How to circumvent patch black/unsigned drivers restriction?

[wazzledoozle]

Aside from removing the security updates that restrict it and using disable integrity checks, is there a newer way? I like the performance and compatibility packs >_>

 

[stash]

Why?

 

[wazzledoozle]

Trying to use ATITool and a driver tweak with creative drivers. Both need unsigned drivers.

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Trying to use ATITool and a driver tweak with creative drivers. Both need unsigned drivers.

Why not use a different overclocking ATI program?..Why are you tweaking Creative sound drivers?..I find them solid in gaming and they are signed so just don't tweak them.

 

[nerp]

ATI's latest catalyst driver support overclocking out of the box and it works quite well for me.

And IMHO, the best creative driver tweak is in the add/remove programs box. Be sure to open the case up and yank the card when you're done.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I know which tweak you're talking about; I've done it myself for my Audigy 2. I might be crazy, but the (unsigned) drivers seem to load on my system even without disabling the driver signing check. My best guess is that they're not kernel-mode drivers and that's why they'll still load.

As for ATI Tool...I haven't used it myself (not in a long time anyway), but AFAIK the only way to load unsigned kernel-mode drivers without having to use F8 at every boot is to enable test signing mode in BCDEdit and generate your own test signature for the driver/program in question. That's what I had to do to get A64Info to work (long story, but I need it to adjust memory dividers/timings since my motherboard's BIOS has next to no options). PM me for more details if you'd like; I'd explain further now but I'm about to fall asleep...

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I know which tweak you're talking about; I've done it myself for my Audigy 2. I might be crazy, but the (unsigned) drivers seem to load on my system even without disabling the driver signing check. My best guess is that they're not kernel-mode drivers and that's why they'll still load.

As for ATI Tool...I haven't used it myself (not in a long time anyway), but AFAIK the only way to load unsigned kernel-mode drivers without having to use F8 at every boot is to enable test signing mode in BCDEdit and generate your own test signature for the driver/program in question. That's what I had to do to get A64Info to work (long story, but I need it to adjust memory dividers/timings since my motherboard's BIOS has next to no options). PM me for more details if you'd like; I'd explain further now but I'm about to fall asleep...

Finally, someone who really addressing the question. Everyone else just side stepped it. I guess if someone doesn't know the answer, the best they can do is question why you want to do it in the first place...

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I know which tweak you're talking about; I've done it myself for my Audigy 2. I might be crazy, but the (unsigned) drivers seem to load on my system even without disabling the driver signing check. My best guess is that they're not kernel-mode drivers and that's why they'll still load.

As for ATI Tool...I haven't used it myself (not in a long time anyway), but AFAIK the only way to load unsigned kernel-mode drivers without having to use F8 at every boot is to enable test signing mode in BCDEdit and generate your own test signature for the driver/program in question. That's what I had to do to get A64Info to work (long story, but I need it to adjust memory dividers/timings since my motherboard's BIOS has next to no options). PM me for more details if you'd like; I'd explain further now but I'm about to fall asleep...

That no longer works. Microsoft started blocking that a month or so ago.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I know which tweak you're talking about; I've done it myself for my Audigy 2. I might be crazy, but the (unsigned) drivers seem to load on my system even without disabling the driver signing check. My best guess is that they're not kernel-mode drivers and that's why they'll still load.

As for ATI Tool...I haven't used it myself (not in a long time anyway), but AFAIK the only way to load unsigned kernel-mode drivers without having to use F8 at every boot is to enable test signing mode in BCDEdit and generate your own test signature for the driver/program in question. That's what I had to do to get A64Info to work (long story, but I need it to adjust memory dividers/timings since my motherboard's BIOS has next to no options). PM me for more details if you'd like; I'd explain further now but I'm about to fall asleep...

That no longer works. Microsoft started blocking that a month or so ago.

I thought the method they disabled was the disableintegritychecks line? I haven't heard of this test signature thing.

Please explain if you can in this thread, otherwise PM me. Thanks!

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
That no longer works. Microsoft started blocking that a month or so ago.

It's working fine on my own Vista Ultimate x64 system right now...I'm current with all Windows Updates too. My understanding is that it's intended for driver developers to be able to test their own drivers during development without entirely disabling the signature check...and that doesn't seem to me like something they'd disable (of course my understanding could be incorrect though).

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
I thought the method they disabled was the disableintegritychecks line? I haven't heard of this test signature thing.

Please explain if you can in this thread, otherwise PM me. Thanks!

Yes, it's the DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS option that no longer has any effect (with the latest updates, I forget exactly which one disable it).

So this will require the use of some tools from the Windows Driver Kit, which you can get free of charge from Microsoft Connect. First you'll use makecert to generate a test signature that you'll embed in the program/driver you want to use. Then you'll follow the directions in the first section here to use signtool to embed the test signature you just created in the driver file (or program which includes a driver).

Then to enable test signing mode, you have to run "bcdedit /set testsigning on" from a command prompt; this will allow test-signed drivers to load.

It's a very roundabout way to get unsigned drivers to load (plus you have to do it for each individual driver that you want to load), but it did work for me (for the driver that the A64Info program uses). Sure, it would be more ideal (from a security standpoint) not to need to load unsigned drivers in the first place, but that isn't always realistic...

Edit: Forgot to mention that enabling test signing mode will plaster "Test Mode" text at all corners of your desktop, along with the Windows version (on all monitors if you have more than one). As far as I know, that's just something you'll have to live with while using this workaround. It's less annoying than having to press F8 at every boot or selectively not installing the performance/reliability packs anyway

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I only find Stereo surround sound missing with older Direct Sound games,however you can get round that with Alchemy Universal free version,I have tested it in games like Icewind Dale and I have sound from all 5.1 speakers plus EAX.




Creative Alchemy Univeral free version

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: ViRGE
That no longer works. Microsoft started blocking that a month or so ago.

It's working fine on my own Vista Ultimate x64 system right now...I'm current with all Windows Updates too. My understanding is that it's intended for driver developers to be able to test their own drivers during development without entirely disabling the signature check...and that doesn't seem to me like something they'd disable (of course my understanding could be incorrect though).

If you using it then it must still be working. I had been told that this was disabled in one of the Patch Tuesday patches from September, but apparently I've been misinformed.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: Mem

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I only find Stereo surround sound missing with older Direct Sound games,however you can get round that with Alchemy Universal free version,I have tested it in games like Icewind Dale and I have sound from all 5.1 speakers plus EAX.




Creative Alchemy Univeral free version

I'm looking for a way to use stereo surround for music, know how?

Thanks for the how-to synthdude

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle

Originally posted by: Mem

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
Catalyst caps the clocks quite low, I have my card voltmodded with good cooling =P

The creative drivers I'm using for vista work quite well, there is only one thing they are missing: stereo surround, or speaker fill. A driver tweak can fix that but it screws up the driver signing.

I only find Stereo surround sound missing with older Direct Sound games,however you can get round that with Alchemy Universal free version,I have tested it in games like Icewind Dale and I have sound from all 5.1 speakers plus EAX.




Creative Alchemy Univeral free version

I'm looking for a way to use stereo surround for music, know how?

Thanks for the how-to synthdude

Stereo surround works ok for me,ie for MP3 s etc....just make sure 5.1 is selected in the Creative Audio Console,which can be found in your All programs start menu.