WinRT library not working in Release mode - c++

Question

I've have been trying to build a desktop application using WinRT libraries in Visual Studio 2012.
The code snippet goes as follows.
[STAThread]
int wmain (Platform :: Array <String ^> ^ args)
{
wcout << L"Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." << endl;
wcout << L"FindPackages sample" << endl << endl;
try
{
auto packageManager = ref new Windows::Management::Deployment::PackageManager();
auto packages = packageManager->FindPackages();
int packageCount = 0;
std::for_each(Windows::Foundation::Collections::begin(packages), Windows::Foundation::Collections::end(packages),
[&packageManager, &packageCount](Windows::ApplicationModel::Package^ package)
{
DisplayPackageInfo(package);
DisplayPackageUsers(packageManager, package);
wcout << endl;
packageCount += 1;
});
}
catch (AccessDeniedException^)
{
wcout << L"FindPackagesSample failed because access was denied. This program must be run from an elevated command prompt." << endl;
return 1;
}
catch (Exception^ ex)
{
wcout << L"FindPackagesSample failed, error message: " << ex->ToString()->Data() << endl;
return 1;
}
getchar();
return 0;
}
This is used to list the metro apps details. And this code works fine in DEBUG mode. But when I change it to release mode, I am getting an error:
error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _NtProcessStartup
NOTE:
I've changed certain settings such as
Configuration properties -> C/C++-> COnsume Windows Runtime Exception to Yes(/ZW)Configuration properties -> C/C++-> Code Generation-> Enable Minimal Rebuild to NO(/gm-)Configuration properties -> C/C++-> Code Generation-> Runtime LIbrary to Multi-threaded DLL(/MD)
Its been told that these settings are mandatory for WinRT library inclusion.
So basically, I have to run my code in Multi_Threaded (/MT) format for Release mode. But /MT or /Mtd is not compatible with (/ZW) method which is necessary for WinRT libraries.
Please guide me on my mistakes.

Answer 1

The fact that you get a message about a missing NtProcessStartup symbol implies that the linker switch /SUBSYSTEM:NATIVE was used. Because this in the only option that requires a NtProcessStartup function instead of wmain/main. So your release mode options have somehow marked your application as a NATIVE (usually device driver) application. (Or you specifically added a /ENTRY:NtProcessStartup but that seems very unlikely to me).