Windows App SDK Installation Guide

Windows App SDK Installation

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to install the Windows App SDK, enabling you to build modern Windows applications using the latest platform features.

Prerequisites

Windows 11 or Windows 10 (version 1903 or later).
Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.0 or later) with the "Desktop development with C++" and ".NET desktop development" workloads installed.
Ensure the latest SDKs and build tools are installed via the Visual Studio Installer.

Important: For the best experience, always ensure your Visual Studio and Windows SDKs are up to date.

Installation Steps

Open Visual Studio Installer:
Search for "Visual Studio Installer" in the Windows search bar and launch it.
Modify Visual Studio Installation:
Locate your installed Visual Studio 2022 instance and click the "Modify" button.
Install Required Workloads:
On the "Workloads" tab, ensure the following are checked:
- Desktop development with C++
- .NET desktop development
If they are not already installed, select them and click "Modify" at the bottom of the installer window.
Install Windows App SDK Components:
After the workloads are installed or verified, navigate to the "Individual components" tab in the Visual Studio Installer. Search for "Windows App SDK" and ensure the latest stable version is selected for installation. This typically includes:
- Windows App SDK Runtime
- Windows App SDK for WinUI 3
Click "Modify" to install these components.
Verify Installation:
Once the installation is complete, restart Visual Studio. You can create a new project and search for templates like "Blank App, Packaged (WinUI)" or "C++ Console App" to confirm that the Windows App SDK is available.

Installing via NuGet Package Manager

You can also add the Windows App SDK components to an existing project using the NuGet Package Manager:

Right-click on your project in Solution Explorer.
Select "Manage NuGet Packages...".
Go to the "Browse" tab.
Search for Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.
Select the package and click "Install".

This will install the core SDK and its dependencies.

Developer Mode: Ensure that "Developer Mode" is enabled in Windows Settings for easier deployment and debugging of packaged applications. Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > For developers.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Missing Templates: If you don't see Windows App SDK project templates, ensure you have selected the correct workloads and individual components in the Visual Studio Installer and restarted Visual Studio.
Runtime Errors: Make sure the Windows App SDK Runtime is installed and compatible with your target Windows version. Check the Windows App SDK Release Notes for compatibility information.
Build Errors: Verify that your project's target framework and SDK settings are correctly configured for the Windows App SDK.

Important: Installing development tools and SDKs can sometimes require administrator privileges. If you encounter permission issues, try running Visual Studio Installer or Visual Studio as an administrator.