The Testing Blog

I’ve you’re a hardware or software developer, you obviously know that Microsoft Windows 7 is on the way – and it’s coming quickly! According to the latest rumors (backed up by the stability of the test builds being made available), Windows 7 should be released by the end of the year, but the question is are you (and your products) ready? Have you tested your hardware and/or software products under Windows 7?

With the dismal release that was Windows Vista, many users and corporations have held off on upgrading their Windows XP or earlier platforms to the latest version of Windows. There is a huge amount of pent-up demand for a fast, stable, secure operating system, and as soon as Windows 7 hits, a large number of computers will be upgrading. Don’t get caught unprepared, as many manufacturers did with Windows Vista.

Windows 7 is much more than just fancy window dressings. Windows 7 has made significant performance improvements on the underlying technology which is based on Windows Vista, including much of the same driver technologies. If you’ve submitted products for Windows certification, you’ve probably already discovered that Microsoft is requiring that new submissions include testing under Windows 7. So, if you haven’t already, make sure to get testing NOW!

Just a quick tip for anyone looking to have their Windows hardware WHQL’d (e.g., given a “Certified for Windows Vista” logo, etc.) – Microsoft has made 64-bit drivers MANDATORY. If you’ve designed a hardware product and you want to get it certified, you must also submit an x64 driver. The following text is from the Windows Logo Program Device Requirements Document (pages 86 and 365 as of today – search for “x64″):

All products and drivers (kernel mode or user mode) submitted for Microsoft signature or Logo must support the x64 version of that specific Windows operating system, with certain exceptions described below. This requirement is applicable for Windows Vista and later operating systems. It applies to all logo‘ed and unclassified drivers. x86 driver submissions are optional in all cases. When submitting an x86 driver or device, vendors must also make an x64 bit driver submission.

Just a warning before you get far along the process to get your product tested for WHQL/DTM.

However, Microsoft has been giving a 60 day grace period in which you can submit your x64 bit drivers.