The Media Foundation Protected Media Path executable runs within a Protected Environment (PE) when media content has DRM restrictions. This executable, mfpmp.exe, has an extensibility model for 3rd-party Media Foundation components.

The Audio Device Graph Isolation executable always runs in a PE to protect any audio content that may require DRM. The audiodg.exe binary also has an extensibility model for 3rd-party user-mode components such as Audio Processing Objects.

These components, as well as user-mode audio and video drivers, will only load into a PE if signed properly for the environment. Signing is implemented through WHQL where tied to hardware through the submission process, or using the licensed PE SDK for drivers not passing through WHQL and for other components. The PE SDK provides instructions for signing binaries through the use of catalog files.

Two issues have been identified in the use of catalog signing:

1. The catalog entries in the catalog database are not persisted through an operating system upgrade. The effect is that PE-signed components will no longer load into a PE after upgrade.
2. Performing a rollback of a PE component upgrade does not reliably replace the newer entry in the catalog database with the pre-upgrade catalog. The effect is again that the components signed by the catalog will no longer load into a PE.

• James.Random() : Customer Satisfaction with Vista
  A survey shows that those not yet using Vista don’t like it, and those already using Vista do like it.
  (tags: Review PR )
• nVIDIA ForceWare 174.74 WHQL Graphics Drivers for Vista - 9Down.COM
  I guess they aren’t leaked anymore, go grab the official release.
  (tags: Nvidia WHQL Video Drivers )

I guess they aren’t leaked anymore, go grab the official release. Keep reading →

Windows Hardware Quality Lab: A lab that uses a testing process which involves running a series of tests on third-party (i.e. non-Microsoft) hardware or software, and then submitting the log files from these tests to Microsoft for review. The procedure may also include Microsoft running their own tests on a wide range of equipment, like different hardware and different Microsoft Windows editions.

Consider the following scenario:

• You are running a Windows Vista-based computer that has multiple display adapters in a Linked Display Adapter (LDA) configuration.
• You use the Driver Test Manager tool on the computer to run a Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL) test that includes a Logo stress subtest.

In this scenario, the Logo stress subtest triggers a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) aperture corruption. Therefore, the WHQL test does not finish successfully.

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• Realtek HD R1.76 2000/XP/2003/Vista (32Bit/64Bit)
  The latest WHQL audio driver from Realtek.
  (tags: Audio WHQL Driver )

Keep reading →

The latest WHQL audio driver from Realtek. Keep reading →

Consider the following scenario. You use a Windows Vista installation disc to install Windows Vista. Additionally, you have media that includes a storage device driver. This storage device driver is certified by Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL). When you install Windows Vista, you use the advanced settings in the Windows Vista Setup program to specify this storage device driver.

In this scenario, the storage device driver that you specified during Windows Vista installation appears to load. However, after the installation of Windows Vista is complete, Windows Vista does not use the driver that you specified. Instead, Windows Vista uses the driver that is included in the Windows Vista installation disc.

When this problem occurs, storage device features are not available in Windows Vista for the driver that you specified during Windows Vista installation. The storage device features are not available even though Windows Vista appears to use the .inf file that corresponds to the storage device driver that you specified during Windows Vista installation.