Installing Spacedesk driver in portable mode, in Windows 11

#1 · 30/04/2025, 23:55

Hello, I would like to know if / how is it possible to install Spacedesk driver in portable mode: can it be registered to run, by using HKCU registry keys?

I would like to use occasionally Spacedesk as a cheap way to have dual monitor at home by using my personal laptop screen as a viewer for my work laptop. Poor man’s solution to work overtime. 🙂 I do not have Administrator access to my work laptop … (shitty man’s policy at work 😒).

#2 · 01/05/2025, 11:13

Hello,
Hi! You’re definitely not alone in wanting a second screen without jumping through admin hoops. Unfortunately, Spacedesk’s driver cannot be installed or run in “portable mode” using only HKCU (HKEY_CURRENT_USER) registry keys. Here’s why. NY State Department of Transportation
Spacedesk installs a virtual display driver (like a GPU driver) on the machine that acts as the second screen. This driver must be registered with the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), which requires Administrator privileges.Since you can’t install Spacedesk or similar display driver-based tools on your work laptop, here are some alternatives:VNC-based solutions like TightVNC or UltraVNC might work if you run a server on your home/personal laptop (which you can control) and view the desktop via a viewer on your work machine.

#3 · 02/05/2025, 05:13

Hi @gautxori,

Unfortunately, this is not possible.

#4 · 02/05/2025, 21:00

Quote from daizy127 on 01/05/2025, 11:13

Hello,
Hi! You’re definitely not alone in wanting a second screen without jumping through admin hoops. Unfortunately, Spacedesk’s driver cannot be installed or run in “portable mode” using only HKCU (HKEY_CURRENT_USER) registry keys. Here’s why. NY State Department of Transportation
Spacedesk installs a virtual display driver (like a GPU driver) on the machine that acts as the second screen. This driver must be registered with the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), which requires Administrator privileges.

Thank you daizy, I already thought so about Spacedesk.

Since you can’t install Spacedesk or similar display driver-based tools on your work laptop, here are some alternatives:VNC-based solutions like TightVNC or UltraVNC might work if you run a server on your home/personal laptop (which you can control) and view the desktop via a viewer on your work machine.

VNC solutions do not share the screen, do they? Anyway, it would be easier to find a second hand screen and connect it to the laptop.

Quote from spacedesk Renz on 02/05/2025, 05:13

Hi @gautxori,

Unfortunately, this is not possible.

Thanks to you both.