Windows 10 (IoT Core) Driver deployment

Hi Folks,

When deploying a device driver to a Windows 10 target (Pro and IoT Core) using Visual Studio 2015, you may encounter the error Test group "Driver Installation" contains no active tests that can be executed on target machine xxxxxx:

In the solution explorer, right click on your project, and open the properties. In the Configuration Properties, you will find Driver Install. It contains an item named Deployment.
In this item, you will find the Driver Installation Options, having the choice between Manual Install and SPKG install.


The default value is Manual Install. The other option, SPKG Install, deploys the driver using a .spkg file, which is a  standalone module containing the driver package.
If you try to set this option to SPKG Install without having generated a .spkg package, you will encounter the following error "The SPKG output directory xxxx doesn't contain any SPKG." :
 
You will then change the value back to Manual Install, and that is when the error will start to appear. Even after having reset the properties of your project, the SPKG Install option will have left an effect on your target. You can see this impact in the file .vcxproj.user associated to your projet. To find it, in the Solution Explorer, right click on your project and select "Open Folder in File Explorer". You will find several files. Rename your ProjectName.vcxproj.user to  ProjectName.vcxproj.user.old to keep it in case of problem. Then try one more time to deploy your driver to the target. A new .vcxproj.user file will be generated by VS2015 and the error should disappear.
You can now deploy your drivers correctly.

Enjoy!

- Nicolas & Leo

Hello, Windows 10 IoT Core

Hi Folks,

Microsoft just announced the public availability of the IoT flavor of Windows 10. This version of Windows 10, called Windows 10 IoT Core, is designed for makers and runs on :

• Raspberry Pi 2 : ARM Based platform
• Intel Minnowboard Max : x86 Based platform

The public post from Microsoft can be read here : https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/08/10/hello-windows-10-iot-core/

Enjoy!

- Nicolas

Windows 10 on Lumia: next preview will support a lot more Lumias

Hi folks,

The list of supported phones on the Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones (released on February 12^th) is unfortunately very limited. This is due to the fact that only phones where the system partition size is large enough for Windows 10 can be upgraded in-place.

In the meantime Microsoft has implemented a feature called “partition stitching” to dynamically re-size the system partition. This feature will be part of the next Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones supporting a lot more Lumia phones!

Unfortunately no date is mentioned for this preview release, but “we likely still have at least one more week of engineering to do” says Gabriel Aul from Microsoft.

The list below of the likely supported Lumia phones supported by the next preview release is preliminary and might be subject to change if a device specific bug is found or fixed prior to the next preview release:

• Lumia 1020
• Lumia 1320
• Lumia 1520
• Lumia 520
• Lumia 525
• Lumia 526
• Lumia 530
• Lumia 530 Dual Sim
• Lumia 535
• Lumia 620
• Lumia 625
• Lumia 630
• Lumia 630 Dual Sim
• Lumia 635
• Lumia 636
• Lumia 638
• Lumia 720
• Lumia 730
• Lumia 730 Dual SIM
• Lumia 735
• Lumia 810
• Lumia 820
• Lumia 822
• Lumia 830
• Lumia 920
• Lumia 925
• Lumia 928
• Lumia ICON
• Microsoft Lumia 430
• Microsoft Lumia 435
• Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM DTV
• Microsoft Lumia 532
• Microsoft Lumia 532 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM

Further information can be found here.

Also check out this “How to install Windows 10 Preview to your Lumia Windows Phone”.

Have fun!

The future of Windows Embedded: Windows 10 for IoT Devices Roadmap

Hi folks,

Microsfot has just made their latest roadmap regarding Internet of Things (IoT) publicly available at WinHEC Shenzhen from March 18^th to 19^th 2015.

As you will see Microsoft is planning to bring the power of Windows 10 to the embedded devices. Microsoft is planning to release 3 products for IoT devices based on Windows 10:

·         Windows 10 “Industry”

·         Windows 10 “Mobile”

·         Windows 10 for IoT devices

For more details check out the coverage of WinHCE Shenzhen 2015 on Channel 9.

I will be posting more information and news around Windows 10 for IoT devices in the near future.

Have fun!

The end of Windows RT

Hi folks,

Microsoft is no longer producing Windows RT devices. The last available device was the Nokia Lumia 2520 tables which Microsoft is no longer manufacturing as of now.

At the end of January, Microsoft already confirmed that the Surface 2 with Windows RT is no longer in production.

Microsoft already confirmed that Windows RT will not be updatable to Windows 10, however there will be an update for Windows RT that brings some of the features of Windows 10 to Windows RT.

Have fun!

Windows 10 for free on new Raspberry Pi 2

Hi folks,

Microsoft is working on a version of Windows 10 for the ARM-based Raspberry Pi 2 chipset. 

Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi 2 will be available this fall for free through Microsoft’s Windows Developer Program for IoT for the maker community.

Have fun!