Driver Updates for PC

Articles and technical help with driver issues

Are Unsigned Drivers Safe? - Part 2

So are unsigned drivers safe to use?

There are some potential risks to using untested and unverified drivers. Firstly, the driver might not even work with Windows. Secondly, the driver could have been altered to include malware or viruses, and these could damage your system or even steal vital information from you. Finally, badly-written drivers can also make your system unstable.

Nevertheless, just because a driver is unsigned doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad. It only means it hasn’t gone through the certification process. There are many safe and useful unsigned drivers out there that people can use. It’s a matter of taking the necessary precautions before installing these drivers on your computer.

How can I mitigate the risk of using unsigned drivers?

Install only drivers that come directly from the manufacturer. If your equipment did not come with an installer disk, visit the manufacturer’s website and download a digitally signed driver that is compatible with your OS. If you are part of a home or office network, you can also ask your system administrator for help.

Of course, you can always try and avoid using unsigned drivers at all. One good reason for this is that Microsoft has recently been tightening its restrictions on unsigned driver usage. Currently, Windows Vista SP1 does not allow you to install unsigned drivers.

Back to Part One

 

 

 

 

 

 

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