How to Disable Driver Signature Enforcement in Windows 11

What is Driver Signature Enforcement?

Driver signature enforcement is a built-in Windows 11 security feature that only allows device drivers approved and digitally signed by Microsoft to run on your PC. This requirement blocks untrusted code and potential malware, but you must disable driver signature enforcement temporarily if you need to install older hardware or custom drivers that lack an official Microsoft digital signature.

But sometimes, you might want to use older or special drivers that are not signed by Microsoft. In those cases, Windows won’t let you install them unless you temporarily turn off driver signature enforcement.

Important Note

• Disabling driver signature enforcement can make your computer less secure.
• Only disable it if you trust the driver you want to install.

How to Turn Off Driver Signature Enforcement in 🪟 Windows 11

To disable driver signature enforcement in Windows 11, you need to use the Advanced Startup menu before your PC boots up. This process lets you bypass Microsoft’s driver checks so you can install unsigned software, but you should only do this if you completely trust the driver you plan to add to your system.

1. Turn off BitLocker and Secure Boot (if enabled):
   
   BitLocker is a security feature that encrypts your drive. Secure Boot helps protect your PC from malicious software during startup.
   
   You can read how to turn off BitLocker here and how to disable Secure Boot here.
2. Restart Windows into Advanced Startup Mode:
   
   – Click Start > Settings > System > Recovery.
   
   – Under Recovery options, click the Restart now button next to Advanced startup.

3. When Windows restarts, select Troubleshoot.

4. Click Advanced options.
5. Select Startup Settings.

6. Click Restart.

7. After your PC restarts, press 7 or F7 on your keyboard to choose Disable driver signature enforcement.

Your PC will now start normally, but driver signature enforcement will be turned off. You can install unsigned drivers while this mode is active.

To turn driver signature enforcement back on: Just repeat the steps above and this time don't press 7 or F7. Instead, just let Windows boot normally, or simply restart your PC normally to re-enable the feature.

How to Enable or Disable Driver Signature Enforcement Using Command Prompt

You can disable driver signature enforcement using Command Prompt by running a specific boot configuration command with administrator rights. This method provides a quick alternative to the graphical startup menu if you feel comfortable using the command-line interface to manage your Windows 11 boot settings.

1. Make sure BitLocker is off and Secure Boot is disabled (see links above).
2. Open Windows Terminal as an Administrator. You can read how to open Windows Terminal as admin here.
3. Switch to the Command Prompt tab inside Windows Terminal.
4. To disable driver signature enforcement, type this command and press Enter:
   

   bcdedit /set nointegritychecks off

5. To enable driver signature enforcement again, type this command and press Enter:
   

   bcdedit /set nointegritychecks on

6. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Summary

• Driver signature enforcement helps keep your Windows 11 PC safe by only allowing trusted drivers.
• You can temporarily turn off this feature to install unsigned drivers if needed.
• Use the Advanced Startup menu or Command Prompt to turn this feature on or off.
• Always be careful and only install drivers from sources you trust.

Driver signature enforcement protects your system by blocking unsigned software, but you can turn it off using the Advanced Startup menu or Command Prompt when installing trusted custom drivers. Always remember to turn security features back on once you finish installing your drivers to keep your Windows 11 computer secure.