diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 2592e7c..0d314e8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2559,6 +2559,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "wayland-protocols-misc",
  "wayland-protocols-wlr",
  "wayland-scanner",
+ "windows",
  "x509-parser",
  "xkbcommon",
 ]
@@ -4079,12 +4080,107 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "windows"
+version = "0.62.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "527fadee13e0c05939a6a05d5bd6eec6cd2e3dbd648b9f8e447c6518133d8580"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-collections",
+ "windows-core",
+ "windows-future",
+ "windows-numerics",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-collections"
+version = "0.3.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "23b2d95af1a8a14a3c7367e1ed4fc9c20e0a26e79551b1454d72583c97cc6610"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-core"
+version = "0.62.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b8e83a14d34d0623b51dce9581199302a221863196a1dde71a7663a4c2be9deb"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-implement",
+ "windows-interface",
+ "windows-link",
+ "windows-result",
+ "windows-strings",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-future"
+version = "0.3.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e1d6f90251fe18a279739e78025bd6ddc52a7e22f921070ccdc67dde84c605cb"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-core",
+ "windows-link",
+ "windows-threading",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-implement"
+version = "0.60.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "053e2e040ab57b9dc951b72c264860db7eb3b0200ba345b4e4c3b14f67855ddf"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-interface"
+version = "0.59.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3f316c4a2570ba26bbec722032c4099d8c8bc095efccdc15688708623367e358"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-link"
 version = "0.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "f0805222e57f7521d6a62e36fa9163bc891acd422f971defe97d64e70d0a4fe5"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-numerics"
+version = "0.3.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6e2e40844ac143cdb44aead537bbf727de9b044e107a0f1220392177d15b0f26"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-core",
+ "windows-link",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-result"
+version = "0.4.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7781fa89eaf60850ac3d2da7af8e5242a5ea78d1a11c49bf2910bb5a73853eb5"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-link",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-strings"
+version = "0.5.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7837d08f69c77cf6b07689544538e017c1bfcf57e34b4c0ff58e6c2cd3b37091"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-link",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-sys"
 version = "0.45.0"
@@ -4169,6 +4265,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows_x86_64_msvc 0.53.1",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-threading"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3949bd5b99cafdf1c7ca86b43ca564028dfe27d66958f2470940f73d86d75b37"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-link",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_aarch64_gnullvm"
 version = "0.42.2"
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml b/crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml
index ac67f99..484f066 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml
@@ -101,3 +101,16 @@ khronos-egl = { version = "6", features = ["dynamic"] }
 # GPU-copy into an exportable allocation, export OPAQUE_FD → cuImportExternalMemory (the
 # officially-supported CUDA pairing; raw dmabuf fds are rejected by the desktop driver).
 ash = "0.38"
+
+[target.'cfg(target_os = "windows")'.dependencies]
+# Windows host backends. `windows` covers the Win32/CCD APIs the SudoVDA virtual-display backend
+# drives (SetupAPI device enumeration, DeviceIoControl IOCTLs, QueryDisplayConfig name resolution);
+# capture/encode/input/audio backends extend the feature set as they land.
+windows = { version = "0.62", features = [
+    "Win32_Foundation",
+    "Win32_Security",
+    "Win32_Devices_DeviceAndDriverInstallation",
+    "Win32_Devices_Display",
+    "Win32_Storage_FileSystem",
+    "Win32_System_IO",
+] }
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay.rs b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay.rs
index 933aaa0..52884fe 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay.rs
@@ -456,10 +456,16 @@ pub fn open(compositor: Compositor) -> Result<Box<dyn VirtualDisplay>> {
             Compositor::Wlroots => Ok(Box::new(wlroots::WlrootsDisplay::new()?)),
         }
     }
-    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        // Windows has a single virtual-display backend (SudoVDA); the compositor arg is moot.
+        let _ = compositor;
+        Ok(Box::new(sudovda::SudoVdaDisplay::new()?))
