Welcome to the Virtual Audio Driver by MikeTheTech! This Windows Driver Kit (WDK)–based driver creates a virtual speaker output device, suitable for remote desktop sessions, headless configurations, and streaming setups. The driver supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, including advanced audio features like Windows Sonic (Spatial Sound), Exclusive Mode, Application Priority, and volume control.

1. Overview
2. Key Features
3. Compatibility
4. Installation
5. Usage
6. Configuration
7. Building from Source
8. Future Plans

A virtual audio driver lets you configure a “virtual” or "fake" speaker device on your system. This can be essential when:

• Running a machine headless, but needing audio output for apps.
• Streaming or capturing audio on a remote desktop session.
• Testing or debugging applications that rely on audio output.
• Leveraging Spatial Sound and other audio enhancements in software.

By installing this driver, any audio that targets this virtual speaker can be processed or forwarded elsewhere as needed, without any physical hardware present.

• OS: Windows 10 (Build 1903 and above) and Windows 11
• Architecture: x64 (tested); ARM64 support under consideration
• Framework: Windows Driver Kit (WDK)

1. Enable Test Signing (Optional)
   If you have a test-signed driver, you may need to enable test signing mode:

   bcdedit /set testsigning on

   Note: A production-signed driver can skip this step.

2. Install the INF

   • Right-click on the .inf file and choose “Install.”
   • OR open an elevated command prompt and run:

     pnputil /add-driver .\VirtualAudioDriver.inf /install

3. Reboot (if prompted)
   Windows may require a reboot to finalize driver initialization.

4. Verify Installation

   • Open Device Manager and check under Sound, video and game controllers for “Virtual Audio Driver.”

Once installed:

1. Select as Default Device

   • Open Sound Settings → Output → Choose “Virtual Audio Driver” as your default output device.
   • In the Volume Mixer, you can also route individual apps to the virtual device.

2. Remote Desktop or Streaming

   • When initiating a remote desktop session, the virtual audio device can appear as a valid playback device.
   • Streaming or capture applications can detect the virtual speaker for capturing system audio.

3. Spatial Sound

   • In Sound Settings, right-click the device, select Properties → Spatial Sound tab, and enable Windows Sonic for Headphones or other supported formats.

• Exclusive Mode:
  By default, shared mode is enabled. For real-time, low-latency usage, open device properties, go to Advanced tab, and uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control.”

• Application Priority:
  Supported through Windows APIs. To give priority to a particular application, configure it in your audio software or Windows advanced sound options.

• Volume Level Management:
  You can adjust global volume in the main Sound Settings or per-application volume in the Volume Mixer.

1. Prerequisites

   • Windows Driver Kit (WDK) installed
   • Visual Studio (2019 or later)
   • Optional: Windows SDK matching your target OS

2. Clone the Repo

   git clone https://github.com/VirtualDisplay/Virtual-Audio-Driver.git
   cd VirtualAudioDriver

3. Open the Driver Solution

   • Launch Visual Studio.
   • Open the .sln file within the repository.

4. Build

   • Select Release or Debug configuration.
   • Right-click the project in Solution Explorer and choose Build.

5. Sign the Driver (Optional/Recommended)

   • Use your own code signing certificate or a test certificate for development.
   • Ensure your system is in test mode if using a test certificate.

• ARM64 compatibility
• Advanced Diagnostics: Logging and debugging tools
• New Modes: Allowing different audio qualities and formats.
• New Features: Added features such as AVL.

This project is maintained and actively improved. We welcome contributions, suggestions, and issue reports!

Thank you for using the Virtual Audio Driver! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests if you encounter any problems or have ideas to share. Happy audio routing!