Context menus disappear or fail to populate in Windows 11 VDI sessions due to WDDM 1.1 fallback

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

• Users are unable to open multiple application windows and have each one populate its internal menus or content correctly.
• Intermittently, the right-click (context) drop-down menu disappears or fails to render when triggered.
• Running dxdiag within the Guest OS, the Driver Model shows as WDDM 1.1 instead of the expected WDDM 1.2.

   

Environment

VMware vSphere 8.0.x

Cause

The Guest OS defaults to WDDM 1.1, which lacks the necessary DirectX capabilities to support the modern Windows 11 Desktop Window Manager (DWM). This occurs because VM-level settings or cluster-level EVC configurations "clamp" (restrict) the host's hardware capabilities below the threshold required for WDDM 1.2.

Windows 11 requires WDDM 1.2+ for stable UI rendering; when the environment is not explicitly configured to support Direct3D (D3D) 11.0, the VMware SVGA driver fails to advertise the required caps to the guest. This fallback to WDDM 1.1 results in rendering failures in the modern shell, as confirmed by the consistent resolution of the issue once the driver model is elevated to WDDM 1.2.

Resolution

Both the Cluster and VM EVC Graphics baseline and the individual VM Video Card settings must be elevated. This prevents the "clamping" of hardware capabilities and ensures the VMware SVGA driver natively supports WDDM 1.2, providing the stable rendering engine required by the Windows 11 shell.

1. Configure Cluster EVC Graphics:

1. Log in to the vSphere Client and select the Cluster.
2. Navigate to Configure > VMware EVC.
3. Click Edit and locate the Graphics EVC settings.
4. Select a baseline that supports Direct3D (D3D) 11.0.
5. Recommendation: Use D3D 11.0 / OpenGL 4.1. While OpenGL 4.3 is also compatible, the 4.1 baseline offers superior migration compatibility across varied hardware while still providing the necessary DirectX 11.0 trigger to enable WDDM 1.2.

2. Configure VM EVC and vSVGA Settings:

1. Shut down the affected Virtual Machine.
2. Click the VM and select configuration.
3. Then select VMware EVC and edit the settings.
4. Select the appropriate CPU mode, then select the vSGA baseline that supports Direct3D (D3D) 11.0.
5. Hit OK to save the VMware EVC settings.

3. Right-click the VM and select Edit Settings.

1. Expand the Video Card section under the Virtual Hardware Tab.
2. Ensure the Graphics Type is set to vSVGA (Virtual Shared Graphics Accelerator).
3. Set Total Video Memory to a minimum of 128MB (256MB recommended for high-resolution setups).
4. Enable 3D Graphics to allow hardware acceleration.
5. Compatibility: Ensure the VM Hardware Version is 19 or higher to support modern WDDM features fully.

3. Verify Driver Model:

1. Power on the Virtual Machine.
2. Log in to the Windows 11 session.
3. Run dxdiag and navigate to the Display tab.
4. Confirm Driver Model: WDDM 1.2 is displayed. This state confirms the VM is utilizing the modern rendering path.

Additional Information

• Migration Note: Setting EVC Graphics to D3D 11.0 will restrict VM migration to hosts that meet these hardware requirements. These VMs will no longer be compatible with "Software Renderer" (SWR) hosts that do not support DirectX 11 hardware acceleration.
• VM EVC settings allow you to maintain higher compatibility for specific workloads even if the cluster baseline is lower, provided the underlying host hardware supports the requested features.