Privacy modes in a remote desktop environment

Techniques described maintain privacy of a remote desktop client when the remote client interacts with and displays the desktop of the host device. The described techniques enable such privacy and control even when the host computing device does not run an operating system with session support. The host includes a virtual display driver, which is not associated with a physical display, and a physical display driver, which is associated with a physical display. The techniques associate the virtual display driver with a mirror driver of the host, while disassociating the physical display driver from the mirror driver. The mirror thus driver provides contents of the virtual display to the remote client. Additionally, because the virtual display driver is not associated with a physical display, the contents of the virtual display (and hence the interactions of the remote client) are not displayed at the host.