Test Mode persists after factory restore?

[CZroe]

Weird. I used test mode to try some unofficial drivers on my M11x a long time ago thanks to Dell not providing driver updates for the Hybrid Graphics (Anand sure nailed that one on the head: Everything's been about Optimus since the week this thing launched). I used a tool that hides the message so I could continue using them without seeing "test mode" all the time.

About a year later, I performed a factory restore before sending it in for warranty service and noticed that the desktop was reporting that it was in test mode. I used bcedit to disable it and sent it in. When they sent it back, I did a factory restore again and it showed up again. WTH? Is the setting stored in the boot sector/boot loader or something? Even so, the factory image was made long before I ever enabled Test Mode, so I have no clue how the image could be enabling it unless it backed up the boot loader separately during the restore process, which is pretty stupid if the condition prompting the restore was related to a boot loader issue.

So, where is this setting stored so I can eliminate it once and for all?

 

[bruceb]

Try this

You can turn off Test Mode by typing bcdedit /set testsigning off in the command prompt.

If the above command doesn't work try:

Open command prompt again (run as administrator) and type the following:

bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING OFF

 

[CZroe]

I have, but when I restored to the factory image it showed up again. I did it again but made sure that it was a destructive restore and it looks like it didn't do it so it must have had something to do with a file left over that the OS was finding and acting on.