Signed drivers became unsigned

[mjwiech]

I noticed that many files in \windows\system32 directory became "unsigned" while they ought to be "signed" (I checked them on another machine runnnig the same version of XP).

Among them are, e.g.:
usbmon.dll
usbui.dll
usb8023.sys
usb8023x.sys
usbcamd.sys
usbcamd2.sys
usbccgp.sys
usbd.sys
usbehci.sys
usbhub.sys
usbintel.sys
usbport.sys
usbprint.sys
usbscan.sys
usbstor.sys
usbuhci.sys
usbvideo.sys

What can I do to make them "signed" again? I suspect they give me a lot of troubles when inserting a new USB device.

Regards
mjw

 

[BadBigBen]

I suspect they give me a lot of troubles when inserting a new USB device.

how does it manifest, I mean, have you tried to insert another new USB device?

Those drivers are to be found on the install media, e.g. XP CD or the SP, and can be copied (expanded)...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[linney]

Have you been installing a lot of USB devices that have been bringing their own software and drivers to your machine?

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Select both boxes.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

 

[mjwiech]

1. I user sigverif to verify the drivers.

2. Each time I insert a new USB pendrive or another USB device (which should install itself seamlessly and automatically) I get a lot of annoying questions and warnings from "Add new hardware wizard". Besides, a restore point is created. Then the USB device works. However, sometimes when I insert it in another slot, the whole procedure with "adding new hardware" is repeated.

3. The signed drivers I have on another PC does not differ from the unsigned drivers. I did byte for byte comparison. Which means that the "signed" information is stored somwhere else.

4. I don't have any special USB devices with their own drivers.

5. I did check the disk, I ran SFC /Scannow. It did not help. The drivers are ok, they just somehow lost their signedness.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who tries to help me.

mjw

 

[linney]

Have you tried uninstalling all the USB devices listed in Device Manager, then reboot and let Windows rediscover them?

 

[mjwiech]

I did not try this yet. I am scared of having to go through the "Add new hardware wizard" with all its questions, warnings and creating restore points for each and every discovered USB port...

But maybe I should try anyway.

 

[BadBigBen]

to:

1. ??? don't quite understand the question/answer there...

2. that is normal behavior with unsigned drivers...

3. "Which means that the "signed" information is stored somwhere else" - Yep, read on, and check the location:

Driver Signing uses the existing Digital Signature cryptographic technology to store identifying information in a "catalog file" (*.cat, or CAT file). CAT files are stored in C:\Windows\System32\Catroot and C:\Windows\System32\Catroot2. This information identifies the driver as having passed testing by WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs). No change is made to the driver binary itself. Instead, a CAT file is created for each driver package and the CAT file is signed with a Microsoft digital signature. The relationship between the driver package and its CAT file is referenced in the driver’s INF file and is maintained by the system after the driver is installed.

Source: What is Driver Signing? Display Almanach MS Driver Signing

you could also copy all the information of the C:\Windows\System32\Catroot and C:\Windows\System32\Catroot2 folder, from a working PC to the affected PC...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[mjwiech]

Ben, thanks for the tip on "CatRoots'. This MIGHT be the best tip. I will try it and send a message here.

Sorry for my English. I will try to reformulate myself.

The drivers (in particular USB drivers) which normally are signed, become "unsigned", which means that some information went lost.

This causes troubles with USB devices which should install themselves automatically but they do not (and the annoying "Add new hardware wizard" is called each time).

Thanks a lot.
mjw

 

[BadBigBen]

Sorry for my English. I will try to reformulate myself.

no need to apologize, point 1 was just unclear to me, now that I read it for the 4th time, it just cleared up the typo got me... ;-)

This causes troubles with USB devices which should install themselves automatically but they do not (and the annoying "Add new hardware wizard" is called each time).

if the CATROOT does not solve the problem, then there is a work around, that being to turn off driver signature checking... This will leave the door open for really buggy drivers though...

Disable Unsigned Driver Installation Dialog Prompt in Windows XP

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/...ver-installation-dialog-prompt-in-windows-xp/

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[mjwiech]

Thanks for your comment, BadBigBen.

I had already set "Driver Signing" to "Ignore". Now I changed also the policies, as directed by the article you referred to.

Nevertheless nothing has changed. Still the unnecessary "New Hardware Wizard" appears, still it asks where to find drivers, warns about "not passed Windows Logo testing", and creates a restore point.

Looks like Windows must be reinstalled. Pity. I believed that to repair the "unsigned" state of system drivers should be somewhat possible...

Regards
mjw

 

[BadBigBen]

If the GPO's did not work, then there is definitely something really amiss (registry corrupted or changed)...

and doing a clean install is probably the quickest and safest, not to mention the stability, to reverse the behavior...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[mjwiech]

Reinstalling Windows is not a major problem. It simply takes time and you have to download and install updates, service packs, drivers etc.
Then - to reinstall all programs I use (and there is quite a few of them), trim their settings...

I don't know. Perhaps I must learn to live with that annoying "New hardware wizard".

Regards
mjw

 

[BadBigBen]

Well, you could try slipstreaming the SP3 onto XP first...

then do a REPAIR INSTALL, which wipes only the Updates past SP3, but will leave your installed Software and DATA intact...

but with any install, it would be prudent to make a backup first, just in case something does go wrong...

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[linney]

Are there any clues in the Event Viewer, or problems with Services, such as Plug and Play or Shell Hardware Detection?

Are any of these tools useful to you?

USBDeview v1.36 - View all installed/connected USB devices on your system

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

Autoplay Repair Wizard - Autofix.exe

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...B6-E8FA-45C4-A171-1B389CFACDAD&displaylang=en

Did you ever try removing the USB from Device Manager and rebooting?

Do you have the same problems from Safe Mode, or from Normal Mode but as a different user?

Advanced USB troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310575/en-us

 

[mjwiech]

Hi,
I was a little busy with some other things and missed two recent replies. Thanks for your time!

1. The event viewer says nothing relevant. Everything is ok.
2. Yes, I used USBDeview a lot, mainly to uninstall USB devices and then install them again to check whether the unnecessary "Add new hardware wizard" pops up again. It does...
3. The Autofix program repairs problem concerning autostart/autoplay of external disks and I had not much use of it.
4. Yes, the same problem occurs in Safe Mode.
5. I tried to remove all USB devices from Device Manager and let the system reinstall them again. It did not help either.

I will have a look at the article on USB troubleshooting (thanks for the link)... and if it does not solve the problem, perhaps it's time for BadBigBen's solution: Repair Installation.

Kind regards
mjw

 

[linney]

Have you looked at what you can do to the actual file hdwwiz.cpl in the System32 folder to deny or disable the running of the Add New Hardware Wizard?