To download NMAKE for Windows , you generally cannot download it as a standalone installer. Instead, it is distributed as part of Microsoft's professional developer tools, specifically Visual Studio . 1. Download Options for NMAKE There are two primary ways to obtain NMAKE for modern versions of Windows (10 and 11): Visual Studio (Community, Professional, or Enterprise): This is the most common method. The free Community Edition includes the full MSVC toolset, including nmake.exe . Build Tools for Visual Studio: If you do not need the full Visual Studio IDE (e.g., for automated CI/CD servers), you can download the lightweight Build Tools for Visual Studio. This package contains the compilers and build utilities like NMAKE without the graphical interface. 2. How to Install NMAKE Follow these steps to ensure NMAKE is properly installed: Run the Installer : Open the Visual Studio Installer. Select Workloads : You must select the "Desktop development with C++" workload. Simply installing the IDE is not enough; NMAKE is part of the C++ build toolset. Complete Installation : Click "Install" and wait for the components to download. 3. Locating and Using NMAKE Once installed, NMAKE is typically found deep within the Visual Studio directory. For example, in Visual Studio 2022 Community: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\[version]\bin\Hostx64\x64\nmake.exe . Best Practice for Usage: Do not run NMAKE from a standard Command Prompt. Microsoft recommends using the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio , which automatically sets up the necessary environment variables and paths for NMAKE to run correctly. 4. Alternatives for Legacy Systems For very old projects (Windows XP/7), developers sometimes refer to a legacy standalone version (NMAKE 1.5). However, Microsoft's official knowledge base article for this download is no longer active, and using it on modern Windows systems is generally not recommended. If you only need a "make" utility and not specifically the Microsoft-flavored NMAKE, consider modern alternatives like: Make via Scoop : Use scoop install make for the GNU version. Make via Chocolatey : Use choco install make . Make via Winget : Use winget install ezwinports.make . NMAKE Reference | Microsoft Learn
How to Download and Install NMAKE for Windows: A Complete Guide NMAKE is Microsoft's classic build utility, used to automate the compilation of programs based on descriptions in a makefile . While modern developers often use MSBuild or CMake, NMAKE remains essential for maintaining legacy C/C++ projects, building older drivers, or following specific SDK examples. Unlike standalone tools, NMAKE is not available as a separate, direct download from Microsoft . It is distributed as part of several larger development packages. Below is the definitive guide to obtaining and using NMAKE on Windows 10 and 11. Option 1: Visual Studio Build Tools (Recommended) This is the cleanest method if you only need the command-line build tools, including NMAKE, without the full Visual Studio IDE. Step 1: Download the Visual Studio Build Tools installer.
Go to the official Visual Studio downloads page. Under "Tools for Visual Studio", find Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022 (or an older version if required by your project).
Step 2: Run the installer and select "Desktop development with C++" workload. This ensures the C++ compiler, linker, and NMAKE are installed. Step 3: In the "Installation details" panel on the right, verify that "C++ CMake tools for Windows" is checked (this also pulls in the necessary build tools). Alternatively, manually check "MSVC v143 - VS 2022 C++ x64/x86 build tools" and "Windows 11 SDK" . Step 4: Click Install . Once complete, NMAKE will be located at: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Tools\MSVC\[version]\bin\Hostx64\x64\nmake.exe Option 2: Visual Studio Community (Full IDE) If you already develop with Visual Studio or prefer a full IDE, install the free Community edition. Step 1: Download Visual Studio Community from Microsoft's website. Step 2: Run the installer and select the "Desktop development with C++" workload. Step 3: After installation, NMAKE will be available inside the Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt. You can find this shortcut in the Start Menu under "Visual Studio 2022" -> "Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022". Option 3: Older Windows SDKs (For Legacy Projects) Some legacy projects specifically require NMAKE from the Windows SDK (e.g., Windows 7 or 8.1 SDK). These are still available but not recommended for new work. Step 1: Go to Microsoft's "Windows SDK and emulator archive". Step 2: Download the SDK version required (e.g., Windows 10 SDK or Windows 8.1 SDK). Step 3: During installation, select only the "Build Environment" or "Tools" component. Note: These older SDKs may not be compatible with modern Windows builds. Verifying and Running NMAKE Once installed, NMAKE requires a specific environment with paths to compilers and libraries. Do not run nmake.exe directly from a standard Command Prompt – it will fail with missing dependencies. Correct method: Use the Developer Command Prompt or Developer PowerShell : download nmake for windows
Open Start Menu. Search for "Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022". Right-click and run as administrator if needed.
