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You can help your customers identify quality products that run without interference on Windows-based computers by certifying your products through the Windows Hardware Certification Program.

This program enables you to design, create, and test your product before you submit the final version for certification through the dashboard. The dashboard supports both hardware, Windows Store, and desktop app development, and it replaces the Windows Quality Online Services (Winqual).

Note
This guide assumes the following: Your company is registered with the dashboard. If it isn't, ask your administrator to follow the instructions in Establish a New Company. Your company has a Microsoft Authenticode Certificate from VeriSign Authentication (now a part of Symantec Corporation) that can be used to sign submitted packages. If your company doesn't have a Microsoft Authenticode certificate, or if you haven't signed your packages, ask your administrator to follow the instructions in Manage Your Digital Certificates. You have a Microsoft account for the dashboard that's associated with your company.

Note

This guide assumes the following:

Your company is registered with the dashboard.

If it isn't, ask your administrator to follow the instructions in Establish a New Company.
Your company has a Microsoft Authenticode Certificate from VeriSign Authentication (now a part of Symantec Corporation) that can be used to sign submitted packages.

If your company doesn't have a Microsoft Authenticode certificate, or if you haven't signed your packages, ask your administrator to follow the instructions in Manage Your Digital Certificates.
You have a Microsoft account for the dashboard that's associated with your company.

Submitting your products for certification

After you've developed and tested your product, create the .cab package file and WQReady.xml file with the Winqual Submission Tool (WST). Afterward, sign them using the SignTool tool, and then submit them through the dashboard for certification. For more information about signing your package, see Manage Your Digital Certificates.

The path that you take for certification depends on the type of package that you're submitting.

To submit a package

Review and follow the certification process for the type of package that you want to submit:

Package type

Process

Hardware only
Drivers for a hardware device.

Hardware with added software
Drivers for a hardware device, as well as additional software. For example, a digital camera that includes a photo management or editing program.

Note
The software must be certified before it's added to the package. The complete package must then be submitted for certification for a hardware logo.

Certify a New App
Add the software submission to your hardware submission package. For more information, see Windows 7 Logo Program for Hardware.
Create a New Hardware Logo Submission
Manage Hardware Submissions

Software only
Programs for Windows 7

Software only
Programs for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008

Software devices or software with a kernel-mode driver
Software with additional kernel-mode drivers, such as antimalware software that includes filter drivers.

Note
The drivers must be certified before they're added to the package. The complete package must then be submitted for certification for a software logo.

Create a New Hardware Logo Submission
Add the hardware submission to your software submission package. For more information, see Windows 7 Logo Program for Hardware.
Certify a New App
Manage App Certifications

After your product passes the certification review, it becomes eligible for a Windows logo. In addition, you can publish it to the Windows Server Catalog, the Logo'd Products List (LPL), and CNET during the submission process, or later on. You can also distribute your submitted drivers automatically during the submission process, or manually with the Driver Distribution feature.

After you've submitted your product

The Dashboard offers the following services after you submit a product.

Service	Description
Reports	Go to the Reports page to get regularly updated information about the performance of your device. If your users are having problems, you can create updates and post instructions for them.
Driver distribution	Go to the Driver distribution page to add or update drivers for your device.
Device metadata	Go to the Device metadata page to add or update any images or other metadata for your device.

Service

Description

Reports

Go to the Reports page to get regularly updated information about the performance of your device.

If your users are having problems, you can create updates and post instructions for them.

Driver distribution

Go to the Driver distribution page to add or update drivers for your device.

Device metadata

Go to the Device metadata page to add or update any images or other metadata for your device.

Get Started

Submitting your products for certification

To submit a package

After you've submitted your product

See Also

Concepts