Hello,
I am wondering if anyone has any idea on how much Windows 11 is different from Windows 10 from the driver development perspective? Can’t find any publicly available information from Microsoft. If anyone has any links this will be very much appreciated.
Thank you,
Mike
how much Windows 11 is different from Windows 10 from the driver development perspective
It’ll be approximately as different as Windows 10 was from Windows 8.1… which means, not very different at all.
In general, Windows drivers change very slowly and Windows versions are — as a rule — backward compatible. There are plenty of drivers that were written for XP that still work today.
What you can expect to see is “more of the same”… more emphasis on stuff you should already be doing: Supporting DMAr (IOMMU), HVCI, and all the “cool new” flags on ExAllocatePool and MmMapLockedPagesSpecifyCache.
This isn’t Linux where kernel-mode interface break between versions. There’s a really big ecosystem out there with Windows drivers.
Peter
It is windows 10 with a dx12 and TPM2.0 requirement, as far as I can tell.
If you are developing apps for windows platforms (and why would you do
that?) then there is new stuff for apps.
Mark Roddy
The following section related to drivers in Windows 11 is stated here
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/windows-11-understanding-the-system-requirements-and-the-security-benefits/ar-AALCmZQ
…
They also need to have drivers based on the new Windows Drivers model; earlier this year, Microsoft announced that drivers for what was then called Windows 10X would need to be certified through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program and be componentised, written for isolation and use an approved subset of Windows APIs, to make them more stable and easier to update.
…
Funnily you can still sign and load drivers with expired cross certificates (with secure boot disabled), they still haven’t implemented the new policy.
@rusakov2 said:
The following section related to drivers in Windows 11 is stated herehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/windows-11-understanding-the-system-requirements-and-the-security-benefits/ar-AALCmZQ
…
They also need to have drivers based on the new Windows Drivers model; earlier this year, Microsoft announced that drivers for what was then called Windows 10X would need to be certified through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program and be componentised, written for isolation and use an approved subset of Windows APIs, to make them more stable and easier to update.
…
Hmmm … it’s that “approved subset of Windows API’s” that concerns me … is there a document somewhere that says “here’s what API’s you can’t use” ?
it’s that “approved subset of Windows API’s” that concerns me
See the drop-down in VS driver properties for Driver Type? There’s a selection named “Windows Driver”. Sorta like Universal Driver.
Note the linked article is junk. It doesn’t say anything specifically about Windows 11 drivers, but rather refers to Win10x, which we all know was cancelled.
Wait and see. That’s all we can do. From everything I’ve read (public and NDA) I haven’t yet heard anything concerning. Just “more of the same”… as I said before.
Peter
1 Like
Hello,
I have tried out this with my attestation-signed storport/miniport driver for a storage controller, and it looks like that Windows 11 will accept it.
First I have installed Windows 11 on an NVMe device attached directly to the mainboard, then plugged in my storage adapter and installed the driver by the device manager: no warnings and no problem, the driver installs and attached drives can be accessed.
Then I installed Windows 11 on a drive attached to my storage controller: during installation I was able to install my driver by the “load driver” button and continue the installation normally. After completing, Windows 11 boots from my controller and driver.
I have tried this with both versions 21996.1 (leaked version) and 22000.51 (1st official windows insider), it´s the same.
Not sure if this already means or proof anything?
Best regards, Georg
Not sure if this already means or proof anything?
Nope. But it’s still good to hear. Nothing’s broken YET.
Especially when it comes to driver signing, we won’t know until things are “final.”
We have learned through long, hard, ugly, experience that “it’s not done until it’s done” – I have seen policies on driver signing change within the last few weeks of a release. And not in a small way.
We’ll see what’s in store for Driver Signing for Windows 11. I don’t know much, but I’m pretty sure that there’s bound to be SOMETHING related to signing that’ll annoy us.
Peter
Also, just wanted to share… Tried my filter driver that works on Disk Drive and USB hub class levels and everything works fine (on a leaked version of Windows 11).
I notice there’s now a new Windows 11 WDK: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/download-the-wdk
Anyone tried that? I assume this is the official version that will remain the same for the OS release?
@MikeS said:
Also, just wanted to share… Tried my filter driver that works on Disk Drive and USB hub class levels and everything works fine (on a leaked version of Windows 11).
Hi Mike, what kind of signature is applied to your driver: attestation-signed or HLK-signed?
Regards, Georg
@GeorgW said:
@MikeS said:
Also, just wanted to share… Tried my filter driver that works on Disk Drive and USB hub class levels and everything works fine (on a leaked version of Windows 11).Hi Mike, what kind of signature is applied to your driver: attestation-signed or HLK-signed?
Regards, Georg
Attestation-signed.