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In this Ask the Admin, I’ll show you how to install unsigned 64-bit drivers in Windows 8. The same information applies to Windows Server 2012.
While most device drivers come either built into Windows or are supplied by a third-party vendor’s signed package, there are some occasions in which you might come across an unsigned driver. These may include when a driver is being developed in-house or if the vendor doesn’t have the resources to sign the driver.
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In Windows 7 64-bit edition, the driver-signing policy displays a warning to say that a driver is unsigned, but you are given the option to go ahead and install it regardless. In Windows 8 64-bit edition, unsigned drivers are blocked completely.
Naturally, there is a way around this, if only for the purposes of testing. The easiest way I have found to disable this policy is to issue the following commands from an elevated command prompt and then reboot the machine. Log on to Windows 8 and follow the instructions.
Once the machine has rebooted, you will be able to install unsigned drivers. Be sure to reenable the driver signing policy by running the following two commands from an elevated command prompt, as we did in the previous section:
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bcdedit -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF
Don’t forget to reboot the machine again when you’re done!
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