If you’ve upgraded to Windows 7 (64-bit version) or you’re considering the move, you should know that one of the security features Microsoft built into the 64-bit version of the OS is a requirement that all 64-bit device drivers must be digitally signed. Digital signatures aren’t really a favorite among anyone who has a stake in the issue, but the rationale for insisting upon digital signatures is that rogue drivers won’t make it into the system load.

Is There A Workaround For An Unsigned Driver

Most sophisticated technical users don’t really appreciate the “nanny” aspect of this security feature. Microsoft is in charge of passing out the digital signatures, and as you might expect, there’s a cost to getting your driver signed. Now, the cost isn’t borne by the user, but instead, the manufacturer of the driver needs to pony up for the digital signature. That’s why manufacturers don’t much care for this feature.

Users tend not to like it much because an unsigned driver won’t work. It can’t because it never gets loaded. Even if the driver were otherwise flawless, the fact that it doesn’t have a signature will prevent it from seeing the light of day. That’s why users don’t much like the feature.

So, naturally, the question arises: is there a workaround for an unsigned driver? Well, yes there is, but users aren’t going to like it much. If you want to use an unsigned driver, you’ll need to press F8 every time your system boots up. This will quickly turn into a major pain for users who don’t want to hang around while their computer gets its act together. That’s Microsoft’s acknowledgment that there may be times when a user really needs to load an unsigned driver. The F8 business was built into the Windows 7 OS to allow for driver testing. It’s in the final version and you can use it as a way around the annoying “unsigned driver” problem.

So, if the annoying workaround is too horrible (or inconvenient) to follow, is there a real workaround for an unsigned driver? (A real workaround as in one that doesn’t require user intervention each time the computer boots up.)

I’ve seen at least two different workarounds, but both involve disabling the User Account Control (UAC). Now, for some users, disabling UAC isn’t a problem, since they don’t like it anyway. UAC is that annoying program that pops up warnings when the computer concludes that you might be doing something that could lead to computer ruin. If you’re intent on using unsigned drivers (or opening up your system to unsigned drivers) and don’t mind taking the safety cables off, I’ll share some unsigned driver solutions in my next post.

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Regardless of what version of Microsoft Windows you’re using, you’ll need drivers to make your hardware work properly. The issue of working drivers is especially sensitive because a working driver is sometimes the difference between having to upgrade hardware and being able to retain what you’ve got. Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to make sure that Windows 7 drivers are available for third-party hardware, there’s no guarantee that hardware manufacturers will make drivers available for older hardware.

Driver Detective Can Make A Difference

For some manufacturers, making drivers available or abandoning a particular hardware platform is a matter of practicality. Developing a Windows 7 driver for hardware may not represent much effort, especially if a Windows Vista driver was made available. On the other hand, if a manufacturer chose not to make a Windows Vista driver available, the amount of work needed to support its older hardware at this point may be too great to justify writing drivers for legacy products. In some ways, the advent of Windows 7 will allow hardware manufacturers to make a “clean break” when it comes to their older (but still serviceable) hardware.

For most users, however, the biggest challenge is finding drivers – even ones that are readily available. For users that have difficulty managing drivers or who don’t use (or don’t trust) the automatic update function in Windows, using a driver manager software like Driver Detective means that you’ll never have to worry about finding the correct driver for the hardware you’re using or downloading a driver that’s incompatible with your OS. You’ll never have to troubleshoot driver problems either. When a new driver is available or your existing driver has gone bad, Driver Detective will identify the problem and correct it immediately. It’s almost like having your own personal PC technician working on your computer around the clock.

Driver Detective has been certified to work on all versions of Windows. No matter what OS you’re running, Driver Detective can help you manage your drivers and keep your system updated. It even takes care of the installation. You simply load and configure Driver Detective and the software does the rest. Driver Detective is an award-winning program that’s been downloaded more than 1,000,000 times by users all over the world. Regardless of what version of Windows you’re running, let Driver Detective manage your system drivers.

