Overview
- Microsoft locked developer and Partner Center accounts that projects use to sign Windows drivers, stopping updates for VeraCrypt, WireGuard, Windscribe, and MemTest86.
- A Microsoft vice president said the accounts failed a mandatory Windows Hardware Program verification that required government ID, and said the company had emailed partners about it since 2025.
- VeraCrypt’s developer said he still cannot sign the bootloader and warned that an upcoming certificate change could stop some fully encrypted Windows PCs from starting without a new signature.
- WireGuard’s creator said access to his developer portal was restricted despite completing ID checks, and he later reached a Microsoft contact who said a review could take up to 60 days.
- Developers reported no warning emails, opaque rejection messages, and bot-like support replies, underscoring how Windows driver signing rules create a single point of failure for users who rely on these tools.