Manage Print Driver signature validation
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Printers Description
This policy setting controls the print driver signature validation mechanism. This policy controls the type of digital signature that is required for a print driver to be considered valid and installed on the system. As part of this validation the catalog/embedded signature is verified and all files in the driver must be a part of the catalog or have their own embedded signature that can be used for validation. You can enable this setting to change the default signature validation method. To use this setting, select one of the options below from the "Select the driver signature mechanism for this computer" box. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the default method is "Allow all validly signed drivers". -- "Require inbox signed drivers" specifies only drivers that are shipped as part of a Windows image are allowed on this computer. -- "Allow inbox and PrintDrivers Trusted Store signed drivers" specifies only drivers that are shipped as part of a Windows image or drivers that are signed by certificates installed in the 'PrintDrivers' certificate store are allowed on this computer. -- "Allow inbox, PrintDrivers Trusted Store, and WHQL signed drivers" specifies the only drivers allowed on this computer are those that are: shipped as part of a Windows image, signed by certificates installed in the 'PrintDrivers' certificate store, or signed by the Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL). -- "Allow inbox, PrintDrivers Trusted Store, WHQL, and Trusted Publishers Store signed drivers" specifies the only drivers allowed on this computer are those that are: shipped as part of a Windows image, signed by certificates installed in the 'PrintDrivers' certificate store, signed by the Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL), or signed by certificates installed in the 'Trusted Publishers' certificate store. -- "Allow all validly signed drivers" specfies that any print driver that has a valid embedded signature or can be validated against the print driver catalog can be installed on this computer. The 'PrintDrivers' certificate store needs to be created by an administrator under the local machine store location. The 'Trusted Publishers' certificate store can contain certificates from sources that are not related to print drivers.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Printers/ConfigureDriverValidationLevel Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver]
"ValidationLevel"=dword:00000004More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ValidationLevel' -Value 4 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Printers/ConfigureDriverValidationLevel
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="DriverValidationLevel_Enum" value="4"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver' -Name 'ValidationLevel' -Expected 4 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ValidationLevel' -Value 4 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver' -Name 'ValidationLevel' -Expected 4 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage Print Driver signature validation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\Driver'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ValidationLevel' -Value 4 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.