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows")))]
     {
         let _ = compositor;
-        anyhow::bail!("virtual displays require Linux (Wayland compositor)")
+        anyhow::bail!("virtual displays require Linux or Windows")
     }
 }
 
@@ -480,10 +486,15 @@ pub fn probe(compositor: Compositor) -> Result<()> {
             Compositor::Gamescope | Compositor::Mutter | Compositor::Wlroots => Ok(()),
         }
     }
-    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
     {
         let _ = compositor;
-        anyhow::bail!("virtual displays require Linux (Wayland compositor)")
+        sudovda::probe()
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows")))]
+    {
+        let _ = compositor;
+        anyhow::bail!("virtual displays require Linux or Windows")
     }
 }
 
@@ -527,6 +538,8 @@ mod kwin;
 mod mutter;
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 mod wlroots;
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+mod sudovda;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/sudovda.rs b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/sudovda.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93d7c6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/sudovda.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,362 @@
+//! Windows virtual-display backend driving **SudoVDA** (the SudoMaker Virtual Display Adapter —
+//! the Indirect Display Driver the Apollo Sunshine-fork ships). The Windows analogue of the
+//! Linux per-compositor backends: [`create`](VirtualDisplay::create) adds a virtual monitor at the
+//! client's exact `WxH@Hz` (the mode is baked into the ADD IOCTL — no EDID seeding), starts the
+//! mandatory watchdog ping, and the returned [`VirtualOutput`]'s keepalive `Drop` removes it (RAII).
+//!
+//! Control surface (verified live against SudoVDA 0.2.1): a device-interface-GUID + `CreateFileW`
+//! + `DeviceIoControl` IOCTL protocol. No DLL, no named pipe. See `docs/windows-host.md`.
+
+use std::ffi::c_void;
+use std::mem::size_of;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use windows::core::{GUID, PCWSTR};
+use windows::Win32::Devices::DeviceAndDriverInstallation::{
+    SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList, SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces, SetupDiGetClassDevsW,
+    SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetailW, DIGCF_DEVICEINTERFACE, DIGCF_PRESENT,
+    SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA, SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA_W,
+};
+use windows::Win32::Devices::Display::{
+    DisplayConfigGetDeviceInfo, GetDisplayConfigBufferSizes, QueryDisplayConfig,
+    DISPLAYCONFIG_DEVICE_INFO_GET_SOURCE_NAME, DISPLAYCONFIG_MODE_INFO, DISPLAYCONFIG_PATH_INFO,
+    DISPLAYCONFIG_SOURCE_DEVICE_NAME, QDC_ONLY_ACTIVE_PATHS,
+};
+use windows::Win32::Foundation::{CloseHandle, HANDLE, LUID};
+use windows::Win32::Storage::FileSystem::{
+    CreateFileW, FILE_FLAGS_AND_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_SHARE_READ, FILE_SHARE_WRITE, OPEN_EXISTING,
+};
+use windows::Win32::System::IO::DeviceIoControl;
+
+use super::{Mode, VirtualDisplay, VirtualOutput};
+
+// SudoVDA device-interface GUID (Common/Include/sudovda-ioctl.h).
+const SUVDA_INTERFACE: GUID = GUID::from_u128(0xE5BC_C234_1E0C_418A_A0D4_EF8B_7501_414D);
+
+// CTL_CODE(FILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN=0x22, func, METHOD_BUFFERED=0, FILE_ANY_ACCESS=0).
+const fn ctl(func: u32) -> u32 {
+    (0x22u32 << 16) | (func << 2)
+}
+const IOCTL_ADD: u32 = ctl(0x800);
+const IOCTL_REMOVE: u32 = ctl(0x801);
+const IOCTL_GET_WATCHDOG: u32 = ctl(0x803);
+const IOCTL_DRIVER_PING: u32 = ctl(0x888);
+const IOCTL_GET_VERSION: u32 = ctl(0x8FF);
+
+// A fixed monitor identity. One session at a time today; Windows persists this monitor's layout
+// across sessions by GUID, and REMOVE keys off it. (TODO: derive per-client when concurrent
+// sessions land.)
+const MONITOR_GUID: GUID = GUID::from_u128(0x70756E6B_7466_756E_6B30_000000000001);
+
+#[repr(C)]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+struct AddParams {
+    width: u32,
+    height: u32,
+    refresh: u32,
+    guid: GUID,
+    device_name: [u8; 14],
+    serial: [u8; 14],
+}
+
+#[repr(C)]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+struct AddOut {
+    luid: LUID,
+    target_id: u32,
+}
+
+#[repr(C)]
+struct RemoveParams {
+    guid: GUID,
+}
+
+/// One `DeviceIoControl` round trip (METHOD_BUFFERED). `input`/`output` may be empty.
