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| Control unsigned driver installation |
| With Windows 2000, Microsoft introduced driver signing, which adds a digital signature to a driver. |
| The presence of the signature indicates that the driver has passed performance and compatibility |
| testing at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). |
| Although driver signing isn't a complete indication that a driver is safe or bug-free, it's certainly |
| reasonable to assume that signed drivers are generally safer for overall system health than |
| unsigned drivers. In addition, driver signing ensures against a Trojan horse or virus application |
| being introduced into a driver, or having the driver replaced with other code. |
| You can control how Windows 2000 handles unsigned drivers in one of two ways. First, you can |
| apply policies through Local Policies\Security Options\Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior in |
| the local or group security policy. |
| Or, if you prefer a more direct method to control driver signing without hassling with policy |
| editors, you can use the System property sheet. |
| Right-click My Computer and choose Properties, and then click the Hardware tab. |
| Click Driver Signing to open the Driver Signing Options dialog box. |
| You can choose between three options: Ignore, Warn, or Block, which are explained in the dialog |
| If you want to apply the settings as the default behavior for all users who log onto the computer, |
| select the option Apply Setting As System Default. (You must be logged on as an administrator to |
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