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Last week, I upgraded one of my home computers to Windows 7. The upgrade went quite smoothly. The computer was running Windows Vista Home Premium, so I didn’t have to do any major work. (I’m not sure who at Microsoft chooses the desktop backgrounds, but some of them are somewhat disturbing. There’s nothing bad about them; they’re just highly unusual.)

For users who are running an older version of the operating system, such as XP, a clean installation is required. Clean installations require you to do a complete backup of your data before you perform any upgrades. Once the upgrade is complete, you can transfer your files back to the upgraded computer.

Drivers Aplenty

Not every hardware manufacturer released drivers for Windows 7 ahead of the product launch, and a few manufacturers have released lists of products that will (or will not) be supported under Windows 7. HP hasn’t yet released any printer drivers and says that its older printer products will have “limited” support. Generally, HP printers that don’t already have a Vista driver aren’t likely to get a driver that’s Windows 7-compatible, leaving even popular older models out in the rain.

For some users, that will mean upgrading the printer. There are several low-cost printers on the market today, including some nice multi-function and mono laser printers. Driver availability aside, often the cost of refurbishing older printers (with a new photo drum and toner cartridge) will exceed the cost of buying a new printer.

Manufacturers are much more likely to provide driver support for newer printers, too. There’s at least an even chance that you’ll find something that works just as well as what you’ve got for less money than you think, so if your old printer isn’t supported, do the research on replacing it with a newer model. Before you buy, however, verify with the manufacturer that a Windows 7-compatible driver will be available for the printer you select.

For the most part, the feedback on the migration to Windows 7 has been pretty good. No migration is without problems, but the volume of complaints from users is noticeably lower than it was when Vista first appeared on the market. In general, consumers are happy with the product and are finding that the most common drivers they need are readily available. That’s a big leap forward for most Windows users. If you’re still planning to stick with XP, you’ll be able to order new computers with a downgrade license for the next few months. After that, you’re likely to be on your own.

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Window 7 isn’t yet out of the gate for most consumers, and for as much trouble as Microsoft has gone through to ensure a smooth release, Windows 7 is likely to encounter a few bumps and bruises along the way. What’s most likely to take the fun out of your new OS upgrade? The usual suspects – driver problems, hardware incompatibilities, and memory problems.

Older Hardware May Not Work So Well With Windows 7

Microsoft has been working hard to help ensure that the latest drivers are available and compatible with Windows 7, but users who have older hardware may be in for a surprise. Often, manufacturers don’t support older hardware and may not provide an updated driver. And don’t be confused by the term “older.” “Older” could mean hardware that was made in 2007 or 2008.

Generally, if you’re running Windows Vista and you’ve got all of your driver ducks in a row, you’re not likely to experience much in the way of problems. What runs on Vista should for the most part, run on Windows 7. After all, Windows 7 was built on the Vista platform. If you’re running an older version of the OS – like Windows XP or older – all bets are seriously, completely and thoroughly off. You may be able to find a driver from the manufacturer or you may be able to find a third-party driver that interfaces your hardware with Windows 7. If you’re supremely talented, you might be able to write your own driver, but that’s not something for the uninitiated, so that’s not a realistic solution for most people.

Don’t forget that Windows 7 has a built-in Windows XP virtual machine. You can run Windows XP virtually within Windows 7, and in the virtual environment, your old XP drivers will still work. This is probably the most likely workaround for XP fans who adopt Window 7 earlier rather than later.

The issue of signed and unsigned drivers will also continue to cause problems for people who migrate to Windows 7. Basically, a “signed” driver includes information about the author, who swears on a stack of DOS disks that the driver is authentic, hasn’t been altered since it was released and, in theory, works the way it should An “unsigned” driver isn’t as trustworthy – after all, who knows where it came from, right? The idea behind a signed driver is security. If the driver is “signed” it should be unaltered from the original and should be safer. Windows Vista and Windows 7 want signed drivers. You can turn this desire off in the configuration for the computer, but that disables a “security” feature and will open your computer up to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Or might, anyway.)
Driver availability will be less of a problem. Microsoft has been working hard since July to ensure that many drivers are available on Zero Day. I believe Windows adopters will be pleasantly surprised by Windows 7, at least in this aspect.

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