Disable Driver signing for Win 7 INSTALL????

[Axeman098]

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Is there a way to turn off the Driver signature requirement DURING the Windows 7 x64 installation process? I already know how to disable it once 7 is on the box. I'm trying to install Windows 7 on a Proliant Rack Server, and I want to use the Server 2008 x64 driver for the HP Smart Array 6i SCSI controller. Windows 7 SEES the driver correctly, but won't let me use it because of the Driver signature requirement. I'm pretty sure the driver will work, but I cannot get the Windows 7 installer to let me use it, even though the driver comes directly from the Server 2008 install and is a M$ OEM driver.

Either that or how can I self-sign the driver so it tricks Windows 7 into letting me use it?

[BethanyI]

Try the following method. Hope this can help you. Run cmd and then run the follow command.

bcdedit.exe –set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

Once you receive appropriate message that the process is completed then run another command

bcdedit.exe –set TESTSIGNING ON

Check back again.

[Axeman098]

That method works well IF 7 is already on the machine. I need to find a way to disable it during the Windows 7 installation process itself. I trying to use the driver for the HP Smart Array 6i SCSI controller from a previous Server 2008 x64 installation on the same box. I used a program called Double Driver, to back up the system drivers to a folder for backup to an external Flash drive. I Select "Load Driver" at the installation screen where you pick your drive to install Win 7. I need that controller driver in place, for the 7 installer to correctly see and use the configured RAID array. Since there is no apparant native Windows 7 driver for the Smart Array 6i, I want to see if I can cheat by forcing it to use the Server 2008 driver instead. Server 2008 and Windows 7 are on essentially the same kernel, so the driver SHOULD work. I've done this trick before in reverse, using Windows 7 x64 drivers for hardware, where there is no Server 2008 driver for it. So I know it CAN work it some situations, depending on HOW you go about convincing it to use the out of spec driver.

When I tell it to look in the backup folder for the driver I backed up from Server 2008, the Windows 7 installer DOES correctly see the driver, identifies it correctly(I even have the Check box selected to hide incompatible drivers), and shows me 2 drivers for it. (1- x64, 1 not), BUT when I try to use the x64 driver, I get a pop up warning that says I cannot use an unsigned x64 driver. I need to figure out how to FORCE it to use that driver. The part I don't get is, the Server 2008 install I backed those drivers up from, was a barebones install straight off the Server 2008 disk, so I'm confused on why 7 doesn't see them as signed drivers (They're M$ OEM drivers straight off the disk!), other than they're for Server 2008 and not 7. I would think the OEM drivers would still have a signature certificate attached to them, unless the certificate is OS specific, OR Double Driver didn't backup the signatures for the drivers. That would seem a little odd to me if that were the case.

How can I get around this? Could I try to "Load Driver", then tell it to look at the Server 2008 disk on another DDVD drive for the driver directly??? I also saw in another forum, where someone recomended setting the RAID array as the first boot device, THEN the CD Rom, but I'm not sure what this would accomplish. He seemed to indicate that by setting the RAID first, it would check it, then pass on to the CD-ROM once it found nothing on the array, start the Windows 7 installer and it would then recognize the array without drivers being needed???? That doesn't sound completely kosher to me, but I'm willing to try it if it might work.

[Clarice]

It is not possible to disable at the time of installation process. There are various method to disable this after Windows is installed. There is a tool called Atsiv which runs in command mode with various parameters. There is a option but it is a bit complicated. You have to slipstream Windows disc. This means recreating windows bootable disc with all files and removing the option driver signing. This is in the kernal protection of Windows. The modification is very complicated. But after setup it possible. Tools like Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider can help you a lot here.

[Axeman098]

Yeah, I think that may be my only option. I'm going to try using either vLite or RT7Lite to slipstream the controller driver into a 7 .iso and see if I can get it to use that. I think that might eliminate the issue.

[Axeman098]

Problem solved! YEEHAAAAAA! Yes you CAN run Windows 7 Enterprise on an HP Proliant Server! Figured out the trick. You have to embed the Server 2008 x64 5i/6i controller driver into your installer package on the .iso using vLite. The Server 2008 Driver works flawlessly when inserted this way! It saw the RAID 5 array on the 6i Controller perfectly, and installed with no issues! In fact, Windows 7 automatically installed all but ONE device driver the server. Ironically the same "Base System Device" that Server 2008 also cannot find. I'll trace that down eventually through the device properties info, but....seriously???? It SCREAMS!!!! lol Seriously though, the best part is that now the OS limitations are gone, and I can connect ANYTHING to the box and know it will work. Thanks to Win7, all my PCI cards, PCI Video (For Dual Display), Firewire, Wireless, M-audio interface, etc. work without issue. Did I mention it was Balls on fire fast?

The best part is opening the performance tab in the Task Manager and seeing 16 cpu's chugging away Brings a tear to a geeks eye