Windows Hardware Quality Labs

WHQL which abbreviation is Windows Hardware Quality Labs and it’s also known as Microsoft Testing Operation. WHQL is planned to show to Microsoft, and ultimately to users, that certain software or hardware item will work adequately using the Windows operating system.

The manufacturer uses a “Certified for Windows” logo on the packaging of the product and is publicizing it. When their products either software or hardware has passed Windows Hardware Quality Labs Test. A Certified for Windows logo is used and users can plainly see that the product has been tested to merits set by Microsoft and is therefore suited to which Windows version you’re running. Products are included Compatibility List of Windows Hardware which has the Windows Hardware Quality Labs logo.

WHQL Drivers:

In extension to software and hardware, device drivers are also usually tested, and Windows Hardware Quality Labs are verified by Microsoft. You’ll apparently find the WHQL term most frequent when you’re working with drivers. If a driver hasn’t been Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) verified you can still consider installing it, but a warning message will tell you about the driver’s lack of certification before the installation. WHQL-verified drivers don’t show a message at all.

A Windows Hardware Quality Labs warning may read something like “The software you are installing has not passed Windows Logo testing to check its compatibility with Windows” or “Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software”.

Dissimilar versions of Windows deal with this a bit differently.

Windows XP always follows this rule of Unsigned drivers, I mean a warning will be shown if the driver is not able to pass the Windows Hardware Quality Labs Test.

The New Version of Windows and the old version of Windows Vista also need to follow this kind of order, but with one exception which is that if they sign their own driver then they don’t show a warning message. In simple words, there is no warning will show even if a driver has not gone through Windows Hardware Quality Labs. Moreover, the company issuing the driver has added a digital signature, confirming its origin and legitimacy.

In a condition like that, even though you won’t see a caution, the driver wouldn’t be competent to use a “Certified for Windows” logo. OR They can also consider that on their download page because the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification has not happened.

How to find and Install WHQL Drivers:

Few WHQL drivers are accommodated through Updates of Windows, but surely not all of them. Users can stay up to date regarding the release of the updated version of the WHQL driver from NVIDIA Drivers’ official website which is big manufacturers, ASUS, and others on our Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 drivers pages. Driver Booster which is a perfect example of a free driver updating tool can only show you those drivers’ updates that have passed the Tests of WHQL to check in which way updated drivers get additional information on the installation of drivers.

WHQL:

Not all drivers and hardware need to go running via Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). It actually means that Microsoft can’t be actual that it will work with their OS, not that it assured won’t work at all. As usual, if you know you are downloading a driver through the hardware maker’s authorized website or from a reliable download source. You can be logically confident that it shall work if they declare that it appears so in your version of Windows.

A lot of companies issue beta Software drivers to examiners previous to WHQL certifications or in-house digital signing. It means to say that a lot of drivers must pass a testing stage that permits the company assuredly inform the customer that their drivers will work according to the expectation.

You can get knowledge more regarding hardware certification, along with the essentialities and procedures to perceive it going, at Microsoft’s Hardware Device Center.

Bottom Line:

Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing or WHQL Testing is Microsoft‘s testing method which requires running a series of tests on third-party hardware or software, and then submitting the log files from these tests to Microsoft for review. The process may also add Microsoft running their own tests on a wide range of apparatus. Such as different hardware and different Microsoft Windows editions.