Driver Signature Enforcement is a feature of Windows 11/10/8/7 that secures our computer from installing unsigned drivers. Driver Signing is the process of associating a digital signature with a driver package. Windows devices use digital signatures to verify the driver packages’ and the vendor’s identity who provides the driver packages.
It is an electronic security mark that certifies the publisher for the driver and all other relevant information. If Microsoft doesn’t approve a driver, window will refuse to run them. This is known as “driver signature enforcement.”
You may try to install drivers from any sources such as Windows Update, Original Equipment Manufacturers, third-party driver download software, etc. Microsoft must digitally verify these drivers via a digital signature.
Generally, you will not require to disable driver signature enforcement. It may be handy if you have some old hardware drivers that Microsoft does not digitally sign and want to install on your PC.
In this gearupwindows article, we will guide you on disabling Driver Signature Enforcement on Windows 11/10.
Topics Covered
How to Disable Driver Signature Enforcement on Windows 11/10 using Advanced Boot Menu?
Step 1. Click the
Step 2. Your computer will restart with “Advanced Options.” From the list of options, select the
Step 3. Then click the
Step 4. Under the “Advanced Options,” select
Step 5. Then click the
Step 6. After that, you will see the “Startup Settings” on your monitor. Press the “7” key from the keyboard to activate the “Disable driver signature enforcement” option.
When you’re done, your PC will reboot again with driver signature enforcement disabled. Then you can install unsigned drivers.
How to Disable Driver Signature Enforcement on Windows 11/10 through Command Prompt?
This method is only valid when the Secure Boot function is disabled on UEFI.
Step 1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Step 2. Type the following command and then hit Enter from the keyboard:-
bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks on
That’s it. Driver signature enforcement on your device is disabled now.
To enable this feature again, you need to execute the following command in the administrative command prompt window:-
bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks off
How to Disable Driver Signature Enforcement on Windows 11/10 by Enabling Test Signing Mode?
This method is applicable for those computers where the Secure Boot function is disabled on UEFI.
Step 1. Open an administrative Command Prompt window.
Step 2. Now, type the following command and hit
bcdedit /set testsigning on
Step 3. Now, restart your computer to enter into test mode. You will see a “Test Mode” watermark in the bottom right corner of your computer screen. This indicates no restriction for installing unsigned or not verified drivers.
To exit from the test mode, issue the following command in the elevated Command Prompt window:-
bcdedit /set testsigning off
As said before, Driver Signing is a security feature of Windows that protects your system. When you’re done with troubleshooting or installing unsigned drivers, you should re-enable this feature as soon as it is possible.