He said something that works well. Don't touch it, but...🚨

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Microsoft is preparing to take Windows 11 security a step further by reducing the level of trust of older drivers whose certificates have expired after decades of continuous use through a cross-signing system.

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Previously, Windows also allowed drivers belonging to the NT Kernel-Trust group to run even after the certificate has expired. Hardware manufacturers can still use old drivers on new systems without further security updates or fixes, but this channel is soon to be shut down.

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From April 2026 onwards, Windows will only accept Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) certified drivers, a standard that Microsoft uses to directly control the quality and security of drivers at the Kernel level.

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The new policy will begin to apply to Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, as well as Windows Server 2025 and all subsequent versions, in order to push the system to be more stable and secure in the long run.

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A group that is clearly expected to be affected are older devices, especially printers and certain types of peripherals that still rely on traditional drivers.

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The effect is obvious when installing old drivers on a new machine. Users may encounter more problems, blocked systems, or more difficult procedures. Some policies must be adjusted or fixed before they can be installed. The machines that have already installed these drivers will be less affected. Not that the update is not immediately active, but it will gradually squeeze down the old driver channel.

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In order not to overly affect users, Microsoft also prepares an allow list for verified old drivers so that they can continue to be used during the transition period, including support for devices that still need to use the original version of the driver.

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In the first phase, this feature starts in the evaluation mode or evaluation mode. The system monitors driver behavior and evaluates compatibility effects first and then activates the full operation later.

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For organizations that still need specialized drivers, Microsoft also opens a former Application Control for Business or WDAC that can set software authorization policies within the organization by working with a security system like Secure Boot.

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The change marked another milestone for Microsoft to organize system-level drivers, reduce risk from old software that could become vulnerable, and push the WHCP standard to become the primary basis of Windows in the future.

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Source: Neowin

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