Windows Developer Center > Learn > Develop Your Windows 7 Application

Develop Your Windows 7 Application

Windows 7 is a highly anticipated operating system release for Microsoft, and we believe that migration to Windows 7 will be faster than with our last three releases. To get you started, we've set up a clear, three-phase approach to take advantage of the operating system's innovations.

On this page:

1. Get Compatible

If your applications run on Windows Vista, they will need few to no changes. If your applications are not compatible with Vista, you have a bit more work to do. Fortunately, tools, guidance, and 1:1 clinics are available to help ensure your applications run securely and reliably on Windows 7.

To become compatible:

a. Review the guidance documents:

b. Download the tools for building and testing your application:

c. Get extra help from the Application Compatibility forum or by attending one of the many Windows 7 ISV Remediation Workshops for hands-on assistance with your migration.

For more information about these resources, see Windows Application Compatibility.

2. Optimize

Once you are compatible and running Windows 7, your application will immediately benefit from the core improvements. Next, you can make minor tweaks to truly optimize for the new operating system:

Integrate with the new shell features such as Taskbar, Libraries, and Federated Search. The productivity and UX improvements from this shell integration will make your users feel like your application was designed for Windows 7.
For increased performance and robustness, take advantage of new core operating system features such as Trigger Start Services, Restart Manager, Error Reporting, and power consumption enhancements.

3. Differentiate

Make your applications stand out by taking advantage of the latest PC hardware and software innovations:

Create natural, intuitive user experiences that include multi-touch gestures, manipulation, and inertia.
Modernize your application's look and feel with the new Scenic Ribbon control. Scenic Ribbon is a proven paradigm that Office and Windows end users know and use.
Leverage the sensor and location platform to create applications that adapt to their environment.
Use Direct2D and Direct3D to develop fast, scalable, high-quality 2D and 3D graphics that leverage the idle power of today's GPUs. Use the DirectWrite API's new text enhancements to provide high-quality, resolution-independent text rendering.

Next Steps

For step-by-step learning about the Windows 7 features mentioned above, see the Windows 7 Training Kit, which contains tutorials and other resources for both managed and native development.
You can use the Windows API Code Pack for Microsoft .NET Framework to access Windows 7 features from managed code.
If you are interested in participating in a Windows 7 Application Readiness Lab, send e-mail for more information.