Using Driver INF Files

WRP protects the integrity of system files and system registry settings, including device drivers and device settings. Drivers are added to the list of WRP-protected files on the system only if they have been specifically flagged for protection by WRP when being staged to the driver store.

When a driver package has been specifically flagged for WRP protection and that driver package is staged to the driver store, an event is logged to the event logs to indicate this. To verify that a third-party driver you plan to install will be protected using WRP, open the INF file for the driver and look for Pnplockdown=1 in the [Version] section. Microsoft recommends that ISVs who develop third-party drivers for Windows 7 include this setting (called the lockdown flag) in their INF files, which causes WRP to prevent users with administrative privileges from deleting or modifying the driver files referenced in the INF file. However, this is only a recommendation; ISVs are not required to include this setting in case compatibility issues should arise.