Section 18.4. Driver Signing: All Versions | Windows Vista: The Missing Manual

18.4. Driver Signing: All Versions

Every now and then, when you try to install the software for one new gadget or another, you'll see a warning box that says, "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software."

It's not really as scary as it sounds. It's just telling you that Microsoft has not tested this driver for Windows Vista compatibility and programming solidity. (Technically speaking, Microsoft has not put its digital signature on that driver; it's an unsigned driver .)

Note: In very rare circumstances, you may also see messages that say, "This driver software has been altered " or "Windows cannot install this driver software." In those cases, go directly to the hardware maker's Web site to download the official driver software; Windows is trying to warn you that hackers may have gotten their hands on the driver version you're trying to install.

In theory, you're supposed to drop everything and contact the manufacturer or its Web site to find out if a Vista-certified driver is now available.

WORKAROUND WORKSHOP
The Add Hardware Wizard

Microsoft really, really hopes that you'll never need the Add Hardware Wizard. (But if you do, choose Start Control Panel; in Classic view, double-click Add Hardware.)

This little program is a holdover from Windows past, designed for very old, pre-Plug-and-Play gadgets that Windows doesn't autorecognize when you plug them in.

Begin by connecting the new gear; turn off the computer first, if necessary. Turn the machine on again, and then open the Add Hardware Wizard program.

The wizard makes another attempt to detect the new equipment and install its driver. If a happy little "Found New Hardware" balloon appears in your notification area, all is well; the wizard's work is done. If not, you're walked through the process of specifying exactly what kind of gadget seems to have gone missing, choosing its manufacturer, inserting its driver disc, and so on.

Install the hardware that I manually select from a list . If you choose this option and click Next (or if the previous option fails), the wizard displays a list of device types, as shown here. From that list, find and select the type of hardware you want to install"Imaging devices" for a digital camera or a scanner, for example, "PCMCIA adapters" for a PC card, and so on. (Click Show All Devices if you can't figure out which category to choose.)

Click Next to forge on through the wizard pages. You may be asked to select a port or configure other settings. When you click the Finish button on the last screen, Windows transfers the drivers to your hard drive. (Along the way, you may be instructed to insert the Windows Vista DVD.) As a final step, you may be asked to restart the PC.

In practice, just because a driver isn't signed doesn't mean it's no good; it may be that the manufacturer simply didn't pony up the testing fee required by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs. After all, sometimes checking with the manufacturer isn't even possiblefor example, it may have gone to that great dot-com in the sky.

So most people just plow ahead. If the installation winds up making your system slower or less stable, you can always uninstall it, or rewind your entire operating system to its condition before you installed the questionable driver. (Use System Restore, described on page 648, for that purpose. Windows automatically takes a snapshot of your working system just before you install any unsigned driver.)

Tip: If you'd rather not contend with the "unsigned driver" message every time you install something, you can shut it up forever. Conversely, you can close up Windows like a vault, so that it never accepts unsigned drivers, for maximum, conservative safety. (Instead, you'll see a message declaring that the installation has been "blocked.") Instructions for setting up both scenarios are on page 658.