What is the extra hidden driver for?

My HP 15 laptop has Windows 11 23H2 Pro and I am plugging my PS4 controller to the laptop by using a USB wire. I only used the PS4 controller on that laptop and I haven't used another controller. I installed DS4Windows 3.3.3, ViGEm Bus Driver and HidHide on my laptop on September 11.

Currently I have 3 HID-complaint game controller drivers and they look like when the controller is plugged in and DS4Windows is running. The hardware ID of each driver in order is:
1) - The vid is 054c and the pid is 09cc. USB ID Database says that it's a PS4 controller
2) - The vid is 045e and the pid is 045e. USB ID Database says that this is an Xbox 360 controller and this should be for the virtual controller which was created
3) It's a duplicate of the 2nd driver

Thus I have 2 HID-complaint game controller drivers that have vid is 045e and the pid is 045e and one is active and one is always hidden when the controller in and DS4Windows is running. My problem is with the extra driver which is always hidden.

is for the active driver which has vid 045e and pid 045e and it shows that the driver was started on September 11 and the information is:
Device HID\VID_045E&PID_028E&IG_00\3&8968588&0&0000 was configured.
Driver Name: input.inf
Class Guid: {745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da}
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 10.0.22621.3527
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: HID_Raw_Inst.NT
Driver Rank: 0xFF1002
Matching Device Id: HID_DEVICE_SYSTEM_GAME
Outranked Drivers: input.inf:HID_DEVICE:00FF1004
Device Updated: false
Parent Device: USB\VID_045E&PID_028E&IG_00\2&dee0f28&0&00

is for the extra driver which has vid 045e and pid 045e which is always hidden and it shows that the driver was started on September 29 and the information is:
Device HID\VID_045E&PID_028E&IG_01\3&966d8b0&0&0000 was configured.
Driver Name: input.inf
Class Guid: {745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da}
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 10.0.22621.3527
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: HID_Raw_Inst.NT
Driver Rank: 0xFF1002
Matching Device Id: HID_DEVICE_SYSTEM_GAME
Outranked Drivers: input.inf:HID_DEVICE:00FF1004
Device Updated: false
Parent Device: USB\VID_045E&PID_028E&IG_01\2&dee0f28&0&01

The extra driver which is always hidden was started 18 days after the active one was started. Why did that happen?

If I disconnect the controller, uninstall the extra driver which is always hidden and then reconnect the controller then that driver won't come back and it will stay uninstalled for some time and then it will come back on its own after a random amount of time. That has happened on another 2 of my laptop which have Windows 10. Why is that happening? If that driver was really needed then it should come back immediately when I reconnect the controller and not after a random amount of time.

Those hidden drivers are for devices you had and will connect later on they don't cause trouble so let them be.

FreeBooter said:

Those hidden drivers are for devices you had and will connect later on they don't cause trouble so let them be.

Click to expand...

I already said that I didn't connect another controller to the laptop and I only am using the PS4 controller.

Like i said they cause no trouble but if you want you can uninstall them.

FreeBooter said:

Like i said they cause no trouble but if you want you can uninstall them.

Click to expand...

The extra hidden driver is a duplicate driver of the virtual Xbox 360 controller driver and if I uninstall it then it keeps on coming back after a random amount of time.

cns00 said:

Thus I have 2 HID-complaint game controller drivers

Click to expand...

I lost count of how many entries I have for Bluetooth, Mice and an array of other things which probably take up less that 2KB each if anything at all.

Is there something not behaving correctly?
Is something broken?
Are you getting error messages?

cns00 said:

The extra hidden driver is a duplicate driver of the virtual Xbox 360 controller driver and if I uninstall it then it keeps on coming back after a random amount of time.

Click to expand...

If you have all those MS Xbox apps on your computer... that's probably why that driver keeps on reinstalling.


I used REVO Uninstaller (free) to remove almost all of the Windows Apps, from my computer.
Computer runs a lot better... now.

That`s normal.

Each of my wireless mice have 3-4 like that installed, kb has 4 arrays, ps4 controller has several too.
My Razer doesn`t even try to hide

To manage my drivers, I like to use Driver Store Explorer:




I select the option "Select Old Driver(s)" and then click "Delete Driver(s)". It deletes only old versions of drivers this way. Maybe that is worth a shot to see if it clears anything. I've not tried for the symptom you noted, but it may be worth a shot.

NOTE: I have never had a problem with this, but when suggesting this program to others I like to suggest that you have a good backup, or at the very least, export your drivers first "just in case".

>>IF<< i remember correctly those drivers are PORT specific so if you plug it into another (previously unused) port it will create a new driver

think thier under device instance path details