One of the most prominent differences between full-fledged
computers and Internet appliances such as tablets is that, theoretically, the operator
has full control over the hardware attached to the computer and the software
running on it. In practice, that is rarely absolutely
true – and this distinction is becoming less valid as technology advances.

Device drivers

For much of the history of Windows, users have been able to
use device drivers not authorized by Microsoft simply by clicking “OK”
on a few warning dialogues, or setting a command line option at boot. Starting
in Windows Vista SP1, Microsoft removed that option, instead requiring the user
to press F8 at boot to override authorization. However, with the increased
speed of computers and disk drives, pressing F8 at the exact moment NTLDR is
expecting you to do so can easily become like a game of blind Whac-a-Mole.

A workaround to this problem does exist. Microsoft is aware
that developers do not have the time or resources to submit each revision of
Beta device drivers. Because of this, a test mode exists that allows operators
to install self-signed drivers that don’t require digital verification. A
freeware program called “Driver
Signature Enforcement Overrider” or DSEO, was created to automate the
process of using this mode and personally signing drivers for use on your
computer.

Older devices with drivers designed before this limitation
was introduced require this workaround. Other hardware, designed by small
companies or independent hobbyists who don’t have the money to pay Microsoft to
authorize their driver, may also need this workaround to install the
appropriate drivers. In this tutorial, we’re installing the driver to a NAND
Flash device used with embedded systems which is otherwise unsupported on
Windows 7.

Authorizing a driver

After downloading
the file here, the first step is to disable User Account Control from the
Control Panel in order to use DSEO and the self-signed certificates. From the
Start Menu, type “uac” and select “Change User Account Control
settings”.

From this menu, drag the slider down to “Never notify”
and press OK. A tooltip will pop up notifying you that the computer must be
restarted in order to turn off User Account Control. Restart the computer.

After the computer has been restarted, double-click “dseo13b.exe”
to open DSEO.

On this screen explaining why the program exists, click “Next”.

Click “Yes” to accept the License Agreement.

To start, click “Enable Test Mode” and click “Next”.
In order to enable Test Mode, you will need to restart the computer, and consequently
this program. Once you’ve restarted and have opened the program back to the
main menu, click “Sign a System File”.

From here, type in the path and file you want to sign for
use on your computer. The signed file will overwrite the input file, so the
path must be writable – loading a file from disc will not work. Despite the
warning that the program generates, it is not necessary to restart from this
step.

Final steps

Now that our driver has been signed, find the corresponding
.inf file in Windows Explorer, right-click it, and choose “Install”.
This step should work for most programs, though for this device, Windows
reports “The INF file you have selected does not support this method of
installation.” In this case, simply plugging in the device and using the
standard Driver Installation Wizard will install the drivers and allow you to
use your device.

This fix will remain in place, even after a reboot, until
you specifically disable it using DSEO. When enabled, the text “Windows 7
Test Mode” along with the build number will be placed on the Desktop in
the lower-right corner. Using the “Remove Watermarks” feature will
remove this text. Now you can use any device driver you wish with your
computer.

If you’ve
used this guide to install an unsigned device driver in Windows, let us know in
the comments section what device you’re using required this workaround.