The list of errors that we can find in Windows is simply overwhelming. It is true that not everyone is the same. Some are small mismatches that can be easily fixed, while others are warnings of larger problems that require immediate, decisive action. In today's article we are going to focus on the WDADesktopService error, analyzing its causes and the solutions that exist to remedy it.
Although this error with such a long name can be a little scary, it has a solution. In fact, almost always the message box displayed on the screen contains the clues we need to find a way to solve it.
On the other hand, other times the text of Windows errors is made up of a row of practically indecipherable alphanumeric characters. Users, who are humans and not robots, need something more than that to know what is happening.
What causes the WDADesktopService error?
This situation can occur in the most unexpected way. For example, when we are going to execute any action, no matter how simple, in Windows 10 or Windows 11. So, The computer seems to have hung, thinking, and after a few seconds, this annoying error appears. A persistent and often exasperating error. We find that we cannot use our equipment, which, logically, causes all the alarms to go off.
Before continuing, one point must be made clear: This is not a critical error.. There is no irreparable failure in our system, nor has any type of malware sneaked into our computer. So, at least in this sense, we can rest assured.
In the case of this error, the text of the message itself tells us where its origin can be found. Specifically, you have to look at the letters WDA, whose meaning is Wireless Display Adapter. That's where you have to start looking, in the Wireless display adapter.
What is display adapter
In Windows 10 and 11, the so-called Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. This software provides a variety of display and graphics capabilities that your computer uses when no software from the hardware manufacturer is installed.*
Sometimes, to improve the user experience of our device, it is necessary install a driver. Or use external software, as we explain later. Although these can be obtained through Windows Update or they may even be part of the Windows configuration, many times they are not there.
These drivers are responsible for improving performance, making video playback more fluid, achieving higher screen resolution, enabling outputs for multiple monitors, and providing a series of additional graphic features.
(*) To know if our computer is using the basic Microsoft display adapter, you must follow these steps: first select the "Start" button; In the search box, type and then select dxdiag.exe in the results list. Finally, you have to go to the “Display on Device” tab and check the Name value.
What is WDA Desktop Service?
WDA Desktop Service is Microsoft's wireless connection service based on Miracast. This is what makes it possible to connect our equipment to a television, a projector or another monitor using a WiFi connection.
There is a solution for this, as long as we use one of the two latest versions of the Microsoft operating system, that is, Windows 10 or Windows 11. The truth is that in the vast majority of cases, the error has its origin in software installed on our computer, which is why we know perfectly well what solution or solutions should be applied. We explain everything below:
Fix WDADesktopService error
Before trying any of the solutions and tricks that we explain below, it is worth trying the old trick (not sophisticated, but effective in many cases) of Restart your computer. If this doesn't work, we will move to the canonical solution to resolve this issue.
You may have software installed on your computer called Microsoft WirelessDisplay (Microsoft Wireless Display), which is available on the Microsoft store. When this is not correctly configured or correctly updated, that is when the WDADesktopService error may occur. Logically, the solution is to update the program so that it works again without problems.
And since we're talking about updates, it's also advisable make sure the operating system is correctly updated. We already know that this is the source of many errors when working with Windows.
If we have already verified that the program is updated and, despite everything, the error message continues to bother us, we will have no choice but to uninstall the app and reinstall it on our computer. Luckily, this is a simple and fairly quick procedure, it will only take a few minutes.
And that's it. With these instructions we can definitively resolve the WDADesktopService error and return to using our computer normally.