Macro definition clash between directx headers and winerror.h

I ran into this problem using Visual Studio 2012 Express on Windows 8; however, my errors were almost exactly the same, and the fix is centered around the Windows SDK. This was in MSDN (see #5):

D3DX is not considered the canonical API for using Direct3D in Windows 8 and therefore isn't included with the corresponding Windows SDK. Investigate alternate solutions for working with the Direct3D API.

For legacy projects, such as the Windows 7 (and earlier) DirectX SDK samples, the following steps are necessary to build applications with D3DX using the DirectX SDK:

a. Modify the project’s VC++ directories as follows to use the right order for SDK headers and libraries.

1. Open Properties for the project and select the VC++ Directories page.

2. Select All Configurations and All Platforms.

3. Set these directories as follows:

   • Include Directories: $(IncludePath);$(DXSDK_DIR)Include
   • Library Directories: $(LibraryPath);$(DXSDK_DIR)Lib\x86

4. Click Apply.

5. Choose the x64 Platform.

6. Set the Library Directory as follows:

   • Library Directories: $(LibraryPath);$(DXSDK_DIR)Lib\x64

b. Wherever "d3dx9.h", "d3dx10.h", or "d3dx11.h" are included in your project, be sure to explicitly include "d3d9.h", "d3d10.h" and "dxgi.h", or "d3d11.h" and "dxgi.h" first to ensure you are picking up the newer version. You can disable warning C4005 if needed; however, this warning indicates you are using the older version of these headers.

c. Remove all references to DXGIType.h in your project. This header doesn't exist in the Windows SDK, and the DirectX SDK version conflicts with the new winerror.h.

d. All D3DX DLLs are installed onto your development computer by the DirectX SDK installation. Ensure that the necessary D3DX dependencies are redistributed with any sample or with your application if it is moved to another machine.

e. Be aware that replacement technologies for current uses of D3DX11 include DirectXTex and DirectXTK. D3DXMath is replaced by DirectXMath.

I can't say for sure, but I think the Windows 8 SDK might be your problem. It may be a bit of a pain, but using the fix above will help make your code require less dependencies as well as making it compatible with both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

I ran into this issue compiling SlimDX with Visual Studios 2012 on Windows 8. Windows SDK includes are inherited by default so they load after manually defined project include directories. To fix it add the Windows SDK as the first include directory. $(WindowsSDK_IncludePath)

(Yay, my first answer on Stackoverflow)

Found a, hopefully good, workaround to the issue: Make your own header-file, that includes Windows.h (D3D11 includes that anyways), undefines windows macros and includes D3D11.h. Include this header instead of D3D11.h. Note: Obviously this prioritizes D3D11 versions of definition, over those of Windows.h

// D3D11-NoRedefs.h
// Includes D3D11.h without redefinitions from Windows!
#pragma once

#include <Windows.h>

#pragma region Undefine Windows Macros
// Only undefine, if DXGIType.h has not been included yet
    #ifndef __dxgitype_h__
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_OCCLUDED
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_CLIPPED
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_NO_REDIRECTION
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_NO_DESKTOP_ACCESS
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_MODE_CHANGED
        #undef DXGI_STATUS_MODE_CHANGE_IN_PROGRESS
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_INVALID_CALL
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_NOT_FOUND
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_MORE_DATA
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_RESET
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_WAS_STILL_DRAWING
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_FRAME_STATISTICS_DISJOINT
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_GRAPHICS_VIDPN_SOURCE_IN_USE
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_DRIVER_INTERNAL_ERROR
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_NONEXCLUSIVE
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_NOT_CURRENTLY_AVAILABLE
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_REMOTE_CLIENT_DISCONNECTED
        #undef DXGI_ERROR_REMOTE_OUTOFMEMORY
        #undef D3D11_ERROR_TOO_MANY_UNIQUE_STATE_OBJECTS
        #undef D3D11_ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
        #undef D3D11_ERROR_TOO_MANY_UNIQUE_VIEW_OBJECTS
        #undef D3D11_ERROR_DEFERRED_CONTEXT_MAP_WITHOUT_INITIAL_DISCARD
        #undef D3D10_ERROR_TOO_MANY_UNIQUE_STATE_OBJECTS
        #undef D3D10_ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
    #endif
#pragma endregion

#include <D3D11.h>

Please let me know what you think, and do not hold back on criticism. I am new to this and know that this is quite brute force and probably risky.