After I restarted my computer, I find that Windows 7 has added a watermark to the wallpaper at the right bottom corner. It reads:
Test Mode
Windows 7
Build 7600
This is legal copy of Windows 7 and I have already been using it for more than a year. Why is this watermark showing up now? How do I get rid of it?
Best Answer
It looks like either you or any program has set your Windows 7 into test signing mode. This is typically done if you need to install an unsigned driver. As Windows 7 does not allow to install unsigned kernel-mode drives (unsigned/untrusted user-mode drivers are allowed) you need to enable "testsigning" mode in order to install it.
To verify whether you're running in testsigning mode open up an elevated command prompt and type:
bcdedit.exe
Then look at the
Windows Boot Loader
section and check fortestsigning
parameter. It might look as follows:To disable testsigning mode type the following on an elevated command prompt:
Now the testsigning line should disappear or read
No
:Caution: If you have recently installed an unsigned driver or connected a device which comes only with unsigned drivers then disabling testmode might break the device or render it useless as the driver will not be loaded any more.
If you do not have any clue what could have enabled testmode you're strongly advised to run antivirus and anti-rootkit tools like GMER. Recently a rootkit was revealed which silently enables test mode in order to install unsigned drivers into the Windows x64 system (32-bit versions of Windows are not that strict and allow drivers with invalid signature to be loaded in kernel-mode).