“Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601" Watermark - Remove from Desktop

“Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601" Watermark - Remove from Desktop

How to Remove “Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601" Watermark from Desktop​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601 (with SP1 installed) or Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7600 (without SP1 installed) watermark from the lower right corner of the Windows 7 desktop by turning off test mode.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

According to Microsoft, the test mode watermark can appear if the test signing mode is started on the computer. This test mode may occur if an application whose drivers are not digitally signed by Microsoft is installed and still in the test phase. Microsoft added test mode to Windows so that users can test programs without having to provide an authentication certificate.

The TESTSIGNING boot configuration option determines whether Windows Vista and later versions of Windows will load any type of test-signed kernel-mode code. This option is not set by default, which means test-signed kernel-mode drivers will not load by default on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and later versions of Windows.

For 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, the kernel-mode code signing policy requires that all kernel-mode code have a digital signature. However, in most cases, an unsigned driver can be installed and loaded on 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and later versions of Windows.

EXAMPLE: "Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601" Watermark




Here's How:
1. Open an elevated command prompt.

2. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 3)
bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
3. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the command you want to use below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

(Turn Off test mode and remove watermark)
bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING OFF

OR

(Turn On test mode and add watermark)
bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON



4. Close the elevated command prompt.

5. Restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Open and Use File Signature Verification in Vista and Windows 7

 

[Brink]

Hello Jadedea,

This would be from an unsigned driver. You can use the File Signature Verification tool to navigate to the folders where you want to test the driver files (ex: "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers") to see what drivers are not signed.

When you find them, you can uninstall them.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[Jadedea]

Brink,
Thanks for the tip. Ran the verifier with the log and it looks like this: difxapi.dll is the unsigned driver. I will see if I can run system repair and chose the install driver option unless you know of an easier way.

Thanks again!

 

[Brink]

The difxapi.dll file is for "Driver Install Frameworks for API library module".

Since this is a system file, running a sfc /scannow command may be able to sort it for you.

 

[Jadedea]

Ok I tried using system repair load drivers and I could not find the driver. I looked up the driver and found 29 versions of it. Is that normal?

 

[Jadedea]

The difxapi.dll file is for "Driver Install Frameworks for API library module".

Since this is a system file, running a sfc /scannow command may be able to sort it for you.

It didn't fix it. It is still labeled as unsign driver and windows is still loading test mode.

 

[Brink]

In that case, you might consider a repair install to sort it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[matteoautomata]

I was able to follow the tutorial to successfully remove the watermark. I was running in unsigned driver mode to try and get Desktop Heap Monitor to work for Windows 7. However since I have BitLocker on my drive, every time I start my computer I get a warning that the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) has changed and asks me for the BitLocker recovery key every time. I don't want to suspend and resume BitLocker to make the configuration changes the new defaults. Could anyone help with the commands to undo the configuration changes? I didn't want to randomly try things that might further change the boot configuration. I am assuming the opposite commands might be something like:
bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON
Please let me know if this is correct. Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Matt,

That would be correct.

 

[matteoautomata]

Hi thanks for your reply. I was still getting the BitLocker screen with the codes 0x12000030 and 0x16000048 which I found meant loadoptions and testsigning BCD Settings and BitLocker were still being recognized as changed settings. I ended up having to
bcdedit.exe /deletevalue {current} loadoptions
bcdedit.exe /deletevalue {current} testsigning
since it turns out those values were not set before. Now I don't have the annoying BitLocker screen anymore. Thanks

 

[Brink]

Great news.

 

[jonnyhotchkiss]

Is there a way of removing the watermark just from an aesthetic point of view. I'm trying out modded drivers so that I can SLI two different GTX cards.

I tried the fix. It removed the watermark but it also removed the video card drivers.

You want to check deepxw's Guide or (even easier!) just grab his tool - that's RemoveWatermarkX64, for 64-bit... haven't looked for an x86 edition...

Here's an excerpt

+ File Name:  C:\Windows\System32\en-US\user32.dll.mui  V6.1.7600.16385 (x64)

   ID  String                                                Offset  Len Mod
-----  ----------------------------------------------------  ------  --- ---
  715  %wsWindows %ws                                        0x1AC4   28  OK
  716  %ws Build %ws                                         0x1AE2   26  OK
  717  Evaluation copy.                                      0x1AFE   32  OK
  718  For testing purposes only.                            0x1B20   52  OK
  738  Test Mode                                             0x1F4E   18  OK
  723  %wsMicrosoft (R) Windows (R) (Build %ws: %ws)         0x1C96   90  OK
  737  This copy of Windows is not genuine                   0x1F06   70  OK

File has been patched:  Success!
Re-checksum the file:   Success!
Backup the file:        Success!    Backup file name: user32.dll.mui.backup
Overwrite old file:     Success!

+ File Name:  C:\Windows\SysWOW64\en-US\user32.dll.mui  V6.1.7600.16385 (x86)

   ID  String                                                Offset  Len Mod
-----  ----------------------------------------------------  ------  --- ---
  715  %wsWindows %ws                                        0x1AC4   28  OK
  716  %ws Build %ws                                         0x1AE2   26  OK
  717  Evaluation copy.                                      0x1AFE   32  OK
  718  For testing purposes only.                            0x1B20   52  OK
  738  Test Mode                                             0x1F4E   18  OK
  723  %wsMicrosoft (R) Windows (R) (Build %ws: %ws)         0x1C96   90  OK
  737  This copy of Windows is not genuine                   0x1F06   70  OK

File has been patched:  Success!
Re-checksum the file:   Success!
Backup the file:        Success!    Backup file name: user32.dll.mui.backup
Overwrite old file:     Success!
Success!

 

[KaizeruRyuu]

You want to check deepxw's Guide or (even easier!) just grab his tool - that's RemoveWatermarkX64, for 64-bit

Registered just to say this worked like a charm.

 

[DrCharles]

I also encountered this strange "Test Mode" watermark recently. The RemoveWatermark X64 tool worked for me too.

 

[fmartine]

Anyone know how to remove only the text message? I mean without changing the windows working mode , i need to preserve windows in test mode! Can i use resource hacker?

 

[RolandJS]

How does one get into the Test Mode? This is the first time I have heard of Test Mode.

 

[Brink]

How does one get into the Test Mode? This is the first time I have heard of Test Mode.

Hello Roland,

The tutorial in the first post here can help show you how to.