The Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter allows your PC to connect to another wireless device over the wireless network. Window 10 and 11 running systems use Wi-Fi Direct for the Project to This PC feature to wirelessly mirror your other devices to your PC.

That being said, the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter can cause issues with your external Wi-Fi adapters. It can also clutter your Device Manager view. If you need to get rid of the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, here is how to remove and disable the virtual adapter in Windows 10 and 11.

What Does the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter Do?

The Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is a virtual network adapter. Windows creates and activates the adapter if you use any app that may need to use the Wi-Fi Direct feature.

Wi-Fi Direct is useful to transfer large amounts of data, connect and mirror compatible devices to your PC, and more without a need for a wireless access point.

However, if you use an external Wi-Fi adapter, the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter can cause connectivity issues. This can eventually result in you needing to fix frequent Wi-Fi disconnections on Windows. It can also conflict with third-party apps and games.

To fix any issues triggered due to Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, try to disable the Project to This PC option in Windows 10 and 11. If not, you can manually remove the virtual adapters via Device Manager, Registry Editor, and Command Prompt.

1. Disable "Project to This PC"

If the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is causing issues with your external Wi-Fi adapter, you can disable the "Project to this PC" feature in Windows 11.

While Microsoft recommends and offers an option to keep the "Project to this PC" feature as always off, check if you have changed it to "Always available." If you have, reconfiguring the "Project to this PC" feature to "Always Off" should help you fix the issue.

To disable Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter:

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
  2. In the Settings pane, open the System tab.
  3. Next, scroll down and click on Projecting to this PC.
    Windows-11-system-projecting-to-this-pc
  4. Next, click the drop-down under Some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC when you say it's OK. On older devices, you may see Windows PCs, and phones can project to this PC when you say it's OK.
    project-to-this-PC-always-off-windows-11
  5. Select Always Off (Recommended).

That's it. With the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter disabled, you should be able to use your external Wi-Fi adapter without any issues.

To remove the virtual adapter permanently, uninstall the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter using the steps below.

2. How to Remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter via the Device Manager

Now that you have turned off Project to this PC, you can remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter using the Device Manager.

To uninstall the Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter:

  1. Press the Win + X key to open the WinX menu.
  2. Click on Device Manager.
  3. In Device Manager, expand the Network adapters section.
    Device-manager-microsoft-wi-fi-direct-virtual-network-adapters
  4. Next, locate the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter.
    show-hidden-devices-device-manager-windows-11
  5. If no Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is listed, click on View, and select Show Hidden devices.
  6. Right-click on the virtual adapter entry and select Disable device.
    disable-microsoft-wi_fi-direct-virtual-adapter-device-manager
  7. Click Yes to confirm the action and disable the device.
  8. Repeat the steps for all the identical virtual adapter entries.
  9. Close Device Manager and restart your PC. After the restart, open Device Manager to verify the changes.

If you need to enable the adapter again, right-click on Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter in Device Manager and select Enable device.

3. How to Remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter Using the Command Prompt

remove-microsoft-wifi-direct-virtual-network-adapter-cmd

If you can't remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter from Device Manager, use the Command Prompt. You can use the Command Prompt to disable and stop the wireless hosted network's broadcasting and disable the Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter.

To disable the Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Driver using CMD:

  1. Press Win + R to open Run.
  2. Type cmd. Then while holding the Ctrl + Shift key, press Enter to open Command Prompt as administrator.
  3. Next, type the following command and press. This command will stop broadcasting the wireless hosted network:
            netsh wlan stop hostednetwork
        
  4. Next, type the following command and press Enter. This command will disable the Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter:
            netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow
        
  5. Once executed, type exit and close the command prompt.

If you need to enable the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter again, then execute the following commands:

  1. Run the Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command to enable virtual adapter again:
            netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=disallow
    netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

4. How to Remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter Using the Registry Editor

delete-hostednetworksettings-registry-editor-windows-11

To permanently remove the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, you will need to tweak your Windows Registry. Use this method if Windows keeps reinstalling the adapter on restarts.

Note that modifying your registry entries involves risk. Make sure to back up your Windows Registry and create a restore point. Once done, proceed with the below steps.

To permanently disable Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter via Registry Editor:

  1. Press Win + R to open Run.
  2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).
  3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location. You can copy and paste the registry path in Registry Editor's address bar for easier navigation:
            HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Wlansvc\Parameters\HostedNetworkSettings
        
  4. In the right-pane, locate and right-click on the HostedNetworkSettings value.
  5. Select Delete and then click Yes to confirm the action.
  6. Exit Registry Editor and restart your PC to apply the changes.

After the restart, open Command Prompt as administrator and execute the following command to verify Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter status:

        netsh wlan show hostednetwork
    

If successful, Under Hosted network settings, the Mode will show as Not configured.

Removing the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter in Windows

Removing Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter is straightforward via Device Manager. However, if Windows reinstalls the adapter after the restart, use the registry hack to remove the virtual adapters permanently.

That said, you could also disable the Project to this PC feature in Windows 11 and 10 to fix issues without removing the virtual adapter completely.