How to disable signed driver checking using BCDEdit in Windows Server 2008

An undocumented method of disabling the signed driver requirement for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2008 is to use the BCDEdit utility to make a change to the boot configuration. Because this feature isn't documented, Microsoft could remove it at any time. This procedure isn't something that a novice administrator should attempt to do, but it's doable.

The following steps describe the process:

1. Choose Start > Programs > Accessories. You see the Accessories menu.

2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator from the context menu.
Windows opens a command line with elevated privileges. You can tell that the privileges are elevated because the title bar states that this is the administrator's command prompt rather than a standard command prompt.

3. Type BCDEdit /Export C:\BCDBackup and press Enter.
BCDEdit displays the message This Operation Completed Successfully. This command saves a copy of your current boot configuration to the C:\BCDBackup file. Never change the boot configuration without making a backup.

4. Type BCDEdit /Set LoadOptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS and press Enter.
BCDEdit displays the message This Operation Completed Successfully.

The Driver Disable (DDISABLE) option tells Windows not to check the signing of your drivers during the boot process. Be sure to type the BCDEdit command precisely as shown. The BCDEdit utility is very powerful and can cause your system not to boot when used incorrectly. If you make a mistake, you probably have to open a command prompt using your boot CD and then fix the problem by using the BCDEdit /Import C:\BCDBackup command. This technique modifies only the current boot configuration. If your server has multiple boot partitions, you must make this change for each partition individually.

5. Restart your system as normal to use the new configuration.

Tags: BCDEdit,drivers,security

Related Articles