About this tag
The Windows API tag on WindowsForum.com covers discussions about Microsoft's application programming interfaces for Windows development and system interaction. Topics include WinUI open-source development, the HID LampArray standard for Dynamic Lighting, and undocumented Windows Security Center APIs exploited by tools like Defendnot to disable Microsoft Defender. Threads also explore OS-level RGB control, shutdown block behaviors explained by Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen, and the Windows Update Orchestration Platform for app management. These discussions highlight how the Windows API enables both legitimate features and security vulnerabilities, with relevance to developers, IT professionals, and power users.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Windows 11 Dynamic Lighting: OS-Level RGB Control for Peripherals

    Microsoft's Settings app is quietly turning into a one-stop hub for RGB: the long-rumored Lighting/Dynamic Lighting controls have appeared in Insider builds, and Microsoft is positioning Windows 11 to manage RGB lighting across compatible keyboards, mice, chassis and other peripherals without...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • app-priority driver security dynamic lighting firmware hardware compatibility hid lamparray insider builds lamparray light control micro rgb rgb ecosystem rgb lighting settings ui usb lighting vendor integration vhf driver vivetool windows 11 windows api windows.devices.lights
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  2. WindowsForum AI

    Understanding the Blank Program Blocks During Windows Shutdown: A Deep Dive

    For decades, Windows users have been bewildered by the appearance of an anonymous window that blocks system shutdowns, often marked only with a vague message or a blank space where a program name should appear. This cryptic occurrence has left even seasoned PC enthusiasts perplexed, especially...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • background apps background processes bsdr helper windows microsoft program windows security shutdown shutdown diagnostics shutdown issues shutdownblockreasoncreate system processes troubleshooting windows windows api windows development windows forum windows internals windows tips windows troubleshooting
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  3. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft's WinUI Open Source Journey: Unlocking the Future of Windows Development

    A long-awaited shift is taking shape within Microsoft's Windows ecosystem. The tech giant has committed to eventually making WinUI—a modern user interface framework central to Windows development—“truly open source.” While Microsoft’s intentions are now public, the path to full transparency for...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • community contributions cross-platform developer tools microsoft microsoft technologies open source software development ui design ui frameworks uwp windows 11 windows api windows app sdk windows development windows ecosystem windows platform winrt winui winui open source
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  4. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft KB5064646 Update Enhances AI Image Processing for AMD Systems on Windows 11

    Microsoft's recent release of KB5064646 marks a significant advancement in AI-driven image processing for AMD-powered systems. This update, elevating the Image Processing AI component to version 1.2507.793.0, is tailored for Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2. It introduces...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • ai advancements ai models ai performance ai-driven visual computing amd app development background removal foreground extraction hardware compatibility image editing image enhancement image processing ai image quality image scaling kb5064646 microsoft microsoft copilot multimedia optimization performance boost real-time image processing real-time video processing system compatibility system performance system stability tech updates visual technology windows 11 windows 11 24h2 windows api windows camera windows update
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows News
  5. WindowsForum AI

    Mastering Windows Updates: Essential IT Tools for Effective Management in 2025

    For IT professionals responsible for managing Windows updates across organizations of any scale, staying ahead of the rapidly evolving update landscape can feel like a full-time job in itself. Over the past year, Microsoft has markedly refined the way it communicates crucial information about...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • ai in windows automation enterprise windows hotpatching it management known issues message center microsoft education microsoft ignite proactive planning security updates update history update issues windows api windows community windows feedback windows pro windows release health windows roadmap windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  6. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft Unveils Windows Update Orchestration Platform for Seamless App Management

    Microsoft has introduced the Windows Update Orchestration Platform, a significant advancement aimed at streamlining the update process for both users and developers. Traditionally, Windows Update has focused primarily on updating the operating system components, leaving line-of-business (LOB)...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • app integration app updates automatic updates deployment developer tools energy efficiency it administration it support microsoft technologies powershell release preview system reliability troubleshooting unified update platform update management update notifications user experience windows api windows platform windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  7. WindowsForum AI

    How Defendnot Bypasses Windows Defender: Unveiling the Vulnerability in Windows Security Center

    Disabling Windows Defender has never been considered a best practice, yet it persists as a fringe pursuit among power users, malware developers, and those who simply want full control over their PC’s security configuration. Recently, a new tool named Defendnot, created by developer and reverse...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • api exploitation av bypass cyber threats cybersecurity defendnot malware process injection reverse engineering security security best practices security bypass security center security research security software windows api windows defender windows security windows vulnerabilities
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  8. WindowsForum AI

    How 'Defendnot' Exploits Windows Defender: A Hidden Threat to Windows Security

    Windows users have always relied on Microsoft Defender as a silent, ever-vigilant line of defense against malware, but a new research tool dubbed ‘Defendnot’ has exposed a startling vulnerability in this trust. This article delves into how Defendnot tricks Windows into disabling Microsoft...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • api exploitation cybersecurity defendnot endpoint security enterprise security hacking malware malware prevention privilege escalation security bypass security center security issues security research system protection trusted process injection vulnerability windows api windows defender windows security windows vulnerabilities
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  9. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft Ends Windows Maps: What You Need to Know About the Future of Windows Navigation

    It happened quietly, almost like a beloved neighborhood coffee shop closing its doors without a fuss: Microsoft has officially signed the death warrant for the Windows Maps app, finally admitting what some of us have long suspected—nobody was really using it, and even Microsoft themselves had...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • api deprecation app lifecycle bing maps deprecation digital mapping digital navigation enterprise it legacy systems maps app microsoft microsoft store offline maps privacy tech news uwp windows 10 windows 11 windows api windows maps windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  10. Enoch

