WHQL Voodoo Drivers

[PanoramixDruida]

Hi guys, would it be possible to make Amigamerlin x.x Driver Series, Microsoft WHQL Certified?.

[Nightbird]

Hum, why ? WHQL = many money, probably or all the official 3dfx drivers would be whql... without forgotting Nvidia...

[amp_man]

Well, if you don't like the little dialogue box, you can always turn it off under XP, and probably 2k also:
Start>>Control Panel>>Administrative Tools>>Local Security Policy

[PanoramixDruida]

why ? WHQL

Just because it's a way to be sure that the drivers are bug free. Bah!, that's what I think.

[amp_man]

hmm, perhaps somebody should look into this. I'm not sure that WHQL application costs anything, but I haven't looked into it at all. It seems to me that the biggest issue would be that the drivers weren't developed by the company that produced the card, and that the drivers are for the most part hacks. Also, I think that the latest Amigamerlins with the recompiled D3D core are probably illegal, because they modify the source from 3dfx's original. licensed core. Lots of legal issues there, so I don't think MS would likely put a WHQL on them.

EDIT: also, MS has stopped WHQL'ing win9x/me drivers.

[bloodworm]

It USED to be free.  I was the WHQL driver test guy at the last place I worked, and a submission was FREE as long as you ran some set of tests from a CD that came from Microsoft and others.  I THINK it's like $400 now.  but It MAY have become free again since then.  I may be able to get my hands on the testing software again for free though for PREcompliance type testing.  I will keep you posted.

[PanoramixDruida]

I will keep you posted

Well, that's good news!!!

[nSomniac]

i have some good news on this topic also.... I just found out that my boss is a beta tester for windows software he also has the software to whql drivers and what not, so if you would like i will talk to him about whql'n the whatever drivers that would please you... and to everone else that makes drivers i can also talk to him for you... so that the drivers may be certified... i still as of yet know wheather or not this costs money, but i may also inquire into this if u wish...

   Matt

[Voo-dude]

Believe it or not, I did WHQL testing for STB and 3dfx after the buyout of STB. What you want is the HCT tests or sometimes called the Logo kit because after certification, you can display the Microsoft certified logo on your box legally. I though it was somewhere around $4000 bucks but then again it could be free for all I know. I cut the following from Microsoft's site...

"The HCT 11.0 kit, test procedures, and Readme files are available to download from the Windows Hardware Quality Labs system and device home pages at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwtest/default.mspx or you may order the CD at http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/hct. The HCT 11.0 is also part of the MSDN November 2002 shipment."

The problem with WHQL on a driver for a hardware product is that you have to GIVE Microsoft - if I'm not mistaken - 4 working examples of the hardware you wish to qualify the software for...and they keep them. At least we had to anyway. You can read all of it here...

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwtest/default.mspx

Later.

[Voo-dude]

...you can download the tests for free but I'm almost positive it costs big bucks to have the cert. bit put in the driver file because they have to do LOTS of testing.