Windows 10 downloading unsigned drivers

1. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and click the Restart button.
   
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
3. When your computer restarts you’ll see a list of options. Press F7 on your keyboard to select Disable driver signature enforcement.
4. Your computer will now restart and you’ll be able to install unsigned drivers.

Bear in mind that this method only temporarily disables driver signature enforcement, so be sure to install all the unsigned drivers as soon as you can.

Avoid all these Windows technicalities by installing a startup manager tool!

2. Disable driver signing code

Another solution is to use the Local Group Policy Editor. Keep in mind that you have to be careful while messing with the Policy Editor, and don’t modify anything else.

To disable the driver signing code, follow the steps:

1. On your PC openLocal Group Policy Editor: press theWin+Rhotkeys and in the Run box entergpedit.msc.
2. In Local Group Policy Editor, from the left panel, click onUser Configuration.
3. Then, from the main window double-click onAdministrative Templates.
4. From the menu that will open double-click on System and then go toDriver Installation.
5. Select the Code signing for device drivers entry.
6. Select Enabled and from the dropdown located beneath, change to Ignore.
7. Click Ok and apply your changes.
8. Restart your Windows 10 system in the end.

You don’t have a Local Group Policy Editor? No worries, here is how to install it. It’s easy!

3. Put Windows in test mode

If you don’t want to disable driver signing permanently, you can choose to enter the Windows 10 test mode.

In test mode, you can install any drivers you want without experiencing any problems. Don’t forget to go to normal Windows 10 mode after you solve your problem:

1. Open an elevated command prompt window on your PC: right-click on the Windows Start icon and select Command prompt (Admin).
2. In cmd type:
3. Close the cmd window and restart your computer.
4. Install your drivers.
5. Revert back to normal mode: open elevated cmd, enter this command and restart your Windows 10 system:

4. Disable driver signature enforcement Windows 10 permanently

The previous solution will only disable driver signature enforcement temporarily. But if you want to disable it permanently, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + X to open Power User Menu. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
   
2. Once the Command Prompt opens, enter this command and press Enter:
3. 
4. Optional: To enable driver signature enforcement back again, open the Command Prompt as administrator and enter:

Alternatively, you can disable driver signature enforcement by using these steps:

1. Start Command Prompt as administrator.
2. When Command Prompt starts, enter the following lines:
   • bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
     
   • bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON
     
3. Close Command Prompt and restart your PC.
4. Optional: To enable driver signature enforcement open Command Prompt as administrator and enter the following:
   • bcdedit -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
     
   • bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF
     

Bear in mind that using this solution will disable driver signature enforcement permanently, thus making your computer somewhat vulnerable.

It’s always a good idea to protect and backup your drivers. With these tools, you’ll have no such worries!

Driver signature enforcement is a useful feature that provides extra protection, but sometimes extra protection can cause problems when installing certain drivers.

We hope that you now understand how driver signature enforcement works and how to disable it in Windows 10.

Do you know of any other workarounds? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.

FAQ: Learn more about using (un)signed drivers in Windows 10

• How to install unsigned drivers in windows 10?

You have to change the Startup settings for this to work. Check out this full guide on how to act accordingly.

• What happens if I disable driver signature enforcement?

This feature basically guarantees to you that your drivers are authentic and unspoiled by malicious apps. As long as you are careful not to install corrupted or poorly-designed drivers, you should be fine. A great alternative is to use specialized driver update tools and of course always backup your data.

• How do I permanently disable driver signature enforcement in Windows 10?

To do this, type in the following line in the elevated Command Prompt: . Check out the detailed procedure right here.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been since revamped and updated in May 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.