What is Wi-Fi Direct?

Wi-Fi Direct is a Wi-Fi standard that lets devices connect to each other without going through a router. Windows also uses it to let a PC's Wi-Fi adapter act as an access point, and that is what Connectify Hotspot uses it for.

Your devices don't need Wi-Fi Direct

Connectify Hotspot only uses the Wi-Fi Direct driver and API on your PC. What it creates is a regular Wi-Fi hotspot, with a network name and password like any other Wi-Fi network. Phones, tablets, laptops, game consoles and TVs join it the usual way, from their Wi-Fi settings. They do not need to support Wi-Fi Direct, and you don't need to turn on anything called Wi-Fi Direct on them.

Wi-Fi Direct and Hosted Network in Connectify Hotspot 27

Windows offers two ways for a Wi-Fi adapter to host a hotspot: Wi-Fi Direct and the older Microsoft Hosted Network. Many newer Wi-Fi adapters and drivers support only Wi-Fi Direct, so Connectify Hotspot can use either one.

Wi-Fi Direct is the default since Connectify Hotspot 27. If you used Hosted Network before, updating to 27 switched you to Wi-Fi Direct once. If you then switch back, Connectify keeps your choice.
Hosted Network is the alternative. Connectify uses it when Prefer Wi-Fi Direct is off.
If your adapter supports only one of the two, Connectify uses that one, whatever the setting says.

Both create the same kind of hotspot, and both use whatever channel your PC's Wi-Fi is on, which can be 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Switching from one to the other doesn't change the band your hotspot uses.

The Prefer Wi-Fi Direct setting

To choose, click Settings, then Network, and under Wireless use Prefer Wi-Fi Direct. It is on by default, on every edition.

Settings, Network, Wireless: Prefer Wi-Fi Direct on and Tell devices to save data off

Leave it on unless you have a reason to change it. If devices struggle to see or join the hotspot, try switching it and see whether that helps.
To use Microsoft Hosted Network instead, turn off Prefer Wi-Fi Direct, and also turn off Tell devices to save data.
Tell devices to save data needs Wi-Fi Direct, because that's the only way to send the signal to phones and tablets. While it is on, Connectify uses Wi-Fi Direct even if Prefer Wi-Fi Direct is off.
If you change Prefer Wi-Fi Direct while the hotspot is running, and your adapter supports both, Connectify restarts the hotspot to switch. Your devices disconnect for a moment while it restarts.

If Wi-Fi Direct can't start, Connectify Hotspot shows:

Wi-Fi Direct could not be started. If you are running another application that uses Wi-Fi Direct, please stop it and try again. If you are not, please restart your computer and try again.

Connectify Hotspot doesn't switch to Hosted Network by itself. If restarting doesn't help, try turning off Prefer Wi-Fi Direct and Tell devices to save data.