Detect and use correct Windows SDK version in CI builds

Added steps to both build-and-sign-sequential.yml and ci-validation.yml workflows to dynamically detect the installed Windows Kits version and set the appropriate MSBuild properties for WindowsSdkDir and WindowsTargetPlatformVersion. This ensures the correct SDK is used for driver builds, improving reliability across environments. Also simplified the SignPath submission step condition.

Author: itsmikethetech

.github/workflows/build-and-sign-sequential.yml

@@ -47,6 +47,45 @@ jobs:
         Write-Output "Ensuring Windows Driver Kit is installed (Chocolatey: windowsdriverkit11)..."
         choco install windowsdriverkit11 -y --no-progress
         if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { exit $LASTEXITCODE }
+
+    - name: Detect Windows Kits version (UMDF headers)
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+        $kitsRoot = $null
+        try {
+          $kitsRoot = (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Kits\Installed Roots" -Name "KitsRoot10" -ErrorAction Stop).KitsRoot10
+        } catch {
+          $kitsRoot = Join-Path ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)} "Windows Kits\10\"
+        }
+
+        if (-not $kitsRoot -or -not (Test-Path $kitsRoot)) {
+          throw "Windows Kits root not found: $kitsRoot"
+        }
+
+        $includeRoot = Join-Path $kitsRoot "Include"
+        if (-not (Test-Path $includeRoot)) {
+          throw "Windows Kits Include directory not found: $includeRoot"
+        }
+
+        $candidates =
+          Get-ChildItem -Path $includeRoot -Directory -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+          Where-Object { Test-Path (Join-Path $_.FullName "wdf\umdf\wudfwdm.h") } |
+          Sort-Object -Property Name -Descending
+
+        $best = $candidates | Select-Object -First 1
+        if (-not $best) {
+          throw "Could not find wdf\\umdf\\wudfwdm.h under: $includeRoot"
+        }
+
+        $kitVersion = $best.Name
+        $windowsSdkDir = $kitsRoot
+
+        Write-Output "Using WindowsTargetPlatformVersion: $kitVersion"
+        Write-Output "Using WindowsSdkDir: $windowsSdkDir"
+        "WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION=$kitVersion" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
+        "WINDOWS_SDK_DIR=$windowsSdkDir" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
         
     - name: Setup .NET
       uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
@@ -65,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
         $vddSln = "Virtual Display Driver (HDR)/MTTVDD.sln"
         if (Test-Path $vddSln) {
           Write-Output "Found VDD solution: $vddSln"
-          msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=ARM64 /verbosity:minimal
+          msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=ARM64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /verbosity:minimal
           if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
             Write-Output "✅ ARM64 VDD build completed successfully"
             
@@ -99,7 +138,7 @@ jobs:
           Write-Output "Building ARM64 VAD with validation disabled..."
           
           # Build with validation disabled to avoid x86 tool conflicts with ARM64 outputs
-          msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=ARM64 /p:EnableInfVerif=false /p:RunApiValidator=false /verbosity:minimal
+          msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=ARM64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /p:EnableInfVerif=false /p:RunApiValidator=false /verbosity:minimal
           
           if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
             Write-Output "✅ ARM64 VAD build completed successfully!"
@@ -127,7 +166,7 @@ jobs:
         $vddSln = "Virtual Display Driver (HDR)/MTTVDD.sln"
         if (Test-Path $vddSln) {
           Write-Output "Found VDD solution: $vddSln"
-          msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /verbosity:minimal
+          msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /verbosity:minimal
           if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
             Write-Output "✅ x64 VDD build completed successfully"
             
@@ -156,7 +195,7 @@ jobs:
         $vadSln = "Virtual-Audio-Driver (Latest Stable)/VirtualAudioDriver.sln"
         if (Test-Path $vadSln) {
           Write-Output "Found VAD solution: $vadSln"
-          msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /verbosity:minimal
+          msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /verbosity:minimal
           if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
             Write-Output "✅ x64 VAD build completed successfully"
             
@@ -436,7 +475,7 @@ jobs:
 
     # STEP 8: Submit to SignPath
     - name: "Step 8: Submit to SignPath"
-      if: github.event.inputs.skip_signing != 'true' && secrets.SIGNPATH_API_TOKEN != '' && vars.SIGNPATH_ORG_ID != '' && vars.SIGNPATH_PROJECT_SLUG != '' && vars.SIGNPATH_POLICY_SLUG != '' && steps.upload_for_signpath.outputs.artifact-id != ''
+      if: github.event.inputs.skip_signing != 'true' && steps.upload_for_signpath.outputs.artifact-id != ''
       id: signpath_request
       uses: signpath/github-action-submit-signing-request@v1
       with:

.github/workflows/ci-validation.yml

@@ -34,6 +34,45 @@ jobs:
         choco install windowsdriverkit11 -y --no-progress
         if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { exit $LASTEXITCODE }
 
+    - name: Detect Windows Kits version (UMDF headers)
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+        $kitsRoot = $null
+        try {
+          $kitsRoot = (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Kits\Installed Roots" -Name "KitsRoot10" -ErrorAction Stop).KitsRoot10
+        } catch {
+          $kitsRoot = Join-Path ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)} "Windows Kits\10\"
+        }
+
+        if (-not $kitsRoot -or -not (Test-Path $kitsRoot)) {
+          throw "Windows Kits root not found: $kitsRoot"
+        }
+
+        $includeRoot = Join-Path $kitsRoot "Include"
+        if (-not (Test-Path $includeRoot)) {
+          throw "Windows Kits Include directory not found: $includeRoot"
+        }
+
+        $candidates =
+          Get-ChildItem -Path $includeRoot -Directory -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+          Where-Object { Test-Path (Join-Path $_.FullName "wdf\umdf\wudfwdm.h") } |
+          Sort-Object -Property Name -Descending
+
+        $best = $candidates | Select-Object -First 1
+        if (-not $best) {
+          throw "Could not find wdf\\umdf\\wudfwdm.h under: $includeRoot"
+        }
+
+        $kitVersion = $best.Name
+        $windowsSdkDir = $kitsRoot
+
+        Write-Output "Using WindowsTargetPlatformVersion: $kitVersion"
+        Write-Output "Using WindowsSdkDir: $windowsSdkDir"
+        "WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION=$kitVersion" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
+        "WINDOWS_SDK_DIR=$windowsSdkDir" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
+
     - name: Setup Node.js
       uses: actions/setup-node@v4
       with:
@@ -51,7 +90,7 @@ jobs:
         Write-Output "Performing quick VDD compilation check..."
         $vddSln = "Virtual Display Driver (HDR)/MTTVDD.sln"
         if (-not (Test-Path $vddSln)) { throw "VDD solution file not found at: $vddSln" }
-        msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /verbosity:minimal /target:Build
+        msbuild $vddSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /verbosity:minimal /target:Build
 
     - name: Quick VAD Compilation Check
       shell: pwsh
@@ -60,7 +99,7 @@ jobs:
         Write-Output "Performing quick VAD compilation check..."
         $vadSln = "Virtual-Audio-Driver (Latest Stable)/VirtualAudioDriver.sln"
         if (-not (Test-Path $vadSln)) { throw "VAD solution file not found at: $vadSln" }
-        msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /verbosity:minimal /target:Build
+        msbuild $vadSln /p:Configuration=$env:BUILD_CONFIGURATION /p:Platform=x64 /p:WindowsSdkDir=$env:WINDOWS_SDK_DIR /p:WindowsTargetPlatformVersion=$env:WINDOWS_TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION /verbosity:minimal /target:Build
 
     - name: Checkout Virtual Driver Control Repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v4