Driver signing

[John Hall]

How do I find out how much it costs to get a driver signed? We have a custom
USB 2.0 device, so I think it just goes in the unclassified category. I've
gone all round the Windows Quality website, but there is no information on
cost apart from that of obtaining a Verisign key for our organisation.

Regards,
John

 

[Yuichi Mizutani [MSFT]]

John,

Please refer following web site. You can find testing fee information.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwtest/pages/testing.mspx

Thanks
Yuichi Mizutani(MSFT)

 

[Robert Harper [MSFT]]

John,

You can contact the device support alias directly and they should be able to
provide you with the pricing for your device logo.

The page that lists the support alias' is located at:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwtest/pages/support.mspx


Thanks,
Robert Harper
WHQLNET @ Microsoft.com

 

[Guest]

I would guess that You have tested your product out and
found it to work just fine. If so, why would you want to
pay enormous amounts of money to MS to hear them to tell
you what you already know? Hmmm

 

[John Hall]

I would guess that You have tested your product out and
found it to work just fine. If so, why would you want to
pay enormous amounts of money to MS to hear them to tell
you what you already know? Hmmm

It stops the big warning being displayed in Windows XP and means that
drivers will just silently be installed when your device is first attached.
So all in all, you can manage with having your drivers signed, but it
doesn't look too professional IMO.

Cheers,
John

 

[Don Burn]

Well there are a number of answers to this:

1. The cost is pretty low, compared to developing a device. I believe the
cost of a submission these days is in the $500 range IIRC.

2. My wife has worked with a lot of large corporations IT who lock down
their systems and will not allow an unsigned driver to be installed. If you
do not care about a large portion of the market, go ahead and skip signing.

3. If your company ever wants to sell it as an OEM product to a major
computer vendor, they will probably demand signing, and you will have a hard
sell if you don't.

4. I know a lot of people myself included who if I am comparing a product
from company A versus a product from company B if one of them has a signed
driver, and the other doesn't I give points to the company who signed.

Bottom line it is a cost of being a responsible business in the Windows
space.