Using USBTiny version 2 in Vista – driver signing

Pt 2572
If you’re using USBTiny version 2 in Vista and having problems, try this driver signing tip from forum member grantejust keep in mind that it might be weird/risky… the hack that is, IT SEEMS A LITTLE SKETCHY – THIS IS A WARNING

Use this tool to sign the drivers with a test key and force windows to always boot in test mode. Works for me.

You can also try this – “Disable Driver Signing in Windows 7 Using Group Policy Editor“… we’ll try some/all of these out soon, for now – report back if you have anything to add!


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3 Comments

  1. “Signing with a test key” + “boot Windows in test mode” = standard procedure for testing kernel drivers.

    That said, there is some incorrect information in the linked article.

    Yes, 64-bit Vista and Win7 *require* signed drivers (and this requirement cannot be disabled), but 32-bit systems do not by default.

    Also, the statement “…developers have to pay Microsoft to receive verified certificates…” is misleading. Yes, driver signing certificates *do* cost money, but they’re not purchased from Microsoft. There used to be a few places to get signing certs, but I think Verisign is the only source now. Unfortunately, they’re expensive ($499/year).

    This onerous & expensive requirement effectively eliminates the possibility of creating open-source drivers for modern versions of Windows. Pity.

  2. I am running Windows 7 64 bit and had drivers loaded and working in a matter of minutes using the Driver Signature Enforcement Override tool mentioned above.
    I had also tried setting the Group Policy to ignore unsigned drivers but this didn’t seem to work for me.

  3. I also wanted to verify that the Driver Signature Enforcement Override tool worked with my Win7 64.

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