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DS4Windows and HIDGuardian Install and Setup Guide

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mika-n edited this page Mar 26, 2019 · 31 revisions

How To Install DS4Windows And HIDGuardian

The scope of this document covers installation and setup of the core packages and scripts. It does not cover configuration of DS4Windows (profiles, mappings, and options).

This installation uses the following software packages:

  • DS4Windows
  • HIDGuardian
  • Windows Driver Kit (optional)
  • HIDGuardian Helper Files (optional)

Installing DS4Windows

  1. Download the latest DS4Windows package. The latest can be found here:
    https://github.com/Ryochan7/DS4Windows/releases

    Minimum required version for HIDGuardian support: v1.4.111
    Recommended version: latest

  2. Open the DS4Windows package.

  3. Open a File Explorer window (press WIN + E) and navigate to one of the following folders:
    For x86 32bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)
    For x64 64bit Windows: C:\Program Files

    Simply copy and paste one of the above locations to the address bar in File Explorer.

  4. Copy the DS4Windows folder from the window created from step 2 to the window created in step 3.

  5. If you're planning on using HIDGuardian to guarantee exclusive access to the game controller, proceed with the next steps. Otherwise, proceed to the steps under Setting up DS4Windows.

Windows 7 and ViGem gamepad compatibility

ViGem virtual gamepad driver is a signed driver and it is supported both in Windows 7 and Windows 10 platforms. However, Windows 7 needs few Microsoft hotfixes to support the driver signature. Please see the following "Necessary preparations for Windows 7" steps". ViGem gamepad driver and Win7 signature hotfix and Microsoft Security Advisory 3033929

HidGuardian Test Installer

TLDR version. The HidGuardian filter driver is the most sure way of getting DS4Windows exclusive access to the DS4 controller. A test installer for HidGuardian version 1 has been made to help make installing and getting a base configuration easier to set up. You can download the installer program at the following URL.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hs6AgM6yLeyr3htP9kY0T4N2vklRI2s9

Manual instructions for installing and configuring HidGuardian can be found later in the section Installing HIDGuardian and later. If you wish to configure HidGuardian manually, read on.

Setting up DS4Windows

  1. Open DS4Windows.

  2. Under the Settings tab, click 'Controller/Driver Setup'.

  3. Follow the instructions in the newly-opened window, performing step 1 (required), and step 2 (if running Windows 7 or below), and then perform the bluetooth pairing if using wireless controllers.

Installing HIDGuardian

  1. Download the HIDGuardian package:
    For x86 32bit Windows: https://downloads.vigem.org/projects/HidGuardian/stable/1.14.3.0/windows/x86/x86.zip
    For x64 64bit Windows: https://downloads.vigem.org/projects/HidGuardian/stable/1.14.3.0/windows/x64/HidGuardian.zip

  2. Open the HIDGuardian package, and navigate to either the x86 or x64 folder.

  3. Open another File Explorer window (press WIN + E) and navigate to one of the following folders:
    For x86 32bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)
    For x64 64bit Windows: C:\Program Files

  4. Create a new folder called HIDGuardian, and copy the contents of the x86 or x64 folders in the HIDGuardian package into this folder.

Installing the Windows Driver Kit

The Windows Driver Kit includes the devcon.exe command-line utility.
Due to copyright, this program cannot be redistributed.

  1. Download the Windows Driver Kit from the Microsoft website.
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/download-the-wdk

    On the Microsoft WDK site, skip over step 1, download the WDK in step 2.

  2. Install the Windows Driver Kit.

Installing and using the HIDGuardian Helper Files

  1. Download the following file:
    HIDGuardian Helper Files.zip

  2. Open a File Explorer window (Press WIN + E) and navigate to the HIDGuardian installation folder.
    For x86 32bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\HIDGuardian
    For x64 64bit Windows: C:\Program Files\HIDGuardian

  3. Open the HIDGUardian Helper Files package, and copy the contents into the HIDGUardian installation folder.

  4. In the HIDGuardian installation folder, right-click on 'Install HIDGuardian' and select 'Run as administrator'. This will install the HIDGuardian filter driver.

  5. If you ever need to uninstall the HIDGuardian filter driver, I've included an uninstaller batch file, which also needs 'Run as administrator'.

Update Windows Registry with list of Affected Devices

  1. You can update the Windows registry with the list of devices to guard manually, automatically using the supplied .reg file, or via DS4Windows. Pick one of the next 3 steps(1a, 1b or 1c).

    1a. Manual method - Use notepad to edit the file 'HID Guardian AffectedDevices.reg' to retrieve the necessary info. If you need help using regedit, you probably shouldn't be using regedit ;)

    1b. Registry file import - double-click the registry file 'HID Guardian AffectedDevices.reg' and merge it into your Windows registry.

    1c. If DS4Windows is running, terminate it. Run DS4Windows as administrator by opening the folder where DS4Windows is saved, right-click on DS4Windows and select 'Run as administrator'. Then under the Settings tab, select 'Write HID Guardian Device List'. DS4Windows must be running as administrator in order to write to the Windows registry.

Major Windows Updates - HIDGuardian Stops Working

Performing a major Windows update clears the HIDGuardian filter driver. To fix, re-run the 'Install HIDGuardian' batchfile from step 4 of the 'Installing and using the HIDGuardian Helper Files' section. This includes updating from Windows 2017 Fall Creator's Update to Windows 2018 Spring Creator's Update (and any future updates), or if you subscribe to the Windows Insider Preview and receive preview updates.

Quick-Start Guide Author: Tristan Young
Last updated: April 15 2018

The author of this help file can be reached through his discord server. https://discord.gg/YuWuK

Please keep all Dualshock 4, DS4Windows and HIDGuardian related discussions to the appropriate dualshock-4 group. This is not a bug tracker for the above packages. Thank you.

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