Windows Logo Program Newsletter - May 22, 2012

Windows 8 Release Preview Is Coming!

Live: Updated Requirements, Policies, and Supporting Documents

Service Disruption Alert: Dashboard Prepares for Windows 8 Submissions

New Hardware and Software Logo License Agreements Are Now Available

New Logo Artwork Package to Be Available on Windows 8 Release Preview Date

Action Required: Windows 7 Touch Submissions Switch to Self-Test Program

Early Bird Special for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 Submissions

Windows Vista Hardware Logo Programs Are Closing

Testing Hint: How to Use Test-Signed Catalogs for Windows 8

We are rapidly approaching a major milestone: Windows 8 Release Preview (RP) becomes available in early June. With this version of the operating system (OS) and the accompanying certification kits, you can begin to certify your products for Windows 8. This edition of the newsletter contains important information that you'll need to know to be ready.

The Hardware Dev Center has updated information to help you prepare for the Windows 8 RP release. We have updated the Windows 8 Hardware Certification requirements originally published at the Consumer Preview to reflect the proper names for the new operating systems, to correct requirement/OS mappings, clarify some ambiguous wording, and add or remove some late-breaking requirements changes.

For your convenience, the requirements are accompanied by a "blackline" version that highlights the changes since the earlier preview.

The policy documents how to handle various testing situations with the new kit, and answers most process questions you may have about things such as legal agreements and billing. Updated details include server certification, ARM scenarios, and signature-only policies.

You will find a scrubbed and updated Resources and Support section for both Windows 7 and Windows 8, including the Windows Logo Program for Hardware FAQ and Support Contacts.

We're on track to deliver even more timely information in the remaining weeks before the Windows 8 RP release. Look for:

• Updated Certification section of the Hardware Dev Center to support Windows 8 RP.
  
  
• Updated HCK Step-by-Step Guide, new/updated FAQs, and new step-by-step video for the Dashboard.
  
  
• An online version of the updated system, device, and filter driver requirements in the Hardware Dev Center, which will be browse-able and searchable.
  
  
• Online versions of the help content for hardware certification tests that ships with the Hardware Certification Kit (HCK).
  
  
• Korean, Japanese, and Chinese updated translations of the HCK Step-by-Step Guide.
  
  

As part of the build-up for Windows 8 RP described above, the Dashboard will be offline for 24 hours beginning at noon Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. The maintenance will prepare the site to accept Hardware Certification Kit (HCK) submissions in addition to the current Windows Logo Kit 1.6 submissions.

The new Hardware Logo License Agreement (LLA) 2013 and Software Logo License Agreement (LLA) 1.6 are now available for review and signing on the Windows Hardware Developer Dashboard website. Both LLAs have been updated to include information about the Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 operating systems.

Note
You must sign the new Hardware LLA 2013 in order to upload any hardware logo program submissions. Likewise, you must sign the new Software LLA version 1.6 in order to upload any software logo program submissions. The Dashboard site will block any attempted submissions unless you have signed the appropriate new LLA for the type of submission you are attempting.

The new LLAs allow you to use the new Windows 8 logo on any products you test and certify following the new Windows 8 requirements test kits. A new logo artwork package will be available for download from the Dashboard site on the Windows 8 Release Preview date. The new artwork package contains artwork for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012.

Beginning at the Windows 8 RC milestone, the Windows 7 Touch Test Program will move to self-testing. Partners who submit under the Input > Windows Touch category for Windows 7 will no longer be required to send devices to the Windows Touch Taipei Lab.

The Windows Certification Program ensures that every certified product has been tested to install readily and run reliably on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Getting your products certified is a critically important step in your participation in the successful launch of Windows 8.

To help our hardware partners achieve certification, the Windows Certification team is pleased to announce that for a limited time we are reducing the submission fee. Effective with the release of Windows 8 RP, the fee for every new submission for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 logos will be only $100, a $150 discount. Please note this offer will be for a limited time. We will announce the end date for this offer when Windows 8 RP is released. Stay tuned!

This is a great opportunity to lower your development costs by downloading the latest Hardware Certification Kit (HCK) and testing your system or device for submission during this limited timeframe. This offer is available to both device and system partners.

The Windows Vista Logo Program for hardware will no longer accept new system and device submissions for logo qualification with the release of Windows 8 Release Preview (RP). Any hardware products that have qualified for a Windows Vista logo prior to this date can continue to use the appropriate artwork on the product and its packaging for the life of the product per the terms set forth in the licensing agreements, but no new systems or devices will be certified and added to the catalog.

Driver signatures and Windows Update distribution will still be available for Windows Vista. If you use Windows Logo Kit (WLK) 1.6, you can use the Unclassified category to obtain a driver signature. You do not have to run the full Windows Vista test suite for the original category. If you use new Windows Hardware Certification Kit (HCK), your device must pass all of the tests that the kit reveals, which will be a slightly larger suite of device fundamentals tests, the bus/connectivity tests, and select feature tests, in order to qualify for a driver signature only. We, of course, encourage you to use this more robust testing, but will accept Windows Vista submissions from either kit. Remember that you cannot mix logs from WLK and HCK in the same submission, which could affect your planning.

The test-signing process still works for Windows 8, but you must manually install the test certificate. Previously, Windows Logo Kit (WLK) automatically installed the test-signing certificate on each client machine and the controller, as part of the WLK installation process. The new Hardware Certification Kit (HCK) is not signed with this certificate, so you must manually install the certificate from one of the signed catalog files that you obtain from the Test-Sign website.

To manually install the test certificate

1. Double-click the test-signed catalog file.
   
   
2. Click View Signature.
   
   
3. In the new window, click View Certificate.
   
   
4. In the new window, click the Certification Path tab.
   
   
5. Select the Microsoft Test Root Authority certificate and click View Certificate.
   
   
6. In the new window, click the Details tab and click Copy to File.
   
   
7. Follow the instructions in the wizard to export the certificate to a file, making note of the file location.
   
   
8. Locate the file that you just exported (it should be a .cer file) and double-click it to open it.
   
   
9. Click Install Certificate.
   
   
10. Follow the instructions in the Certificate Import Wizard, ensuring that you place all certificates in the Trusted Root Certification Authorities certificate store.
    
    

This procedure installs the test-signing certificate so that test-signed catalogs work properly. Note that the method to have drivers test-signed and the acceptable uses for test-signed drivers are unchanged.

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