How to Enable or Disable Create Virtual Displays for Classic Apps in Mixed Reality in Windows 10
Windows Mixed Reality blends real-world and virtual content into hybrid environments where physical and digital objects coexist and interact.
Windows Mixed Reality includes native support for classic desktops apps (Desktop (Win32) applications) starting with Windows 10 build 18329. To do so, Windows 10 uses virtual displays to show these apps in the mixed reality home.
These virtual displays may impact your display layout, especially if you have multiple physical displays.
Disabling virtual display creation at mixed reality startup may result in your headset display briefly freezing when you launch a classic app in mixed reality.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable create virtual displays for classic apps when Mixed Reality starts for your account in Windows 10.
This Classic apps setting is currently only available to Windows Insider builds.
Windows Mixed Reality is deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. This deprecation includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta.
Contents
- Option One: Enable or Disable Create Virtual Displays for Classic Apps in Mixed Reality in Settings
- Option Two: Enable or Disable Create Virtual Displays for Classic Apps in Mixed Reality using REG file
EXAMPLE: Classic Apps in mixed reality home
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Mixed reality icon.
2 Click/tap on Startup and desktop on the left side. (see screenshot below)
3 Check (enable - default) or uncheck (disable) Create virtual displays for classic apps when mixed reality starts for what you want under Desktop view on the right side.
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Holographic
PreallocateVirtualMonitors DWORD
0 = Disable
1 = Enable
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Enable_create_virtual_displays_for_classic_apps_in_mixed_reality.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Disable_create_virtual_displays_for_classic_apps_in_mixed_reality.reg
Download
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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