security program blocking driver download A driver can't load on this device. You are receiving this message because the Memory integrity setting in Windows Security is preventing a driver from loading on your device. Here are a few options you can try if you want to be able to use this driver: See if an updated and compatible driver is available through Windows Update or from the driver manufacturer. If that doesn’t work, try turning off the Memory integrity setting in Windows Security. Warning: If you choose to continue using your device without addressing the driver problem, you might discover that the functionality the driver supports does not work any longer, which could have consequences ranging from negligible to severe. To turn off the memory integrity setting. Go to the Core isolation page in Windows Security. Turn the Memory integrity setting Off if it isn’t already. You'll need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. You can also open the Core isolation page by selecting Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security and then under Core isolation , selecting Core isolation details . Though the driver has a minor vulnerability that’s preventing it from loading, it’s most likely not malicious in any way. The driver name and company name that appear in the notification are the only reliable pieces of information that we have been able to gather about the driver. If an updated driver is unavailable from the driver manufacturer, it might be a good idea to contact them and inquire whether a fix is coming soon. Microsoft Windows 10 Update Blocking Custom Driver Installation And Preventing Updates Causing Issues? Windows 10 has been allowing the installation of custom drivers for quite some time, but that privilege might be coming to an end. Microsoft has acknowledged that Windows 10 OS’s internal management could hinder the installation of custom drivers, leading to system instability and other issues. While the prevention method is deployed with an intention to ensure Windows 10 system accepts and receives only verified, stable drivers, such a condition could hamper computer users who need specific drivers for their hardware to function. Microsoft has been overhauling the update process for third-party drivers. It appears an error is preventing the installation of driver updates. While the error might be unintentional, the blockage can potentially prove troublesome for several PC users who have procured drivers from other sources for hardware running on their Windows 10 OS system. Windows 10 Might Not Allow To Manually Install Third-Party Custom Drivers In The Future? Windows Update has been one of the most critical aspects of the Windows 10 OS ecosystem for quite some time. It provides maintenance and security patches for Windows 10, Microsoft products and as well as updates for device drivers. Microsoft admits driver updates through its Update platform, and they have been working rather well. However, drivers delivered through Windows 10 Update platform aren’t always up to date or optimized. Windows 10 memory integrity setting causes ‘A driver can’t load on this device’ error | BetaNews – https://t.co/5NCb3BXbXO — Dark5tatic (@Dark5tatic) March 9, 2020. Several Windows 10 OS users have indicated that they routinely prefer custom drivers instead of those available through Windows Update. To date, Windows 10 has allowed users to manually install drivers on their devices. However, lately, this arrangement seems to have stopped working correctly and is causing some weird roadblocks. Apparently, a bug reportedly prevents users from deploying their choice of drivers. Simply put, a bug is allegedly preventing Windows 10 OS users from installing third-party drivers which have been sourced outside of the Windows 10 Update platform. Interestingly, Microsoft has claimed that the ‘Memory Integrity’ setting could block drivers from loading. A driver installation initiated by the end-user might stall or end abruptly with any of the following Error or Warning Messages: Warning: “A driver cannot be loaded on this device.” “You receive this message because the Memory Integrity setting in Windows Security Settings prevents a driver from loading onto your device. Here are a few options you can try if you want to use this driver: See if an updated and compatible driver is available through Windows Update or from the driver manufacturer. If that doesn’t work, try disabling the memory integrity setting in Windows Security. If you choose to continue using your device without resolving the driver problem, you may find that the features supported by the driver are no longer working, which could have consequences that range from negligible to serious. “ How To Turn Off Memory Integrity Setting In Windows Security App To Address The Driver Blocking Bug: Many users are claiming that Windows 10 OS Update Platform often delivers and installs older versions of drivers. Experts indicate Microsoft values system stability and consider an older but working driver as more critical than a newer but potentially unstable or untested driver. Some users have also claimed that Windows 10 routinely overwrites the custom driver currently installed on their PCs with an older version of the driver. About the recent driver blocking bug, Microsoft has warned, “If you choose to continue using your device without addressing the driver problem, you might discover that the functionality the driver supports does not work any longer, which could have consequences ranging from negligible to severe,” 2/3 As initial troubleshooting, we advised you to run the System File Checker tool. We also recommend you to install the latest hardware drivers by going to your device manufacturer's website. An article on how to fix Windows Update errors by using the DISM was also shared. — Microsoft Support (@MicrosoftHelps) March 8, 2020. To address the bug, there’s a temporary workaround. It essentially involves turning the Memory Integrity Setting off in the Windows Security App. Here are the steps: How to unblock files downloaded from Internet in Windows 10. Once you download files from the Internet, Windows 10 shows you a security warning every time you try to open it. Some file types are blocked from opening. SmartScreen, a security feature of Windows 10, causes such behavior. Let's see how to unblock those files. When you try to open a file which was downloaded from the Internet, you can see a warning like this: Right click the file in File Explorer. In the context menu, select the last item named "Properties". In the Properties dialog, on the General tab, tick the checkbox named "Unblock": After that, the security warning will disappear. This is very useful when you need to unblock just one file. In the situation when you need to unblock several files at once, it is impractical to right click on every file, and open its Properties to unblock it. Press Win + R on the keyboard to open the Run dialog. In the Run box, type powershell : In the PowerShell console, type the following command: Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options: Share this post. About Sergey Tkachenko. Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer from Russia who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube. Microsoft Issues Fix for Windows 10 Drivers Blocked by Core Isolation. Microsoft has issued guidance on how to resolve problems loading drivers in Windows 10 that are being blocked due to virtualization-based security protections. If your PC has a 64-bit processor and supports Intel VT-X or AMD-v virtualization, which is available in most modern CPUs, then Windows 10 offers extra virtualization-based security features. One of these features is called Core Isolation, which uses hardware virtualization to isolate critical parts of the operating system's kernel from user- mode drivers and software running on the PC. When enabled, this prevents malware or exploits from gaining access to the secure kernel to bypass security controls, inject malware, or perform other malicious behavior. A subset of the Core Isolation feature is a feature called 'Memory Integrity', which protects memory from being injected with malicious code by malware or malicious attacks. "Memory integrity is a feature of Windows that ensures code running in the Windows kernel is securely designed and trustworthy. It uses hardware virtualization and Hyper-V to protect Windows kernel mode processes from the injection and execution of malicious or unverified code. The integrity of code that runs on Windows is validated by memory integrity, making Windows resistant to attacks from malicious software." Memory Integrity may block drivers. When enabled, this feature locks down the computer and may cause drivers to not operate properly or even load. In a new support bulletin, Microsoft explains that bugs or a minor and usually harmless vulnerability in a driver may cause the Memory Integrity feature to block it from loading. When the driver is not loaded properly, Windows will log an error that states "A driver can't load on this device", which could lead to issues ranging from harmless to severe depending on the driver. In situations like this, Microsoft recommends that you check for an updated driver that may have fixed the issue causing it to be blocked. If that does not help, you can disable the Memory Integrity security feature so that the driver can load. To disable Memory Integrity, please follow these steps: Open the Core Isolation page by going to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security and then under Core isolation , click on Core isolation details . Alternatively, you can click on this link in Windows 10 to open the Core Isolation settings page. At this point, you should check if there are still issues loading the driver. If the issue persists, you should contact your hardware manufacturer to find out if an updated driver will be made available soon. Fix Blocked Apps and Software Installation in Windows 10. J ust recently, I had needed to use data card temporarily in place of my broadband connection. But when I began to install the data card software in Windows 10, an error message appeared on the screen, " This app has been blocked for your protection ". The reason is, of course, the publisher is not trusted . I was appalled by seeing this error message because the data card manufacturer is D-Link. And I really don't think that D- Link comes under non-trusted publisher’s category. After all, it is one of the top most brands in the hardware and network vendors. Well, I found a solution to this problem. And I think, many of you may have also encountered such problem, or it could happen in the future. And you may need to address this issue. So now I'm going to tell that how this problem can be dealt. Main cause of Windows 10 Apps and Software Installation Blocked Error: This problem is primarily due to the SmartScreen feature of Windows 10. Windows 10 is very strict in terms of security. If Windows 10 seems to have an unauthorized App or Software on the system and that cannot be trusted. In that case, Windows 10 does not allow you to install that particular App or Software. This is to protect you from the unknown threats and it is a must-have feature. But the problem occurs when it also blocks the applications and software from an installation which are not dangerous at all. Take example of my case, D-Link's data card. Whose software is inbuilt, and this model is just 2 years old maximally. But Windows 10 does not allows to install it. It's all just because the driver software of this model of D-Link data card is not signed. How to Resolve Windows 10 Apps and Software Installation Blocked Error: To overcome the problem of blocked apps, software and drivers Installation in Windows 10, the first thing you can do is the updation. Update it to the latest version or simply download the latest version. But if the latest version of that app, software or driver is not available, then? Then you must stop the SmartScreen in Windows 10. So, let's start. Disable the SmartScreen in Windows 10 to Allow the Apps Installation: Step 1: Right Click on the Start and open 'Control Panel'. Or you can also open the 'Control Panel' from the 'Keyboard Shortcut' . Just press Win + R + P and see the magic. Step 2: In the Control Panel, search for 'Security and Maintenance' and open it. Step 3: Now on the left side of Security and Maintenance Window, you can see the option 'Change Windows SmartScreen Settings'. Just click and open it, then allow when UAC asks you. Step 4: Now 'SmartScreen Window' will be opened with 3 available options. Select the last one 'Don't do anything (turn off Windows SmartSceen)'. And then click 'OK'. Restart your system and then install the app which was causing the problem while installation. Now check whether the problem is resolved, or not. What? No, still unable to install the app again. OK, do not worry about, we have another way to get out of this. Now you will have to enable the built-in Administrator account in order to install the blocked app. Follow the steps given below. 5 Steps to enable the built-in Administrator Account of Windows 10: Step 1: Right Click on Start and open 'Computer Management'. Tip: You can also open this 'Secret Start' using the 'Keyboard Shortcut' . Make sure to try once, just press Win + X . Step 2: You can see the option 'Local Users and Groups' on the left panel of 'Computer Management' Window. Now navigate to - I mean, Open 'System Tools', then 'Local Users and Groups', and then 'Users'. Step 3: Now you can see all the accounts of your Windows 10 listed there. Right click on the 'Administrator' account and open its properties. Step 4: Simply uncheck mark the option "Account is Disabled", in the 'Administrator Properties Window'. Step 5: Now 'Apply' and 'OK'. Then close the 'Computer Management' window and restart your computer. Step 6: After the computer restarts, sign in as the Administrator (the account you have just enabled). Now install the blocked application again, which was giving the error. And I'm pretty sure that this time there would be no problem with it. The problem with my Data card installation solved too, by following these steps. As you can see in the below picture. Please must tell us about your experiences you have during the apps blocked problem, and after finding its solution. Please hit the comments.