[25 July 2015: For an update on this topic, with many additional details, please refer to this blog post.] Nobody likes having to sign their 64-bit Windows kernel-mode drivers. But after you’ve done it a few times, you get used to it. And after all, you tell yourself, it’s probably worth it in terms of […]
New MVP Program Announced for Hardware/Driver Devs
Back and the end of January we told you that Microsoft was reviving their interest in community. But I’m not sure anybody saw this particular change coming. During WinHEC Shenzhen 2015, Microsoft introduced a new Most Valuable Professional category, called the Microsoft Windows Hardware Engineering MVP Program. This category recognizes engineers who develop software for electronic, […]
Welcome to Shenzhen
I’ve blogged previously about how interesting it is that WinHEC is returning, and the significance of its first appearance being in Shenzhen, China. Though I was invited to attend WinHEC this year, I opted not to go. I had been to Shenzhen before. And while the seafood is great and the shopping in next door Hong Kong […]
Would You Like Some Pi With Your Windows 10?
Didn’t I just finish telling you it was interesting times? Today (2 February 2015) Microsoft announced that a version of Windows 10 will support the Raspberry Pi 2. And, if that’s not cool enough, they’ll make that version of Windows available for free — at least to “makers” (for some definition of “makers”). The Pi 2 […]
The Ferris Wheel is Heading Up: Microsoft Bringing Community Enagement
It’s a mighty interesting time to be a driver writer who’s interested in Windows. Those of you who have been doing this for “a long time”, like I have, know that working with Microsoft is a lot like living on a ferris wheel: For a while you’re on the top — Microsoft showers you with interest, […]
Connected standby: It’s Not Just for SOCs Anymore
Why should Windows driver writers care about Connected Standby, and what do they need to know about it? That’s what we’ll tell you in this blog post. What’s happens when you turn your cell phone off? The screen goes blank, but you can still receive email, text messages, and even notices from specific applications that […]
Do As I Say, Not As I Do (article + video)
When we teach classes, whether it’s KMDF, Software Drivers, and Debugging, we always provide our students with a long list of things that are “great ideas” that they should use. Some of these are ideas that make their lives easier as they go about their jobs of developing and maintaining Windows drivers. Others are best […]
Overlooked Features: Device Name Spaces (article + video)
Device Name Spaces are an often overlooked, but potentially useful, feature in Windows device driver design and development. This article (with accompanying video) describes how Device Name Spaces can be useful and how to implement them when you write a WDF driver.
WinHEC Returns!
In the latest concrete demonstration of Microsoft’s return to engagement with the hardware design and driver development community, the long awaited return of WinHEC was announced earlier today in a blog post by Microsoft’s Matt Perry. For those of you who don’t know Matt, he works in Microsoft’s SPiCE (Silicon, Peripheral and Component Enablement) team. It’s […]
What is Arbitrary Thread Context? (article + video)
The concept of “arbitrary thread context” or “arbitrary process and thread context” is often confusing to new Windows driver developers. OSR’s Peter Viscarola clarifies this concept in this video: Here’s what Peter had to say: I’m going to describe what we mean when we say that a particular callback or function is called in an “arbitrary […]
OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc.