Hardware Certification Submissions
By certifying your hardware device, system, and drivers for Windows, you gain the support of Microsoft marketing resources in the form of compatibility and reliability listings, logo artwork, promotional partnerships, and access to Windows Update for distributing updates to drivers.
Getting your device certified for a Windows Update logo starts with planning and design, including getting a Microsoft Authenticode Certificate from VeriSign Authentication (now a part of Symantec Corporation) and establishing an account with the dashboard.
To develop your device, download the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). To test your device, download the Windows Hardware Certification Kit (Windows HCK) (preferred) or the Windows Logo Kit (WLK).
After testing, you can submit the results to the dashboard. For information about submitting a Windows HCK package, see Create a New Hardware Certification Submission. For information about submitting a WLK package, see Create a New Hardware Logo Submission.
Submission types
For Windows HCK submissions, you can submit one of the following types through the dashboard:
| Submission type | Description |
|---|---|
|
Hardware only |
If your device doesn't include any add-in software (other than drivers), you should submit it through the Hardware certification page. |
|
Hardware with add-in software |
If your device includes add-in software (such as a digital camera with additional photo management software), you should first submit the add-in software through the App Certification page. Then, add the add-in software to your hardware submission package for certification through the Hardware logo page. The Windows logo will be attached to the hardware, but it won't be attached to the add-in software. |
|
A driver to be attached to a software application |
If you're submitting a software application that includes any kernel-mode drivers (such as an antimalware program that includes filter drivers), you must first submit the drivers for certification through the Hardware certification page. If they pass, you must then add them to your software package and submit the entire package through the App Certification page. The Windows logo will be attached to the software, but it won't be attached to the included drivers. |
|
System Certification |
If you're testing a system/PC to certify the system forWindows , you must submit the test results from the Windows HCK) through the Hardware certification page. |
For WLK submissions, you can submit one of the following types through the dashboard:
| Submission type | Description |
|---|---|
|
Hardware only |
If your device doesn't include any add-in software (other than drivers), you should submit it through the Hardware logo page. |
|
Hardware with add-in software |
If your device includes add-in software (such as a digital camera with additional photo management software), you should first submit the add-in software through the App Certification page. Then, add the add-in software to your hardware submission package for certification through the Hardware logo page. The Windowslogo will be attached to the hardware, but it won't be attached to the add-in software. |
|
A driver to be attached to a software application |
If you're submitting a software application that includes any kernel-mode drivers (such as an antimalware program that includes filter drivers), you must first submit the drivers for certification through the Hardware logo page. If they pass, you must then add them to your software package and submit the entire package through the App Certification page. The Windowslogo will be attached to the software, but it won't be attached to the included drivers. |
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