41. Enable Driver Signing

Important Question! Can your PC Run Faster?

Driver signature enforcement or driver signing is enabled by default. This enables Windows to monitor all drivers as they are installed on your computer. If an unsigned driver attempts to install an error message will be generated asking for your permission to install the driver.

Sometimes it may become necessary, for example when troubleshooting Windows problems, to actually disable the driver signature enforcement - see Test Mode Windows 7. When you do this a Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7600 watermark will appear in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop.

In order to turn driver signing back on proceed as follows:

1. Click the Start button.
2. In the Start Menu Search  box type: cmd
3. The Command application will appear at the top of the Search results.
4. Right click on the CMD application and, from the drop down menu select Run as Administrator.


Fig: 41-1 Select 'Run As Administrator' from the menu

5. User Account Control will ask you if you want to allow this program to make changes to your computer. Click the Yes button to continue.
6. The Command Prompt window will now open.

7. At the Command Prompt type: bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING On and press Enter.

   Fig: 41-2 The Command Prompt window

8. If the operation has been a success you should see the following: The operation completed successfully.


Fig: 41-3 The operation has now been successfully completed

9. Now Re-start your PC for the changes to take effect.
10. When your PC has re-started the driver signature enforcement will be enabled and Windows will, again, monitor all driver installs.