Fixing Cisco VPN Client issue with adding wireless displays

I was trying to find a way to add a display wirelessly to my Lenovo Y40-70 laptop with a wireless HDMI adapter (something that works with WIDI/Miracast/Chromecast/EZcast etc...).

Most of the laptops/tablets came with Windows 8 or 8.1 and has intel graphic and wireless technology should support this. 

(For more info on specific requirements you can check the link to intel at the bottom of this article)

But my issue was although my Lenovo Y40 had all the requirements (intel i7 processor, intel AC3160 wifi adapter, intel HD4400 Graphics and came with Windows 8.1), for some reason it didn't show the wireless display adding option! 

(NOTE: some people have found wireless display option is not available to them or unable to use even if they have due to various reasons. So this option is not something guaranteed to work on every PC)

I went through all the settings available and couldn't see why. When I read some forums there were some mention of certain VPN & networking clients may disable this option. 

I was using Cisco Sytems VPN Client 5 (5.0.07.0440) for x64 because I had to use it to access some of my work related things in my college network. Just to see if it has any effect I just uninstalled Cisco client and restarted the PC.

Voila! The wireless display configuration option was back where it should be! So because Cisco and other VPN clients disables making direct WIFI connections due to security reasons(?), wireless display option is also disables.

So if someone is having a problem finding wireless display config in Windows 8 or 8.1, you can try uninstalling some of the VPN or other such network related programs in your PC and see if you can get the following options:

First get your wireless display device/adapter ready. 

If its a HDMI adapter:

• plug it to the HDMI port of the TV/Monitor you want connected

• plug in USB or other power input to the adapter

• select your TV/Monitor source to the correct input - the HDMI port

• follow any initializing steps as shown in the monitor depending on your adapter...)

Then turn on the laptop, and try the following steps:

1. Get the charms menu on Windows 8/8.1 (by taking your mouse to lower right side of the screen and then up OR swiping from right if you have a touch screen)

2. Click on 'Devices' button to get the following menu

3. Click on 'Project' to get the display adding options

4.  In there if your laptop/tablet is supporting wireless display and no VPN or such software is disabling that, it should show the "Connect to a different display" option at the buttom of the right hand side menu. Click that.

5. It should get you the following menu, which has the option to "Add a wireless display".

6. Then it should take you to the Add Devices page, where it'll search for any wireless display device available.

If all goes well you should be able to connect to the wireless display device from here and mirror and/or extend (depending on the features of the adapter you used) your laptop/tablet screen to the wireless display.

As for now I couldn't find a way to have both Cisco VPN and the wireless display option. If I could figure out a way. I'd update it here. 

Enjoy!

Links for intel WiDi requirements and method of adding:

Intel supported device requirements
Adding Intel WiDi