Introduction to Setup

Welcome to the setup guide for your MSDN development environment. This document will walk you through the essential steps to get your system ready for building powerful applications.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• A compatible operating system (Windows 10 or later recommended).
• Administrator privileges on your machine.
• A stable internet connection.

Step 1: Download the Development Kit

The first step is to download the Microsoft Development Kit (MDK). This package contains all the necessary tools, libraries, and SDKs.

Download MDK v2.5 (Latest)

Step 2: Install the Development Kit

Once the download is complete, run the installer. Follow the on-screen prompts.

1. Locate the downloaded installer file (e.g., mdk_installer_v2.5.exe).
2. Double-click the file to launch the setup wizard.
3. Accept the license agreement.
4. Choose the installation directory. The default location is recommended: C:\Program Files\MSDN\MDK.
5. Select the components you wish to install. For a full development experience, the default selection is usually sufficient.
6. Click "Install" and wait for the process to complete.

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

The installer should automatically set up the necessary environment variables. However, you can verify or set them manually if needed.

The following variables are crucial:

• MSDN_HOME: Points to your MDK installation directory.
• PATH: Should include the MDK's bin directory (e.g., %MSDN_HOME%\bin).

To verify (Windows):

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type echo %MSDN_HOME% and press Enter.
3. Type echo %PATH% and press Enter to check if the MDK bin directory is listed.

Step 4: Install Optional Tools

Depending on your development needs, you may want to install additional tools:

• MSDN IDE: A powerful integrated development environment. You can download it separately from the MSDN Downloads page.
• Package Manager: For managing external libraries and dependencies.

Step 5: Verify Installation

To confirm that your setup is successful, open a new Command Prompt and run the following command:

mdk version

You should see output indicating the installed MDK version. If you encounter errors, please refer to the troubleshooting section or the MSDN FAQ.

Next Steps

Now that your environment is set up, you're ready to dive into building your first application. Proceed to the Getting Started guide.