what is a driver signature enforcement
Jul 10, 2025 pm 04:39 PMDriver Signature Enforcement is a security mechanism for Windows systems, and drivers are mandatory to be digitally signed before they can be loaded. Its function is to ensure the legitimacy of the driver and prevent malware from running disguised as a driver, thereby improving system stability and security. This mechanism is enabled by default from Windows Vista 64-bit version. If the driver is not signed, the system will prompt risks. The driver signature is like an "id card", issued by Microsoft or a trusted organization, proving that the driver has not been tampered with. Bypass methods include temporarily disabling signature verification (deactivated after each restart) and completely turning off signature check (developers only), but both will reduce system security and are not recommended for long-term use.
Driver Signature Enforcement is a security feature in Windows systems. Its role is to ensure that only digitally signed drivers can be loaded and run. Simply put, the system will check whether each driver has a signature from a trusted source, and if not, it will prevent it from running.

This mechanism is mainly to prevent malware from being disguised as a driver to bypass system protection and improve the stability and security of the overall system.
What is driver signature?
Driver signatures are like "identity cards" issued by Microsoft or other trusted certificate agencies to prove that the driver is legal and untampered. Starting with Windows Vista, this restriction has been enabled by default for the 64-bit version of the system.

If you try to install a driver without a signature, the system will usually pop up: "The driver is not digitally signed. Installing the driver may cause the computer to be unstable or unsafe."
Why is there such a driver signature?
- Improve system stability : Unverified drivers may contain error codes, which can easily cause blue screens, crashes and other problems.
- Enhanced security : Some viruses or malware like to hide themselves through driver-level permissions, and the signature mechanism can effectively prevent such attacks.
- Standardize development process : hardware manufacturers are encouraged to follow standard development process and submit drivers to Microsoft certification.
For example, some old devices or drivers provided by unofficial channels may not have signatures, and the system will refuse to load them.

How to bypass driver signature mandatory? (Not recommended)
Although it is not recommended to turn off signature verification at will, sometimes it does need to temporarily load unsigned drivers, such as debugging drivers or using some old devices. At this time, you can use the following methods:
-
Temporarily disabled after each restart:
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Recover
- Click "Restart now" under "Advanced Start"
- Go to Troubleshooting > Advanced Options > Start Repair
- Or select "Command Prompt", enter
Bcdedit -set testsigning on
and restart
-
Completely turn off signature verification (developers only):
- Run command prompt with administrator privileges
- Enter
bcdedit /set nointegritychecks on
- Then restart the computer
?? Note: These operations will reduce system safety and should only be carried out when necessary and restored to its original state as soon as possible.
Let's summarize
Driver Signature Enforcement is an important mechanism to protect the underlying security of the system. In most cases, users will not directly contact it, but they may encounter related problems when installing some old device drivers or debugging drivers. Understanding how it works and how it deals with can avoid unnecessary hassle when needed.
Basically that's it.
The above is the detailed content of what is a driver signature enforcement. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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