NOTE

before I dive into the answer I Want to make it crystal-clear I used GPT to solve this. It is helpful and I am emphasizing when I use it.

Hi!

I had the exact same issue, and NOTE I have gotten help from GPT to solve this!

because.. no error and no output just doesn't make any sense.

Especially since I have made at least a HelloWorld driver before, so something must have changed(and broke! which is classic with windows!).

Thanks to GPT, (note, in my case, it was this at least) it began working(a .SYS output file got generated!)

DO REPLACE

• NAME with your project name (e.g HelloFromKern)

• ETC1 with a UNIQUE GUID

• .inf filename

And last thing:

• Also do see so other things (Additional Include Directories, And so on) also is correct for your case.

`-----`

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

  <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|x64">
      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
      <Platform>x64</Platform>
    </ProjectConfiguration>
  </ItemGroup>

  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
    <ProjectGuid>{ETC1}</ProjectGuid>
    <RootNamespace>NAME</RootNamespace>
    <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>10.0</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'" Label="Configuration">
    <ConfigurationType>Driver</ConfigurationType>
    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
    <PlatformToolset>WindowsKernelModeDriver10.0</PlatformToolset>
    <DriverType>KMDF</DriverType>
    <DriverTargetPlatform>Universal</DriverTargetPlatform>

    <!-- ✅ Fix: force proper .sys output -->
    <TargetName>NAME</TargetName>
    <TargetExt>.sys</TargetExt>
    <TargetPath>$(OutDir)$(TargetName)$(TargetExt)</TargetPath>
    <OutputFile>$(OutDir)$(TargetName)$(TargetExt)</OutputFile>

    <!-- ✅ Fix: make MSBuild link correctly -->
    <LinkCompiled>true</LinkCompiled>

    <!-- ✅ Fix: prevent deletion due to signing or packaging -->
    <SignMode>None</SignMode>
    <GenerateDriverPackage>false</GenerateDriverPackage>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />

  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets">
    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props"
            Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')"
            Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
  </ImportGroup>

  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
    <ClCompile>
      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.19041.0\km;
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.19041.0\shared;
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.19041.0\um;
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.19041.0\wdf\kmdf\1.33
      </AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_AMD64_;_WIN64;UNICODE;_UNICODE</PreprocessorDefinitions>
      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreaded</RuntimeLibrary>
      <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
    </ClCompile>

    <Link>
      <SubSystem>Native</SubSystem>
      <EntryPointSymbol>DriverEntry</EntryPointSymbol>
      <OutputFile>$(OutDir)$(TargetName)$(TargetExt)</OutputFile>
      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Lib\10.0.19041.0\km\x64
      </AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
      <AdditionalDependencies>ntoskrnl.lib;hal.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
      <IgnoreAllDefaultLibraries>true</IgnoreAllDefaultLibraries>
    </Link>
  </ItemDefinitionGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <ClCompile Include="Driver.c" />
    <Inf Include="NAME.inf" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
</Project>

`-----`

A smaller shoutout to GPT. Saved me here, its so interesting that.. No errors was generated, and no way for GUI (at least in my case, and one comment, I think, even pointed out there was no "linker" option in "projects -> properties" and I didn't see any either) <- which solidifies that this might very much work, if there is no way to link something, It makes sense no error would come out because, all went well, but no linking was done hence no output (note, it was awhile I used visual studio, so Maybe my terminology here is dry, and I'm right now running on 24 hours no sleep writing this so, please don't judge format! If the xml is wrong in some way, do point it out)

Thanks a lot!

Take great care! Cuz these kind of errors is very..Energy consuming indeed!

Jane