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While the VDC application and PowerShell scripts provide convenient interfaces, you can also manage the Virtual Display Driver manually using built-in Windows tools. This approach gives you direct control and is useful for troubleshooting or when other methods aren’t available.

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Device Manager

Device Manager is the primary Windows tool for manual driver management.

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Opening Device Manager

1

Press Win + X

Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard.
2

Select Device Manager

Click Device Manager from the menu that appears.
Alternatively:
  • Press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter
  • Search for “Device Manager” in the Start menu
  • Right-click This PC > Manage > Device Manager

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Locating the Virtual Display Driver

1

Expand Display Adapters

In Device Manager, expand the Display adapters section.
2

Find the driver

Look for one of these entries:
  • Virtual Display Driver
  • IddSampleDriver Device HDR
The exact name depends on your driver version. Newer versions typically show “Virtual Display Driver”.

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Enabling the Driver

If the driver is disabled (shown with a down arrow icon):
1

Right-click the device

Right-click Virtual Display Driver in Device Manager.
2

Select Enable device

Click Enable device from the context menu.
3

Confirm the action

Click Yes in the confirmation dialog if prompted.
4

Verify the change

The virtual display should now be active. Check your display settings to confirm.

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Disabling the Driver

To temporarily disable the virtual display without uninstalling:
1

Right-click the device

Right-click Virtual Display Driver in Device Manager.
2

Select Disable device

Click Disable device from the context menu.
3

Confirm the action

Click Yes when warned that disabling the device will stop it from functioning.
Disabling the driver keeps it installed but inactive. Virtual displays will disappear from your display settings until you re-enable the driver.

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Updating the Driver

To manually update to a newer driver version:
1

Download the new driver

Download the latest driver package from the GitHub Releases page.
2

Extract the driver files

Unzip the downloaded driver package to a temporary folder.
3

Open Update Driver wizard

In Device Manager, right-click Virtual Display Driver > Update driver.
4

Browse for driver software

Select Browse my computer for driver software.
5

Select the driver folder

Click Browse, navigate to the folder where you extracted the driver, and click OK.
6

Install the driver

Click Next and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
Windows may indicate “The best drivers for your device are already installed.” In this case, try uninstalling the old driver first, then installing the new version manually.

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Uninstalling the Driver

To completely remove the Virtual Display Driver:
1

Right-click the device

In Device Manager, right-click Virtual Display Driver.
2

Select Uninstall device

Click Uninstall device from the context menu.
3

Check delete driver software

In the confirmation dialog, check the box Delete the driver software for this device to completely remove all driver files.
4

Confirm uninstallation

Click Uninstall to proceed.
5

Restart if prompted

If Windows prompts you to restart, save your work and restart your computer.
If you’re preparing to install major GPU driver updates, uninstall VDD first to avoid potential display conflicts.

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Safe Mode Recovery

If the driver causes display issues (black screen, no signal, etc.), you can remove it in Safe Mode:
1

Boot into Safe Mode

Restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode:
  • Press Win + R, type msconfig, press Enter
  • Go to the Boot tab
  • Check Safe boot > Minimal
  • Click OK and restart
2

Open Device Manager

Once in Safe Mode, open Device Manager as described above.
3

Uninstall the driver

Follow the uninstallation steps to remove the Virtual Display Driver.
4

Exit Safe Mode

Open msconfig again, uncheck Safe boot, and restart normally.
See Safe Mode Recovery for detailed recovery procedures.

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Viewing Driver Properties

To view detailed driver information:
1

Open Properties

Right-click Virtual Display Driver > Properties.
2

Check the General tab

The General tab shows:
  • Device status (working properly, disabled, error)
  • Device type
  • Manufacturer information
3

Check the Driver tab

The Driver tab shows:
  • Driver provider
  • Driver date
  • Driver version
  • Digital signer (should be “SignPath Foundation”)
4

Check the Details tab

The Details tab provides:
  • Hardware IDs (Root\MttVDD)
  • Device instance path
  • Driver key path

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Manual Installation via INF File

For advanced users, you can install the driver directly from its INF file:
1

Download and extract driver

Download and extract the driver package from GitHub releases.
2

Locate the INF file

Find the MttVDD.inf file in the extracted folder.
3

Right-click the INF file

Right-click MttVDD.inf and select Install.
4

Confirm installation

Windows will install the driver. You may see security prompts - click Install to continue.
5

Verify installation

Open Device Manager and verify the driver appears under Display adapters.
This method requires the driver to be properly signed. Unsigned drivers may require test signing mode or special configuration.

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Using DevCon (Advanced)

DevCon is Microsoft’s command-line alternative to Device Manager. The virtual-driver-manager.ps1 script uses DevCon internally.

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Installing with DevCon

devcon.exe install C:\path\to\MttVDD.inf Root\MttVDD

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Removing with DevCon

devcon.exe remove Root\MttVDD

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Enabling with DevCon

devcon.exe enable Root\MttVDD

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Disabling with DevCon

devcon.exe disable Root\MttVDD
DevCon must match your Windows build version. The virtual-driver-manager.ps1 script automatically downloads the correct version.

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Configuration Files

Manual driver management doesn’t prevent you from editing configuration files directly:

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vdd_settings.xml

Location: C:\VirtualDisplayDriver\vdd_settings.xml This XML file controls:
  • Available resolutions
  • Refresh rates
  • HDR settings
  • EDID profiles
  • GPU selection
Edit this file with any text editor (requires administrator privileges). Changes take effect after restarting the driver or rebooting. See vdd_settings.xml Reference for the complete schema.

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Applying Configuration Changes

After editing vdd_settings.xml:
1

Save the file

Save your changes to vdd_settings.xml.
2

Restart the driver

In Device Manager:
  1. Right-click Virtual Display Driver > Disable device
  2. Wait a moment
  3. Right-click Virtual Display Driver > Enable device
3

Verify changes

Open Windows display settings and confirm your changes took effect.
Alternatively, reboot your system for changes to apply.

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Troubleshooting

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Driver Shows Yellow Warning Icon

A yellow exclamation mark indicates a driver problem:
  1. Right-click the device > Properties
  2. Check the General tab for the error code and description
  3. Common error codes:
    • Code 10: Device cannot start - try reinstalling
    • Code 31: Driver not found - reinstall the driver
    • Code 43: Device failed - check for conflicts or hardware issues

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Device Not Appearing

If the driver is installed but doesn’t appear in Device Manager:
  1. Click View > Show hidden devices
  2. Look for the device under Display adapters or Non-Plug and Play Drivers
  3. If still not visible, the driver may not be installed correctly

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Cannot Disable or Enable

If Device Manager operations fail:
  • Ensure you’re running as Administrator
  • Close applications using the virtual display
  • Try using PowerShell scripts instead
  • Reboot and try again

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Stuck in “Installing” State

If Device Manager shows the driver perpetually installing:
  1. Reboot your computer
  2. If the issue persists, uninstall the driver completely
  3. Delete the C:\VirtualDisplayDriver folder
  4. Reinstall using the VDC application or PowerShell script

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Best Practices

Before GPU updates

Always uninstall VDD before major GPU driver updates to avoid conflicts.

Keep backups

Save a copy of your working vdd_settings.xml before making manual edits.

Use Safe Mode

If display issues occur, boot into Safe Mode to safely remove the driver.

Check driver signing

Verify the driver is signed by “SignPath Foundation” in the driver properties.

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Next Steps

VDC Application

Use the GUI application for easier management

PowerShell Scripts

Automate driver management with scripts

Settings Overview

Learn about XML configuration options

Safe Mode Recovery

Recover from display issues

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