+unsafe fn ioctl(h: HANDLE, code: u32, input: &[u8], output: &mut [u8]) -> Result<u32> {
+    let mut returned = 0u32;
+    let inp = (!input.is_empty()).then(|| input.as_ptr() as *const c_void);
+    let outp = (!output.is_empty()).then(|| output.as_mut_ptr() as *mut c_void);
+    DeviceIoControl(
+        h,
+        code,
+        inp,
+        input.len() as u32,
+        outp,
+        output.len() as u32,
+        Some(&mut returned),
+        None,
+    )
+    .with_context(|| format!("DeviceIoControl(code={code:#x})"))?;
+    Ok(returned)
+}
+
+/// Resolve the `\\.\DisplayN` GDI name for a SudoVDA target id via the CCD API. Returns `None`
+/// until the OS activates the target into the desktop topology (needs a real WDDM GPU; on a
+/// GPU-less box this stays `None` even though ADD succeeded).
+unsafe fn resolve_gdi_name(target_id: u32) -> Option<String> {
+    let mut np = 0u32;
+    let mut nm = 0u32;
+    if GetDisplayConfigBufferSizes(QDC_ONLY_ACTIVE_PATHS, &mut np, &mut nm).is_err() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let mut paths = vec![DISPLAYCONFIG_PATH_INFO::default(); np as usize];
+    let mut modes = vec![DISPLAYCONFIG_MODE_INFO::default(); nm as usize];
+    if QueryDisplayConfig(
+        QDC_ONLY_ACTIVE_PATHS,
+        &mut np,
+        paths.as_mut_ptr(),
+        &mut nm,
+        modes.as_mut_ptr(),
+        None,
+    )
+    .is_err()
+    {
+        return None;
+    }
+    for p in paths.iter().take(np as usize) {
+        if p.targetInfo.id == target_id {
+            let mut src = DISPLAYCONFIG_SOURCE_DEVICE_NAME::default();
+            src.header.r#type = DISPLAYCONFIG_DEVICE_INFO_GET_SOURCE_NAME;
+            src.header.size = size_of::<DISPLAYCONFIG_SOURCE_DEVICE_NAME>() as u32;
+            src.header.adapterId = p.sourceInfo.adapterId;
+            src.header.id = p.sourceInfo.id;
+            if DisplayConfigGetDeviceInfo(&mut src.header) == 0 {
+                let name = String::from_utf16_lossy(&src.viewGdiDeviceName);
+                return Some(name.trim_end_matches('\u{0}').to_string());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+unsafe fn open_device() -> Result<HANDLE> {
+    let hdev = SetupDiGetClassDevsW(
+        Some(&SUVDA_INTERFACE),
+        PCWSTR::null(),
+        None,
+        DIGCF_DEVICEINTERFACE | DIGCF_PRESENT,
+    )
+    .context("SetupDiGetClassDevsW(SudoVDA) — is the SudoVDA driver installed?")?;
+
+    let mut idata = SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA {
+        cbSize: size_of::<SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA>() as u32,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+    SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces(hdev, None, &SUVDA_INTERFACE, 0, &mut idata)
+        .context("SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces(SudoVDA)")?;
+
+    let mut required = 0u32;
+    let _ = SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetailW(hdev, &idata, None, 0, Some(&mut required), None);
+    let mut buf = vec![0u8; required as usize];
+    let detail = buf.as_mut_ptr() as *mut SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA_W;
+    (*detail).cbSize = size_of::<SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA_W>() as u32;
+    SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetailW(hdev, &idata, Some(detail), required, None, None)
+        .context("SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetailW(SudoVDA)")?;
+
+    let handle = CreateFileW(
+        PCWSTR((*detail).DevicePath.as_ptr()),
+        0xC000_0000, // GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE
+        FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE,
+        None,
+        OPEN_EXISTING,
+        FILE_FLAGS_AND_ATTRIBUTES(0),
+        None,
+    )
+    .context("CreateFileW(SudoVDA device)")?;
+    let _ = SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList(hdev);
+    Ok(handle)
+}
+
+/// A live SudoVDA control handle. One per host; `create` adds/removes monitors on it.
+pub struct SudoVdaDisplay {
+    device: HANDLE,
+    watchdog_s: u32,
+}
+
+// The HANDLE is a kernel object usable from any thread; we only ever issue serialized IOCTLs.
