A practical guide to turning on Windows Test Signing mode with BCDEdit, checking whether it is active, fixing common errors, and safely turning it off again.
Test Mode, also called Test Signing mode, is a Windows boot configuration option that allows the system to load test-signed kernel-mode drivers and certain development builds that are not signed through the standard production driver-signing process.
You may need to enable it when testing a custom driver, installing older specialized hardware software, developing low-level Windows components, or following instructions from a trusted hardware vendor or developer tool.
Important: Test Mode lowers the normal driver-signing restrictions. Do not enable it just to bypass security warnings for random drivers downloaded from untrusted websites. Use it only when you understand why a test-signed driver is required.
Before changing the boot configuration, check these points:
The standard way to enable Test Mode is to use the bcdedit command-line tool. The steps are the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
In Windows 11, the menu usually shows Terminal (Admin). In Windows 10, it may show Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
Copy and run this command:
bcdedit /set testsigning onIf the command is successful, you should see a message similar to:
The operation completed successfully.Restart your computer. After the reboot, Windows should start in Test Mode. You may see a Test Mode watermark in the lower-right corner of the desktop.
To check the current boot configuration, open an elevated Terminal or Command Prompt and run:
bcdeditLook for the testsigning entry in the Windows Boot Loader section. If Test Mode is enabled, it should show:
testsigning YesYou can also check visually: when Test Mode is active, Windows often displays a desktop watermark that includes the Windows edition and the words Test Mode.
The watermark is normal. It indicates that Windows is running with test signing enabled. This is not an activation problem and does not mean Windows is damaged.
The watermark usually disappears after you disable Test Mode and restart the computer. If it remains after disabling Test Mode, check the status with bcdedit and make sure testsigning is no longer set to Yes.
When you no longer need test-signed drivers, turn Test Mode off. Open Terminal, PowerShell, or Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
bcdedit /set testsigning offThen restart the computer. After rebooting, Windows should return to normal driver-signing behavior, and the Test Mode watermark should disappear.
Note: If a driver or program depends on Test Mode, it may stop working after Test Mode is disabled. Remove or replace the test-signed driver with a properly signed version before switching Test Mode off on a production PC.
When you run bcdedit /set testsigning on, you may see this error:
An error has occurred setting the element data.
The value is protected by Secure Boot policy and cannot be modified or deleted.This usually means that Secure Boot is enabled in UEFI firmware and is preventing Test Mode from being enabled.
bcdedit /set testsigning on again as Administrator.Security warning: Secure Boot is an important protection feature. Disable it only when you have a clear technical reason, and enable it again after you finish testing if your configuration allows it.
| Error or Symptom | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
Access is denied |
The terminal was not opened as Administrator. | Close the window and open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). |
The boot configuration data store could not be opened |
Insufficient permissions or damaged boot configuration. | Run the command in an elevated terminal. If the error remains, check the Windows boot configuration and disk health. |
| Command succeeds, but no watermark appears | Windows has not been restarted yet, or the watermark is hidden by shell/customization software. | Restart the PC and verify the status with bcdedit. |
| Driver still does not load | The driver may be blocked, incompatible, unsigned in a different way, or built for another Windows version. | Check Device Manager, Event Viewer, and the driver vendor’s documentation. |
No. Safe Mode starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services for troubleshooting. Test Mode changes driver-signing behavior so test-signed drivers can be loaded.
No. Test Mode has nothing to do with Windows activation. It only affects test signing and driver-loading behavior.
For everyday use, it is better to keep Test Mode disabled. Leave it enabled only for driver development, hardware testing, or a clearly defined troubleshooting task.
No. Changing boot configuration requires administrative privileges.
No. Disabling Test Mode does not delete drivers, but drivers that require test signing may no longer load after the restart.
To enable Test Mode in Windows 10 or Windows 11, open an elevated Terminal or Command Prompt, run bcdedit /set testsigning on, and restart the computer. To return Windows to normal mode, run bcdedit /set testsigning off and restart again.
Enable Test Mode: bcdedit /set testsigning on
Check status: bcdedit
Disable Test Mode: bcdedit /set testsigning off
If the command fails because of Secure Boot, decide whether disabling Secure Boot is acceptable for your situation. On a regular home or office computer, Test Mode should be used temporarily and turned off after the required testing is complete.