Setting up Visual Studio C++ Express Edition to Build Win32 Apps

If you are using Visual Studio C++ Express Edition encounter this error when trying to build your app: "fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'windows.h': No such file or directory", you need to setup Visual Studio to make use of Microsoft's Platform SDK. Here are instructions on how to do this:

1. Download Microsoft Visual Studio C++ Express Edition

Download and install Microsoft Visual Studio C++ Express Edition for free from http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/download/.

2. Download the Microsoft Platform SDK

Download and install the Microsoft Platform SDK from http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/.

3. Configure Visual Studio

Configure Visual Studio Options with appropriate paths to the SDK Go to: Tools->Options->Projects and Solutions->VC++ Directories. Add the following paths to the appropriate subsection:

• • Executable files: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDK\Bin
  • Include files: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDK\include
  • Library files:C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDK\lib

4. Edit corewin_express.vsprops

Update the corewin_express.vsprops file (found in %VSINSTALLDIR%\VC\VCProjectDefaults) and change the string that reads: AdditionalDependencies^?="kernel32.lib" to: AdditionalDependencies^?="kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib"

5: Generate and build a Win32 application to test your paths

In Visual C++ Express, the Win32 Windows Application type is disabled in the Win32 Application Wizard. To enable that type, you need to edit the file AppSettings^?.htm file located in the folder “%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\VCWizards\AppWiz\Generic\Application\html\1033\". In a text editor comment out lines 441 - 444 by putting a // in front of them as shown here:

// WIN_APP.disabled = true;
// WIN_APP_LABEL.disabled = true;
// DLL_APP.disabled = true;
// DLL_APP_LABEL.disabled = true;

Resources

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/usingpsdk/
• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235626.aspx

-- JesseSuen - 30 Aug 2006