Windows 11's new driver allow-list could break your old hardware, and Microsoft won't tell you what's on it
Microsoft has introduced a new driver allow-list in Windows 11 that may affect users with older or less common hardware. This change, based on telemetry data, means that only drivers deemed trustworthy by Microsoft will be allowed to load, potentially rendering some legacy devices unusable. Users will not have access to the list of approved drivers, making it difficult to determine if their hardware is affected.
- ▪Microsoft's new driver allow-list is part of the April 2026 update for Windows 11.
- ▪The list is curated using telemetry data from Windows installations, focusing on frequently used drivers.
- ▪Only drivers explicitly trusted by Microsoft and those signed through the current Hardware Compatibility Program will be allowed to load.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "1", "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.xda-developers.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"2", "name": "Windows", "item": "https://www.xda-developers.com/windows/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"3", "name": "Windows 11's new driver allow-list could break your old hardware, and Microsoft won't tell you what's on it", "item": "https://www.xda-developers.com/microsoft-quietly-added-an-allow-list-for-drivers-in-windows-11-but-its-one-of-the-biggest-changes-this-year/" } ] } Windows 11's new driver allow-list could break your old hardware, and Microsoft won't tell you what's on it By Ty Sherback Published May 27, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT His love of PCs and their…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at XDA Developers.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from XDA Developers
