Microsoft Announces Major Changes to Windows Hardware Driver Landscape
In a significant update released today, Microsoft unveiled pivotal changes in its approach to Windows hardware driver development. The company has decided to phase out two essential components: Windows Device Metadata and the Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS).This transition is set to take effect in May 2025.
Details on Device Metadata Retirement
According to a recent blog post from Microsoft, the impending retirement of device metadata and WMIS brings several changes:
Device metadata and the Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS) are being retired as of May 2025, and no new packages will be delivered to Windows clients via WMIS. In Partner Center, device metadata experiences cannot be created, modified, or promoted. New device metadata submissions will fail. Existing device metadata packages on Windows clients will remain on the client.
Between now and December 2025, partners can continue to use Partner Center to view and download previously signed device metadata packages.
Understanding Device Metadata
For clarity, device metadata consists of supplementary, user-focused information provided by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) about their hardware. This feature, first introduced in Windows 7, encompasses a variety of elements, such as icons, logos, and descriptive texts. Such metadata plays a crucial role in enhancing the user interface by displaying detailed information about devices in applications like Task Manager and Device Manager. This data is formatted through XML files.
Transition to INF Files
Moving forward, Microsoft advocates for the use of INF files—these are setup information files tailored for driver packages. For comprehensive details, refer to the official Tech Community blog post here.
Changes to Pre-Production Driver Signing
In addition to the device metadata retirement, Microsoft has announced an upcoming shift regarding pre-production driver signing. The existing Certificate Authority (CA) used for driver signing—specifically the PCA 2010—will expire in June 2025.
Important Timelines and Changes
The following timeline outlines the upcoming changes:
The CA that is used to sign the binaries for use in pre-production environments on the Windows Hardware Program is set to expire in July 2025. Following this, a new CA will be used for signing preproduction content, starting June 9, 2025. Key points for partners to note include:
- Post-June 9, 2025, signed pre-production drivers will not have an associated expiry date, differing from current practices where the content expires along with the CA.
- Drivers signed before June 9, 2025, will still expire on July 6, 2025, maintaining the existing expiry model.
- Scheduled Windows servicing releases on April 22, May 13, and June 10, 2025, will enable partners to re-map existing CAs to the new CAs in WDAC/Application Control for Business policies. It is essential to apply these Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs) to establish trust for the new preproduction signer, Microsoft Windows Component Preproduction CA 2024, within the kernel.
For further information regarding these updates, you can visit the Microsoft Tech Community blog post available here.
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