit | 4.0 | ? | ? | ? | |
| Included in Visual Studio 6 | ? | 5.0.1636.1 | 1998-06 | ? | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK April 1999 | ? | ? | 1999-04 | ? | MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to officially install on Windows 95 |
| Microsoft Platform SDK September 1999 | ? | ? | 1999-09 | ? | MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to fully support Visual C++ 5.0 |
| Microsoft Platform SDK February 2001 | ? | ? | 2001-02 | ? | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK June 2001 | ? | ? | 2001-06 | ? | MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to officially develop for Windows 95. (Does not officially install on Windows 95) |
| Microsoft Platform SDK August 2001 | ? | 5.1.2601.0 | 2001-08 | [1] | MSDN subscription CD-ROM disc.
Last Platform SDK to unofficially develop for Windows 95. (Does not officially install on Windows 95) |
| Microsoft Platform SDK November 2001 | ? | 5.2.3590.2 | 2001-11 | [2] | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK May 2002 | ? | 5.2.3639.1 | 2002-05 | [3] | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK July 2002 | ? | 5.2.3663.0 | 2002-07 | [4] | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK August 2002 | ? | 5.2.3672.1 | 2002-08 | [5] | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK November 2002 | ? | 5.2.3718.1 | 2002-11 | [6] | |
| Microsoft Platform SDK February 2003 | ? | 5.2.3790.0 | 2003-02 | [7] | Last version with VC6 support[8] and latest version with Windows 95 and Windows 98 support. |
| .NET Framework SDK Version 1.1 | ? | 1.1.4322.573 | 2003-03-29 | [8] | Included in Visual Studio 2003. Does not include the Platform SDK. |
| Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows XP SP2 | ? | 5.1.2600.2180 | 2004-08 | [9] | Introduced strsafe.h |
| Windows Server 2003 SP1 Platform SDK | ? | 5.2.3790.1830.15 | 2005-05-02 | [10] | |
| Windows Server 2003 R2 Platform SDK | ? | 5.2.3790.2075.51 | 2006-03-14 | [11] | Also suggested by MS to work with VS6[9] |
| .NET Framework 2.0 Software Development Kit | ? | 2.0.50727.42 | 2006-11-29 | [12] | Included in Visual Studio 2005 Professional. Does not include the Platform SDK. |
| Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime Components | v6.0 | 6.0.6000.16384 | 2006-10-30 | ? | The C++ compilers in this SDK release support the /analyze key. |
| Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit Update for Windows Vista | v6.1 | 6.1.6000.16384.10 | 2007-03-22 | [13] | First unified .NET and Platform SDK. Does not support Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 |
| Included in Visual Studio 2008[10] | v6.0a | 6.1.6723.1 | 2007-11-19 | [14] | |
| Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 | v6.1 | 6.0.6001.18000.367 | 2008-02-05 | [15] | .NET Framework 3.5 |
| Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 | v7.0 | 6.1.7600.16385 | 2009-07-24 | [16] | |
| Included in Visual Studio 2010 | v7.0a | 6.1.7600.16385 | 2010-04-12 | [17] | .NET Framework 4. Works only with Visual Studio 2010 and not Visual Studio 2010 Express. This is also the last version to include offline documentation.[11] |
| Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4 | v7.1 | 7.1.7600.0.30514 | 2010-05-19[12][13] | [18], [19] | It is the latest version that officially supports Windows XP target. |
| Included in Visual Studio 2012 Update 1 (or later) | v7.1A | 7.1.51106 | ? | ? | Introduces the "v110_xp" platform toolset |
| Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 8 and .NET Framework 4.5 | v8.0 | 6.2.9200.16384 | 2012-11-15[14] | [20] | .NET Framework 4.5, Windows Store apps and Integrated DirectX SDK |
| Included in Visual Studio 2012 | v8.0A | 8.0.50727 | ? | ? | |
| Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows 8.1 | v8.1 | 8.100.25984.0 | 2013-10-17 | [21] | Windows 8.1, .NET Framework 4.5.1, Windows Store apps and Integrated DirectX SDK |
| Included in Visual Studio 2013 | v8.1A | 8.1.51636 | ? | ? | Includes the "v120_xp" platform toolset |
| Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10 | v10 | 10.0.10240.0 | 2015-07-29 | [22] | Also included in Visual Studio 2015[15] |
| Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10, Version 1511[16] | v10 | 10.0.10586.212 | 2015-11-30 | [23] | Also included in Visual Studio 2015 Update 1 & 2[17] |
| Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10, Version 1607 | v10 | 10.0.14393.795 | 2016-08-02 | [24] | Also included in Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 |
| Windows Standalone SDK for Windows 10 Creators Update, Version 1703 | v10 | 10.0.15063.0 | 2017-04-05 | [25] | Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.1 |
| Windows 10 SDK for Fall Creators Update | v10 | 10.0.16299.15 | 2017-10-10 | [26] | Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.4 |
| Windows 10 SDK for April 2018 Update | v10 | 10.0.17134.0 | 2018-05-08 | [27] | Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.7 |
| Windows 10 SDK for October 2018 Update | v10 | 10.0.17763.0 | 2018-10-02 | [28] | Included in Visual Studio 2017 ver.15.8 |
| Windows 10 SDK for Windows 10, version 1903 | v10 | 10.0.18362.0 | 2019-05-21 | [29] | Included in Visual Studio 2019 |
| Windows 10 SDK for Windows 10, version 2004 | v10 | 10.0.19041.0 | 2020-05-12 | [30] |
