XDDM overview

The Windows 2000 Display Driver Model (XDDM) is the legacy display/graphics driver architecture that was used for Windows 2000 through Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Note

The XDDM design guide is preserved for historical purposes only. Current driver developers should use the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM).

Display adapter drivers that run on Windows Vista can adhere to the WDDM or XDDM.

XDDM and VGA drivers will not compile or run on Windows 8 and later versions. If display hardware is attached to a Windows 8 computer without a driver that is certified to support WDDM 1.2 or later, the system defaults to running the Microsoft Basic Display Driver.

The following sections describe XDDM:

• Introduction to Display (Windows 2000 Model)

• Display Drivers (Windows 2000 Model)

• DirectDraw

• Direct3D DDI

• DirectX Video Acceleration

• Video Miniport Drivers in the Windows 2000 Display Driver Model

• Implementation Tips and Requirements for the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM)

• GDI