Microsoft is revamping the way Windows 10 verifies drivers as part of the new October 2020 Patch Tuesday update, and it might cause some problems for you down the road (via Windows Latest).
Designed to protect PCs from unknown publishers, Microsoft will now show you an error message when an improperly formatted catalog file is found during software validation.
The new verification step will protect your laptop from opening malicious files made by untrusted publishers, but it could lead to some frustration in the process. Microsoft will now block users from applying drivers to software if Windows can't verify the publisher.
When this happens, Microsoft will alert users with one of two error messages: "Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software" or "No signature was present in the subject."
This is ultimately a welcome step from Microsoft, but the method for getting your un-verified software to run is...unfortunate. The software giant says anyone who hits this roadblock should “contact the driver vendor or device manufacturer (OEM) and ask them for an updated driver to correct the issue” if Windows 10 can't verify a driver.
Yes, that means you need to find the contact info of the company or developer who made the program and send them an email. That's not exactly something consumers should be doing but if you need to download new drivers, reaching out to the developers is the best way to ensure the process goes smoothly on your Windows 10 PC.
