Use Unsigned Drivers In Windows Vista And Windows 7

Martin Brinkmann
Nov 22, 2009
Updated • Jan 15, 2018
Software
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One of the security enhancements that Microsoft added to Windows Vista and Windows 7 is that 64-bit versions accept only signed drivers by default.

The operating system refuses to install and run drivers without digital signature. There are several points of view when it comes to the enforcement.

Microsoft states that it is important for the security of the computer systems, developer's don't like it as much as they have to pay for digitally signed drivers, and end users don't like it because some drivers won't work on 64-bit versions of Windows that work on 32-bit versions.

The only way to overcome this restriction temporarily is to press F8 during system boot.But this would have to be done on every boot which can become quite a nuisance.

Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider

Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider offers another option. The software program makes use of a developer test option in both operating systems to load unsigned drivers which would otherwise be rejected by the operating system.

These drivers still have to be signed but not digitally which means that the operating system will accept the signatures that are provided by the driver.

This option does come at a price though as it is required to disable UAC, the User Account Control, to run the program in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

How to use the program:

So how do I use it?
First and foremost; you are using this software at your own risk, we do not take responsibility for any damages to your system, but we do not believe it can harm anyone anyway. Secondly, User Account Control (UAC) must be disabled in-order to use this tool as well.

1. Go ahead download and launch the application from the link below. Inside its main menu, press on the “Enable Test Mode” button and follow the instructions on the screen. This will enable TESTSIGNING mode, which allows unverified system files to be loaded.

2. Now all you have to do is to add the unverified signature to the required system files. To do so press on the “Sign a System File” button from the main menu, and enter specific filename including full path. For example: if ATITool64.sys from C:\Windows\System32\drivers refuses to load due to driver signature enforcement, you should type: “C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ATITool64.sys”, and if you would like to sign more than a single file, just repeat this procedure until you’re done, and finally reboot.

After you enabled Test Mode and added signatures to the required system files, they should bypass Windows’s driver signature enforcement and load without any issues.

Is it worth disabling UAC for it? This has to be answered by everyone individually. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users who want to give the software program a try can download Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider from the developer's website.

Update: The original program was updated in 2014 the last time. A new program is available on GitHub which works with all recent versions of Windows. It is called Windows x64 Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider.

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Software Name
Windows x64 Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider
Operating System
Windows
Software Category
Administration
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Comments

  1. sm said on October 24, 2012 at 4:04 am
    Reply

    Er…this has NOTHING to do with “security”, it has
    EVERYTHING with creating another revenue
    source for Microsoft…..nothing more or less.

    Microsoft NEVER does anything that has any
    other objective then making a buck. Holding
    device driver developers hostage is just another
    day in the life of microsoft.

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