Use SIGVERIF.EXE to ID unsigned drivers

Use SIGVERIF.EXE to ID unsigned drivers
Serdar Yegulalp

Drivers in Windows 2000 are signed digitally to confirm that they have been tested by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs, which, it is devoutly hoped, will ensure a level of quality. But there are many third-party drivers that have not been tested and don't get a signature, and some of them may cause problems. If you are dealing with a system, and you suspect an unsigned driver of being problematic, you can use the File Signature Verification tool, SIGVERIF.EXE, to find unsigned drivers.

To run the Signature Verification tool and scan for unsigned drivers:

1. Type SIGVERIF from a command prompt or the Run dialog box.

2. Click the Advanced button. In the Search tab, select "Look for other files that are not digitally signed."

3. Click Browse and go to the System32Drivers folder in your Windows directory. Click OK. You can also use the file filter to narrow down the search to only *.DLL or *.SYS files.

4. Select "Include Subfolders."

5. Click OK, then click the Start butting to begin scanning.

6. Once the program finishes, a list of all unsigned drivers will be displayed.

Serdar Yegulalp is the editor of the Windows 2000 Power Users Newsletter.