Setting Driver-Signing Options

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Microsoft adds a digital signature to all drivers supplied on the Windows 2000 CD-ROMs. A driver's signature assures you that the driver has passed Microsoft's reliability testing and that it hasn't been altered since it was tested. Other vendors might or might not add digital signatures to their driver files.

By default, Windows 2000 warns you before installing a new, unsigned driver. You can change that default so that unsigned drivers are installed without warning. Or you can stipulate that no unsigned drivers be installed.

To change the way the system handles unsigned drivers:

1. Open the Start menu and choose Settings, Control Panel, System.
2. Click the Hardware tab.
3. Click Driver Signing.

The Driver Signing Options dialog box is shown in Figure 25-6.

4. Select one of the three options: Ignore, Warn, or Block.
5. If you want to make your setting the default for all users who log on to your computer, select the Apply Setting As System Default check box. You must have administrative privileges to use this check box.



Figure 25-6. You can specify how Windows 2000 will respond to installing a driver without a digital signature.