Edit

Share via

Driver matching criteria

  • Article

This topic describes the elements that are used to choose the best driver match for a device on Windows 8 (WDDM 1.2). Graphics/display drivers follow standard Plug and Play (PnP) algorithms. For more up-to-date information, see How Windows ranks driver packages.

The following elements are used to choose the best match on a driver. They are listed in order from most significant to least significant:

  1. Signature

    1. Signed
    2. Unsigned

  2. Scope

    1. Specific
    2. Basic - DNF_BASIC_DRIVER

  3. Signature score

    1. Within signed

      1. #define SIGNERSCORE_LOGO_PREMIUM 0x0D000001
      2. #define SIGNERSCORE_LOGO_STANDARD 0x0D000002
      3. #define SIGNERSCORE_INBOX 0x0D000003
      4. #define SIGNERSCORE_UNCLASSIFIED 0x0D000004 // UNCLASSIFIED == INBOX == STANDARD == PREMIUM when the SIGNERSCORE_MASK filter is applied
      5. #define SIGNERSCORE_WHQL 0x0D000005 // base WHQL.
      6. #define SIGNERSCORE_AUTHENTICODE 0x0F000000

    2. Within unsigned

      1. #define SIGNERSCORE_UNSIGNED 0x80000000
      2. #define SIGNERSCORE_W9X_SUSPECT 0xC0000000
      3. #define SIGNERSCORE_UNKNOWN 0xFF000000

  4. Feature Score, for display

    1. Windows 8 WHQL E0
    2. Windows 8 Pre-Release Driver E3
    3. Windows 7 WHQL E6
    4. Windows 7 Inbox EC
    5. Windows Vista WHQL F6
    6. Windows Vista Inbox F8
    7. Microsoft Basic Display Driver FB
    8. XDDM 3rd party FC (Not used in Windows 8)
    9. XDDM Inbox in Windows Vista FD (Not used in Windows 8)
    10. VGA FE (Not used in Windows 8)
    11. Default or No Score FF
    12. Unsigned drivers FF
    13. No Feature score FF

  5. Match type (INF matches are listed under the models section as Description=Install Section, HWID, CompatID. With 0 or 1 HW IDs and 0 or more CompatIDs)

    1. Device HardwareID == INF HardwareID
    2. Device HardwareID == INF CompatID
    3. Device CompatID == INF HardwareID
    4. Device CompatID == INF CompatID

  6. Match rank: priority of match within list of matches from device

  7. Driver date

  8. Driver version number