Inside this terminal, test NMAKE: nmake /?
You should see help output listing options like /F , /X , /N , etc. Creating and Using a Simple Makefile Create a file named makefile (no extension) with the following content: # Simple makefile example all: hello.exe hello.exe: hello.obj link hello.obj hello.obj: hello.c cl /c hello.c clean: del *.obj *.exe To download NMAKE for Windows , you generally
Create hello.c : #include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("Built with NMAKE!\n"); return 0; }
Then in the Developer Command Prompt, run: nmake
To clean up, run: nmake clean
Troubleshooting Common Issues | Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | 'nmake' is not recognized | You are not in a Developer Command Prompt. Use the correct shortcut or run vcvarsall.bat manually. | | fatal error U1077: 'cl' : return code '0x1' | Your makefile references cl.exe (the C compiler), but the environment isn't set. Re-run from Developer Command Prompt. | | NMAKE : fatal error U1045: spawn failed | Usually caused by a missing tool or path length limitation. Move your project to a shorter path like C:\src\ . | | NMAKE is too old for your makefile syntax | Install a newer Visual Studio Build Tools version. NMAKE from VS 2022 supports modern extensions. | Frequently Asked Questions Can I copy nmake.exe to a USB drive? No. NMAKE depends on many DLLs and environment variables (PATH, LIB, INCLUDE). It is not portable. Is NMAKE the same as GNU Make? No. NMAKE uses a different syntax for macros, inference rules, and directives. A Makefile written for GNU Make will likely fail with NMAKE. Do I need an administrator account to install NMAKE? Yes, for the Visual Studio installer. However, once installed, any user can run NMAKE from the Developer Command Prompt. What about Windows 10/11 on ARM? Visual Studio includes ARM64 versions of NMAKE. Install the ARM64 build tools workload. Conclusion To download NMAKE for Windows, you must install either Visual Studio Build Tools (lightweight) or Visual Studio Community (full IDE). After installation, always run NMAKE from the Developer Command Prompt to ensure a proper build environment. For most users today, the Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 with the "Desktop development with C++" workload is the best and most future-proof choice.
NMAKE (Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility) is a command-line tool that builds projects based on instructions in a "makefile." On modern Windows systems, it is not available as a standalone download; it is bundled as part of the Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC) toolset. How to Get NMAKE for Windows To download and install NMAKE, you must install the Visual Studio Build Tools or the full Visual Studio IDE . Option 1: Build Tools for Visual Studio (Recommended for command-line only) If you do not need the full Visual Studio IDE, you can download just the build tools to save disk space. Go to the Visual Studio Downloads page. Scroll down to All Downloads and expand Tools for Visual Studio . Download Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022 . In the installer, select the Desktop development with C++ workload. Option 2: Visual Studio Community (Full IDE) If you prefer a full development environment, download Visual Studio Community. During installation, ensure the Desktop development with C++ workload is checked. This includes the MSVC compiler and the NMAKE utility. How to Run NMAKE NMAKE requires specific environment variables to function correctly. The easiest way to run it is through a Developer Command Prompt , which comes pre-configured with these variables. Open the Start Menu . Search for "Developer Command Prompt for VS" and open it. Type nmake /? to verify the installation and see available options. Standalone & Third-Party Alternatives If you want to avoid the large Visual Studio installation, consider these alternatives: NMaker - A Multi OS make system based on nmake - GitHub If needed, it's part of the free Visual Studio Community Edition, available from this URL: https://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/ NMAKE Reference | Microsoft Learn