Unsigned driver installs and works on W7 64bit OS, why?

[rickford66]

I've been running around trying to get our drivers certified because I'm told all over the internet that they won't work on W7 64 bit OS because they are not signed/certified. I just watched a guy install them on his W7 PRO 64 bit machine and the only problem he had was the conventional "this driver is unsigned" window. He told it to install anyway and it works fine. That is, the driver installs and the product works. To my knowledge, and his, he does not have any special programs installed to defeat driver signing. Why would it work?
Thanks.

 

[Kaktussoft]

service pack 1 has been installed?
Please post output from elevated command prompt

bcdedit /enum all

 

[rickford66]

I thought there was a bcd workaround for pre-SP1 of Vista. This is W7. Anyway, I have requested the output that you have requested so I should have it in a little while.

 

[Kaktussoft]

There are two different signature checks at work here, with different
requirements. There is one signature check at INSTALL time. That's the
one that presents the dialog box saying "warning, this driver is
unsigned". This check is done on all the systems, and has been there
since XP. It is just a warning -- if you say "OK", then the
installation proceeds and you are not bothered again. That's where
"test signing" is usually done.

The other check is KMCS (kernel-mode code signing), and applies only to
the 64-bit systems. The KMCS check is done at LOAD time, and it is done
EVERY time your driver loads. There is no dialog and no warning -- it
will simply refuse to load your driver if it is not signed. This is the
check that you can override at boot time. A test signature is not
enough here. You must have a genuine certificate from one of the
approved certificate authorities.
======
Check eventlog and see... it failed to load

 

[Kaktussoft]

The following screen shot shows the result of expanding the CodeIntegrity subfolder under the Event Viewer folder.

 

[rickford66]

Here are the results of the enum command you asked for...


Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /enum all
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {5fff5cad-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {5fff5cad-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
device ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume2]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Win
re.wim,{5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
path \windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows Recovery Environment
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume2]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Win
re.wim,{5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
systemroot \windows
nx OptIn
winpe Yes
Resume from Hibernate
---------------------
identifier {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winresume.exe
description Windows Resume Application
locale en-US
inherit {resumeloadersettings}
filedevice partition=C:
filepath \hiberfil.sys
debugoptionenabled No
Windows Memory Tester
---------------------
identifier {memdiag}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path \boot\memtest.exe
description Windows Memory Diagnostic
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
badmemoryaccess Yes
EMS Settings
------------
identifier {emssettings}
bootems Yes
Debugger Settings
-----------------
identifier {dbgsettings}
debugtype Serial
debugport 1
baudrate 115200
RAM Defects
-----------
identifier {badmemory}
Global Settings
---------------
identifier {globalsettings}
inherit {dbgsettings}
{emssettings}
{badmemory}
Boot Loader Settings
--------------------
identifier {bootloadersettings}
inherit {globalsettings}
{hypervisorsettings}
Hypervisor Settings
-------------------
identifier {hypervisorsettings}
hypervisordebugtype Serial
hypervisordebugport 1
hypervisorbaudrate 115200
Resume Loader Settings
----------------------
identifier {resumeloadersettings}
inherit {globalsettings}
Device options
--------------
identifier {5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
description Ramdisk Options
ramdisksdidevice partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
ramdisksdipath \Recovery\WindowsRE\boot.sdi
C:\Windows\system32>

 

[rickford66]

BTW, the device works, so doesn't that mean that the driver loaded? In device manager, we can look at the device and it says it's working properly, but it also says that it's unsigned.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Here are the results of the enum command you asked for...


Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /enum all
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {5fff5cad-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {5fff5cad-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
device ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume2]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Win
re.wim,{5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
path \windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows Recovery Environment
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume2]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Win
re.wim,{5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
systemroot \windows
nx OptIn
winpe Yes
Resume from Hibernate
---------------------
identifier {5fff5cab-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winresume.exe
description Windows Resume Application
locale en-US
inherit {resumeloadersettings}
filedevice partition=C:
filepath \hiberfil.sys
debugoptionenabled No
Windows Memory Tester
---------------------
identifier {memdiag}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path \boot\memtest.exe
description Windows Memory Diagnostic
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
badmemoryaccess Yes
EMS Settings
------------
identifier {emssettings}
bootems Yes
Debugger Settings
-----------------
identifier {dbgsettings}
debugtype Serial
debugport 1
baudrate 115200
RAM Defects
-----------
identifier {badmemory}
Global Settings
---------------
identifier {globalsettings}
inherit {dbgsettings}
{emssettings}
{badmemory}
Boot Loader Settings
--------------------
identifier {bootloadersettings}
inherit {globalsettings}
{hypervisorsettings}
Hypervisor Settings
-------------------
identifier {hypervisorsettings}
hypervisordebugtype Serial
hypervisordebugport 1
hypervisorbaudrate 115200
Resume Loader Settings
----------------------
identifier {resumeloadersettings}
inherit {globalsettings}
Device options
--------------
identifier {5fff5cae-c4cf-11e0-aaf5-14feb5c1a7a3}
description Ramdisk Options
ramdisksdidevice partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
ramdisksdipath \Recovery\WindowsRE\boot.sdi
C:\Windows\system32>

all fine

 

[Kaktussoft]

BTW, the device works, so doesn't that mean that the driver loaded? In device manager, we can look at the device and it says it's working properly, but it also says that it's unsigned.

Sure it's win7 x64?
Did you check eventlog already?

 

[rickford66]

It says Operational under CodeIntegrity. When he double clicked on it, it came up with the following screen. Not sure if it's related. BTW, it says it's a 64 bit OS, and yes, it is W7.

 

[Kaktussoft]

It says Operational under CodeIntegrity. When he double clicked on it, it came up with the following screen. Not sure if it's related. BTW, it says it's a 64 bit OS, and yes, it is W7.

That eventlog entry is very old. I have that entry as well every few months. So no relevant stuff there.

If it's really win7 x64... it sounds impossible!
Try another machine win7 x64... same problem?

 

[rickford66]

We only have one W7 64 bit in the building. We got it for the expressed purpose of testing software on W7 64 bit. Now, strange things are afoot.