+unsafe impl Send for SudoVdaDisplay {}
+
+impl SudoVdaDisplay {
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Self> {
+        let device = unsafe { open_device()? };
+        let mut ver = [0u8; 4];
+        if unsafe { ioctl(device, IOCTL_GET_VERSION, &[], &mut ver) }.is_ok() {
+            tracing::info!(
+                "SudoVDA protocol {}.{}.{} (test={})",
+                ver[0],
+                ver[1],
+                ver[2],
+                ver[3]
+            );
+        }
+        let mut wd = [0u8; 8];
+        let watchdog_s = if unsafe { ioctl(device, IOCTL_GET_WATCHDOG, &[], &mut wd) }.is_ok() {
+            u32::from_le_bytes([wd[0], wd[1], wd[2], wd[3]]).max(1)
+        } else {
+            3
+        };
+        tracing::info!("SudoVDA watchdog timeout {watchdog_s}s");
+        Ok(Self { device, watchdog_s })
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for SudoVdaDisplay {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        unsafe {
+            let _ = CloseHandle(self.device);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl VirtualDisplay for SudoVdaDisplay {
+    fn name(&self) -> &'static str {
+        "sudovda"
+    }
+
+    fn create(&mut self, mode: Mode) -> Result<VirtualOutput> {
+        let mut device_name = [0u8; 14];
+        let nm = b"punktfunk";
+        device_name[..nm.len()].copy_from_slice(nm);
+        let add = AddParams {
+            width: mode.width,
+            height: mode.height,
+            refresh: mode.refresh_hz,
+            guid: MONITOR_GUID,
+            device_name,
+            serial: [0u8; 14],
+        };
+        let add_bytes =
+            unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(&add as *const _ as *const u8, size_of::<AddParams>()) };
+        let mut out = [0u8; size_of::<AddOut>()];
+        unsafe { ioctl(self.device, IOCTL_ADD, add_bytes, &mut out) }
+            .with_context(|| format!("SudoVDA ADD {}x{}@{}", mode.width, mode.height, mode.refresh_hz))?;
+        let ao = unsafe { *(out.as_ptr() as *const AddOut) };
+        tracing::info!(
+            "SudoVDA created {}x{}@{} (target_id={}, adapter_luid={:#x})",
+            mode.width,
+            mode.height,
+            mode.refresh_hz,
+            ao.target_id,
+            ao.luid.LowPart
+        );
+
+        // Mandatory keepalive: ping inside the watchdog window or the driver tears all displays down.
+        let stop = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+        let device_raw = self.device.0 as isize;
+        let interval = Duration::from_millis(self.watchdog_s as u64 * 1000 / 3);
+        let stop_t = stop.clone();
+        let pinger = thread::spawn(move || {
+            let h = HANDLE(device_raw as *mut c_void);
+            while !stop_t.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                let mut none: [u8; 0] = [];
+                unsafe {
+                    let _ = ioctl(h, IOCTL_DRIVER_PING, &[], &mut none);
+                }
+                thread::sleep(interval);
+            }
+        });
+
+        // Resolve the capture target. May be None on a GPU-less box (target added but not activated
+        // into a WDDM path); the Windows capture backend will re-resolve once a GPU is present.
+        let mut gdi_name = None;
+        for _ in 0..15 {
+            thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200));
+            if let Some(n) = unsafe { resolve_gdi_name(ao.target_id) } {
+                gdi_name = Some(n);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        match &gdi_name {
+            Some(n) => tracing::info!("SudoVDA target {} -> {n}", ao.target_id),
+            None => tracing::warn!(
+                "SudoVDA target {} not yet an active display path (needs a WDDM GPU to activate)",
+                ao.target_id
+            ),
+        }
+
+        Ok(VirtualOutput {
+            node_id: 0, // unused on Windows; the capture target is the GDI name below
+            preferred_mode: Some((mode.width, mode.height, mode.refresh_hz)),
+            keepalive: Box::new(SudoVdaKeepalive {
+                device: device_raw,
+                guid: MONITOR_GUID,
+                stop,
+                pinger: Some(pinger),
+                gdi_name,
+            }),
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+/// RAII teardown: stop the ping thread, then REMOVE the monitor by its GUID. Does NOT close the
+/// device handle — that belongs to [`SudoVdaDisplay`], which outlives the output.
+struct SudoVdaKeepalive {
+    device: isize,
+    guid: GUID,
+    stop: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    pinger: Option<JoinHandle<()>>,
+    #[allow(dead_code)] // consumed by the Windows capture backend (not yet wired)
+    gdi_name: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl Drop for SudoVdaKeepalive {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.stop.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        if let Some(j) = self.pinger.take() {
+            let _ = j.join();
+        }
+        let rp = RemoveParams { guid: self.guid };
+        let rp_bytes =
+            unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(&rp as *const _ as *const u8, size_of::<RemoveParams>()) };
+        let mut none: [u8; 0] = [];
+        let h = HANDLE(self.device as *mut c_void);
+        if let Err(e) = unsafe { ioctl(h, IOCTL_REMOVE, rp_bytes, &mut none) } {
+            tracing::warn!("SudoVDA REMOVE failed: {e:#}");
+        } else {
+            tracing::info!("SudoVDA monitor removed");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Readiness probe: can we open the SudoVDA control device?
