Microsoft APIs and frameworks

Graphics	Desktop Window Manager · Direct2D · Direct3D (extensions)  · GDI / GDI+ · WPF · Windows Color System · Windows Image Acquisition · Windows Imaging Component
Audio	DirectMusic · DirectSound · DirectX plugin · XACT · Speech API
Multimedia	DirectX · (Media Objects · Video Acceleration) · DirectInput · DirectPlay · DirectShow · Image Mastering API · Managed DirectX · Media Foundation · XNA · Windows Media
Web	MSHTML · RSS Platform · JScript · VBScript · BHO · XDR · SideBar Gadgets
Data access	Data Access Components · Extensible Storage Engine · ADO.NET · ADO.NET Entity Framework · Sync Framework · Jet Engine · MSXML · OLE DB · OPC
Networking	Winsock (LSP) · Winsock Kernel · Filtering Platform · Network Driver Interface Specification · Windows Rally · BITS · P2P API · MSMQ · MS MPI
Communication	Messaging API · Telephony API · WCF
Administration and management	Win32 console · Windows Script Host · WMI (extensions) · PowerShell · Task Scheduler · Offline Files · Shadow Copy · Windows Installer · Error Reporting · Event Log · Common Log File System
Component model	COM · COM+ · ActiveX · Distributed Component Object Model · .NET Framework
Libraries	Base Class Library (BCL) · Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) · Active Template Library (ATL) · Windows Template Library (WTL)
Device drivers	Windows Driver Model  · Windows Driver Foundation (KMDF · UMDF) · WDDM · NDIS · UAA · Broadcast Driver Architecture  · VxD
Security	Crypto API (CAPICOM) · Windows CardSpace · Data Protection API · Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI)
.NET	ASP.NET · ADO.NET · Base Class Library (BCL) · Remoting · Silverlight · TPL · WCF · WCS · WPF · WF
Software factories	EFx Factory · Enterprise Library · Composite UI · CCF · CSF
IPC	MSRPC · Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)  · Remoting · WCF
Accessibility	Active Accessibility · UI Automation
Text and multilingual support	DirectWrite · Text Services Framework · Text Object Model · Input method editor · Language Interface Pack · Multilingual User Interface · Uniscribe