WHQL test signature program

The Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) test signature program supports test-signing of drivers to be submitted for a WHQL release signature. Independent hardware vendors (IHVs) participating in this program can submit driver packages to be test-signed.

Install a driver from a WHQL test-signed driver package by following these steps:

  1. Disable secure boot on the computer. For instructions, see Disable secure boot.

  2. Set the testsigning boot configuration option on the test computer. See Set the testsigning boot configuration option.

  3. Reboot the computer. Once rebooted, system displays a watermark in the bottom right corner of the screen indicating test mode, the Windows edition, and Windows build information.

  4. Install the Hardware Developer Center (HDC) test-signed driver.

For information about how to obtain a WHQL test signature, send email to winqual@microsoft.com and include "Test Signature" in the subject line.

Disable secure boot

  1. Suspend BitLocker on the boot disk. BitLocker needs to be suspended before disabling secure boot in UEFI. For more information, see Suspend BitLocker protection for non-Microsoft software updates.

  2. Disable secure boot to install the WHQL test certificate. For more information, see Disabling Secure Boot.

Set the testsigning boot configuration option

The Microsoft Test Root Authority is accepted when test-signing is enabled. Set the testsigning boot configuration option on the computer in which the test-signed driver package is to be installed. The test-signing option is enabled by following these steps:

  1. Open an elevated command prompt window. To open an elevated command prompt window, create a desktop shortcut to cmd.exe, select, and hold (or right-click) the cmd.exe shortcut, and select Run as administrator.

  2. In the elevated command prompt window, run the following commands to configure for test signed drivers and reboot the system:

    bcdedit /set testsigning on
    shutdown /r /t 00