Important Note on Vehicle Compatibility

Please note: All model-year 2019 and newer cars require one of Ross-Tech's current interfaces. Although this release of VCDS still supports every interface Ross-Tech has sold since 2004, none of the legacy interfaces, such as the HEX+CAN and Micro-CAN, will work properly with 2019 model cars. If you intend to work with 2019 or newer cars and do not yet have a current interface, please contact your distributor or see the Ross-Tech website for upgrade options.

Installation Instructions for VCDS® Release 22.3+

The following guide explains the installation options for VCDS Release 22.3.0. Most users installing VCDS do not need to change any settings on the "Choose Components" screen and can simply click the "Next" button. To help avoid common questions, this guide details each option.

Installation Options Explained:

• Install USB Drivers for Legacy Interfaces: This option is necessary only if you are using older Ross-Tech interfaces, such as the HEX+CAN. It must be manually selected. This option cannot be chosen on systems with an ARM-architecture CPU, as no legacy interface drivers are available for those systems.
• Fix Window HID power management: This is available only when the installer is run on Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, where it is selected by default. It is required for the HEX-NET and HEX-V2 interfaces to communicate reliably via USB on systems running Windows 8.1 or 10.
• Open Window Firewall for HEX-NET & VCIConfig: This is useful if you are using current-generation interfaces (HEX-NET or HEX-V2). This option is selected by default and attempts to allow VCDS and VCIConfig to establish outgoing connections from your PC, which are necessary to locate HEX-NET(s) on your network and for firmware updates from the server.
• Install 32-bit EXE on 64-bit Systems: This can only be selected if your PC is running a 64-bit Windows. Most users with 64-bit Windows do not need this option and should use the 64-bit EXE files installed by default. However, the 64-bit EXE may not work properly on a small percentage of 64-bit systems, and this option provides an immediate workaround for those users.
• Create Start Menu Shortcuts: This option is selected by default and adds the usual entries to your Start Menu. You can de-select it if you prefer not to clutter your Start Menu.
• Create a Desktop Shortcut: This option is selected by default and places the usual shortcut on your desktop. You can de-select it if you prefer not to clutter your desktop.