    Virtualbox needs win32 api

    Hi, I am trying to install VirtualBox on my Win11 laptop and had to download and install Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 package, then had to download Python Core Package and install it (there was no way that I could see to uncheck Python install), then had to download Win32 api but could not find...
    • Enoch
    • Thread
    • download installation programming python software configuration tech support virtualbox visual c++ windows 11 windows api
    • Replies: 7
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  11. WindowsForum AI

    CVE-2025-21328: New Security Bypass Threat in Windows Systems

    Microsoft’s bustling Security Vulnerability ecosystem has added a brand-new entry: CVE-2025-21328. This is a Security Feature Bypass vulnerability that many may overlook at first glance but has significant implications for Windows environments and secure browsing setups. Here’s everything you...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • cve-2025-21328 cybersecurity internet explorer mapurltozone microsoft security vulnerability windows api
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Security Alerts
  12. WindowsForum AI

    Enhancing Windows Access: Microsoft Graph API and Its Latest Features

    Microsoft has made strides in enhancing Windows API integration, notably through the Microsoft Graph application. This tool offers programmatic access to critical Windows information, catering to users' needs for more frequent, robust, and versatile data access. Users, now on a more personal...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • data integration feedback known issues lifecycle microsoft graph windows api windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  13. Alex Sokolek

    A strange problem with modeless dialog boxes

    I have solved the problem! When the AI Bot told me that I was stalling the message loop, I looked deeper. In the original code I was calling PeekMessage() with PM_REMOVE, filtering for WM_KEYDOWN, and then checking for VK_ESCAPE. This consumed the WM_KEYDOWN message but not any other messages...
    • Alex Sokolek
    • Thread
    • build release debugging dialog box error handling file operations file system hashing memory issues memory management message loop modeless progress updates software optimization timer user interface visual studio vk_escape windows api wm_keydown
    • Replies: 6
    • Forum: Windows Software
  14. Alex Sokolek

    I think I found a bug in GetWindowPlacement()

    Hi. I think I found a bug in GetWindow{Placement(). I save and restore the window placement using the registry as an intermidiary. For save... ``` (In WndProc) case WM_DESTROY: { WINDOWPLACEMENT wp; ZeroMemory(&wp, sizeof(wp)); wp.length =...
    • Alex Sokolek
    • Thread
    • bugs getwindowplacement memory management minimize registry restore window management window position windows api wm_destroy
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Software
  15. F

    Windows 11 Drawing a border and background color with a handle to a window.

    ``` #include <Windows.h> #include <Richedit.h> HWND hwnd; HWND panel; HWND richEdit; WNDPROC oldStaticProc; int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE, HINSTANCE, PSTR, int); LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam); LRESULT CALLBACK StaticProc(HWND hwnd, UINT...
    • famatto
    • Thread
    • background border drawing c++ control handling device context error handling event gdi graphics message loop opengl paint handling rich edit static control user interface window procedure window resizing windows api wm_paint
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Programming and Scripting
  16. E

    Windows 10 Cannot Create Handle to Storage Device Using CreateFile Function

    I cannot open a handle to any of my storage devices. HANDLE h = CreateFile(L"\\\\.\\PhysicalDisk0", GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_READ_ACCESS | FILE_WRITE_ACCESS, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0); I also tried copying the full path from WinObj: \GLOBAL??\PhysicalDrive0 and...
    • ExylonFiber
    • Thread
    • access c++ code snippet createfile data access diagnostics disk error file access file management handle kernel-mode programming help storage devices visual studio windows api
    • Replies: 5
    • Forum: Programming and Scripting
  17. suncowiam

    Windows 10 How to monitor disk cache page accesses?

    Anyone know of any tools or Windows API that can monitor disk cache page accesses? For example, if a cache page is loaded from/to memory, I would like to count the size and times. This is to determine possible SSD degradation with too many accesses from page caches. Thanks
    • suncowiam
    • Thread
    • cache data analysis memory access monitoring optimization performance ssd maintenance tools windows api windows tools
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  18. Akito

    Windows 10 GetKeyState weirding out? (Windows API)

    I am at the end of my wisdom and need some help. Here are the relevant parts of my code: proc isKeyPressed(virtKeyCode: int32, stateCode: SHORT): bool = if GetAsyncKeyState(virtKeyCode) and 0x8000 != 0: return true else: return false template checkKey(virtKeyCode: int32, keyValue...
  19. M

    Windows 7 C# CMD Program to Monitor Windows Processes and Alert on New Tasks

    I would like to know is it possible to make a cmd program in #C to monitor windows processes? CMD Starts and automatically sends tasklist command every 10 seconds. If new process starts during that 10 seconds it opens TXT or another CMD windows to inform me that process name and location...
    • Mihailo
    • Thread
    • automation batch file c sharp cmd command prompt development monitoring notifications process process management programming scripting software task manager tasklist text file windows windows api windows tools
    • Replies: 5
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  20. liz08

    Windows 10 Taskbar shows up when CD/DVD is inserted or ejected

    Hello, In our application we get the handle of the taskbar using Windows API and hide it using SW_HIDE. Yet when the CD / DVD is inserted / ejected the taskbar is visible. We tried to handle the WM_DEVICECHANGE windows message which is received when any device is inserted to the system and...
    • liz08
    • Thread
    • device management dvd hide message handling sporadic taskbar user interface windows windows api wm_devicechange
    • Replies: 13
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support