+pub fn probe() -> Result<()> {
+    let h = unsafe { open_device()? };
+    unsafe {
+        let _ = CloseHandle(h);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Is the SudoVDA driver present (device interface enumerable)?
+pub fn is_available() -> bool {
+    unsafe { open_device().map(|h| CloseHandle(h)).is_ok() }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    /// Live hardware round trip — skipped unless `PUNKTFUNK_SUDOVDA_LIVE=1` (needs the SudoVDA
+    /// driver installed). Exercises the real trait path: open -> create -> hold -> drop (REMOVE).
+    #[test]
+    fn live_create_drop() {
+        if std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_SUDOVDA_LIVE").is_err() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let mut vd = SudoVdaDisplay::new().expect("open SudoVDA");
+        let vout = vd
+            .create(Mode {
+                width: 1920,
+                height: 1080,
+                refresh_hz: 60,
+            })
+            .expect("create virtual display");
+        assert_eq!(vout.preferred_mode, Some((1920, 1080, 60)));
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(3));
+        drop(vout); // triggers REMOVE + stops the pinger
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/windows-host.md b/docs/windows-host.md
index daf10d2..b4deae3 100644
--- a/docs/windows-host.md
+++ b/docs/windows-host.md
@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@ glass-to-glass / throughput numbers (no perf claim transfers from Linux).
 ## Phased plan (host-first)
 
 0. **Compile on MSVC** (Step 0 above). GPU-less. ← *start here*
-1. **SudoVDA `VirtualDisplay` backend** — add/resolve-GDI-name/keepalive/remove + `SetDisplayConfig`
-   mode-set; RAII teardown. *Spike first*: does `ADD` bring up a monitor + mode-set on the VM (WARP)?
+1. **SudoVDA `VirtualDisplay` backend** — ✅ *control path landed* (`vdisplay/sudovda.rs`:
+   add/keepalive/remove + GDI-name resolution + RAII teardown, behind the existing trait; `open()`
+   returns it on Windows). Compiles + live-tested on the VM. **Remaining:** monitor activation +
+   `\\.\DisplayN` resolution (needs a GPU), then `SetDisplayConfig` mid-stream `Reconfigure`.
 2. **Capture + SW encode** — DXGI Desktop Duplication (or WGC) → `ID3D11Texture2D` → CPU staging →
    openh264 → existing FEC/transport. First end-to-end Windows session, GPU-less, against the Linux
    `punktfunk-client-rs` or the new Windows client.
@@ -191,8 +193,13 @@ Structurally a sibling of `crates/punktfunk-client-linux` (GTK4) — same shape,
 
 1. **`cargo build -p punktfunk-host` on the VM** — count + triage the real MSVC errors before
    estimating Step 0. (GPU-less.)
-2. **SudoVDA `ADD` on the VM** — does a virtual monitor come up + mode-set via WARP with no GPU?
-   Confirms the whole Phase 1 backend is VM-developable. (GPU-less.)
+2. **SudoVDA `ADD` on the VM** — ✅ *done 2026-06-15.* The control path is fully validated on the
+   GPU-less VM, both standalone and through the real `VirtualDisplay` trait (`vdisplay/sudovda.rs`):
+   device open by GUID, `GET_VERSION` (0.2.1), `GET_WATCHDOG` (3 s), `ADD 1920×1080@60` → returns
+   adapter LUID + `target_id`, watchdog ping holds it, RAII `Drop` → `REMOVE`. **Gap:** with no GPU the
+   target does NOT activate into a WDDM display path (`QueryDisplayConfig` active paths stay 0 → no
+   `\\.\DisplayN` to resolve/capture). So **activation + name-resolution + capture defer to a real
+   GPU** (passthrough on the Proxmox VM, or a GPU box) — consistent with capture/NVENC deferring anyway.
 3. **IDD arbitrary-mode + `Reconfigure` on 24H2/25H2** — does 5120×1440@240 apply, and does a
    remove+re-add (or re-modeset) hit the ~90 ms budget without a Settings-UI toggle? Make-or-break for
    "native client resolution, no scaling".