Selecting Driver Verifier Options

Driver Verifier options can be selected by using the Verifier Command Line, or by using the Driver Verifier Manager graphical interface. There are two versions of Driver Verifier Manager — one for Windows 2000 and one for Windows XP and later.

Verifier Command Line

To activate or deactivate individual options, specify the desired options after the /flags parameter.

(Windows 2000 only) To control the level of I/O Verification, use the /iolevel parameter.

(Windows XP and later) To turn on the standard options — Special Memory Pool, Forcing IRQL Checking, Memory Pool Tracking, I/O Verification, DMA Verification, and Deadlock Detection — use the /standard parameter.

(Windows Server 2003 and later) To turn on Disk Integrity Verification, use the /disk parameter.

To deactivate all options and clear the verified driver list, use the /reset parameter.

See Verifier Command Line for details.

Driver Verifier Manager (Windows 2000)

To activate or deactivate individual options, select the Settings tab. Driver Verifier's options are listed in the Verification Type section (Special Memory Pool, Forcing IRQL Checking, Low Resources Simulation, Memory Pool Tracking, and I/O Verification). Check whichever options you wish to activate, and clear those you wish to deactivate. If I/O Verification is selected, you can choose between Level 1 and Level 2 (choosing Level 2 enables both Level 1 and Level 2 tests). To choose which drivers you wish to verify, see Selecting Drivers to be Verified.

To turn on the standard options — Special Memory Pool, Forcing IRQL Checking, Memory Pool Tracking, and I/O Verification Level 2 — select the Settings tab. Press the Preferred Settings button. This button also selects the Verify All Drivers option button. If you wish to now change the list of drivers verified, see Selecting Drivers to be Verified; otherwise, press Apply.

To deactivate all options and clear the verified driver list, select the Settings tab. Press the Reset All button. Then press Apply.

Driver Verifier Manager (Windows XP and later)

In Windows XP and later, Driver Verifier Manager can select options in a variety of ways:

• To control exactly which options are active, select the Create custom settings task and press Next. On the next screen, select Select individual settings from a full list, and press Next. The next screen lists all of Driver Verifier's options (Special Memory Pool, Memory Pool Tracking, Forcing IRQL Checking, I/O Verification, Enhanced I/O Verification, Deadlock Detection, DMA Verification, and Low Resources Simulation — plus Disk Integrity Verification in Windows Server 2003 and later). Check whichever options you wish to activate.
• To choose from predefined sets of options, select the Create custom settings task and press Next. On the next screen, select Enable predefined settings and select any of the check boxes. Selecting the Standard settings check box enables Special Memory Pool, Forcing IRQL Checking, Memory Pool Tracking, I/O Verification, DMA Verification, and Deadlock Detection. Selecting the Low resource simulation check box enables Low Resources Simulation. Selecting the Rigorous but possibly excessive or spurious tests check box enables Enhanced I/O Verification. In Windows Server 2003 and later, selecting the Disk integrity checking check box enables Disk Integrity Verification.
• To choose the standard options, select the Create standard settings task. The standard settings include Special Memory Pool, Forcing IRQL Checking, Memory Pool Tracking, I/O Verification, DMA Verification, and Deadlock Detection.

When you have completed one of these steps, press Next. See Selecting Drivers to be Verified for the next step.

To deactivate all options and clear the verified driver list, select the Delete existing settings task. Then press Finish.

Reboot Required

Activation and deactivation of Driver Verifier options will not take effect until after the next boot.

There is a way to change certain options without rebooting. See Using Volatile Settings for details.

Additional Information

See Driver Verifier Options and Driver Verifier Options for Graphics Drivers for descriptions of each option.