As requested, this release updates the Windows family of crates. Notably:

• The windows-sys crate won't be updated at this time.
• The windows-version crate is unchanged.
• There is a minor (compatible) update to the windows-targets crates.
• This is the first release of the windows-result (#2847) crate and provides efficient Windows error handling and propagation with support for Win32, COM, WinRT, and NT APIs.
• This is the first release of the windows-registry (#2848) crate and provides simple, safe, and efficient access to the Windows registry.
• VARIANT and PROPVARIANT support has been added to the windows-core crate (#2786), making it a lot easier to work with Shell and OLE APIs.
• Windows metadata has been updated providing additional APIs and fixes.
• A new feature search tool is now available to quickly determine which features to enable for a given API. 
• A number of new tutorials have been added.
• A number of new samples have been added.
• Many additional fixes and improvements listed below.

What's Changed

• Update repo readme to list main crates by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2704
• Minor tooling improvements by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2705
• Simplify code gen for functions that don't return a value by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2706
• Adds ability to override GetTrustLevel return value by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2714
• Remove invalid_mut when writer.std by @ChrisDenton in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2727
• Update metadata by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2724
• Update MSRV for windows crate to 1.62 by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2730
• Calculate type signatures at compile time by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2729
• Add doc comment for windows::core::Error::from_win32() by @Enyium in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2733
• Generate defaulted foundation feature dependencies by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2735
• Enable workspace lints by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2741
• Enable workspace lint unused_qualifications by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2743
• Simpler associated item code gen by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2744
• Update API contracts by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2745
• Clarify HSTRING::len documentation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2749
• Derive Copy, Clone, Default for enums by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2760
• Make the matches function safe by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2761
• Check MSRV and prefer Option for propagation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2766
• Relax the build target checks in windows-targets sub-crates by @seritools in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2774
• Simplified parameter bindings and type projection by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2775
• Fix tests which rely on English UI language by @kaivol in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2776
• Truncate standalone test files instead of removing by @ChrisDenton in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2778
• Implement From<T> and From<&T> for interface hierarchies by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2779
• Use signed byte for C's char type by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2781
• Standalone code generation should collect pointer types by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2785
• Add VARIANT and PROPVARIANT support by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2786
• Add VT_UNKNOWN support for VARIANT and PROPVARIANT by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2788
• Add Windows shell sample illustrating VARIANT support by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2789
• Adjust Win32 return value code transformation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2790
• Harden generic type parameter binding by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2791
• Expand WMI sample for ExecQuery and ExecMethod by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2794
• Limit AssociatedEnum attribute to input parameters by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2797
• Enable workspace lint missing_docs by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2799
• Add task dialog samples by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2802
• Include Windows.Win32.UI.Shell.Common in the windows-sys crate by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2804
• Omit parameter names from internal vtable definitions by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2808
• Fix for test reliability by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2809
• Consistent const functions across string types by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2810
• Update Win32 metadata by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2812
• Add "hello world" component sample by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2814
• Add JSON validator sample by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2815
• Remove old Windows 7 support code by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2817
• Leaner interface representation for windows-sys crate by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2818
• Optimize error propagation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2819
• Update dependabot to check github actions by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2826
• Update yml actions by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2825
• Add JSON validator sample for WinRT by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2824
• Remove doc comments by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2830
• Add delay load samples by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2839
• Address new nightly unsafe precondition check panics by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2841
• Improve natvis compatibility by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2838
• Add error translation support for std::io::Error by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2840
• Improve HRESULT ergonomics by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2843
• Metadata generation of attributes and constants by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2844
• Add "vtbl" option for low-level interface vtable generation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2845
• Add windows-result crate by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2847
• Add windows-registry crate by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2848
• Update repo readme with new crates by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2852
• Map TryFromIntError to ERROR_INVALID_DATA in windows-result by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2851
• Update Win32 metadata by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2850
• Natvis cleanup following the windows-result crate split by @tim-weis in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2853
• Fix for new redundant import warnings in nightly Rust by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2858
• Improve HRESULT constant literal generation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2857
• Generate features index for windows and sys crates by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2859
• Improve NTSTATUS constant literal generation by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2860
• Add NTSTATUS message formatting support to the windows-result crate by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2861
• Simpler package layout for natvis files by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2862
• String trait refactoring by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2863
• Add feature search links by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2865
• Add HashRouter to web app for deep links by @riverar in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2867
• Release 0.53.0 by @kennykerr in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2854

New Contributors

• @Enyium made their first contribution in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2733
• @seritools made their first contribution in https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/pull/2774

Full Changelog: https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/compare/0.52.0...0.53.0