is it safe to Disable Driver Mandatory Signature & install iRULU DAC Driver

[mnsh2019]

I bought an iRULU F20 music player from Amazon.  It's very good.  There is an option to use it in DAC mode to play music files that are on my PC, and send them through the F20 player to a good sound system.  One needs to install the DAC driver from the iRULU website (I have attached it as a zip file) and then the instructions she sent me say I have to disable mandatory driver signature or the installation will fail.  They have been most helpful before on other queries with the player but I have never done an installation like this before and thought I should check with Security.  My Malwarebytes did not find any problem with the downloaded files, nor did Norton.  Their message as below.  Thanks, Matthew

>> 
Hello Dear Matthew,
Thanks for your choosing iRULU F20 player.
Since WIN10 and Win7 not the same to operate, please check the enclosed instruation to install DAC driver to your Win10 device.
And, very sorry for the inconvenience about the screenshot, since my laptop in Chineses version, you can follow the steps.
Shall you have any other question, please contact me.
Best Wishes, 
Mona

 

How to install DAC driver on Win10-1.docx F20 DAC Driver.zip

[exile360]

Greetings,

You can install the driver, however it really isn't secure to disable driver signature enforcement as that is a major component of Windows security.  It would be better if they offered a driver for Windows 10 instead of providing this workaround to install the Windows 7 driver on Windows 10.  Have you already tried checking Windows Update to see if it offers to install a driver for the device that doesn't require you to disable digital signature enforcement?  If not, then I'd definitely recommend you try that.  To do so, plug the device into your PC and then follow the instructions on this page and hopefully it will find and install a driver that works.

If that fails and you still want to use the device with that driver then you can scan the files at VirusTotal just to double-check that they contain no threats and then proceed with the installation if you wish.  Instructions and details about disabling driver signature enforcement in Windows 10 can be found here.  I would definitely recommend reading it so that you understand the risks.

If there is anything else we might assist you with please let us know.

Thanks

[David H. Lipman]

I would question a new product being sold that has not had its software updated in ~6 years. 

Since the software hasn't been updated after October 2013 and it specifically states " This driver only for the Win7 system ",  this may be an obsolete product.

EDIT:

I have further reservations of this product as the iRULU HiFi MP3 F20 USB DAC Driver is not hosted on irulu.com but is hosted on mega.nz.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by David H. Lipman

[mnsh2019]

Thanks David, I was not clear enough, the product itself is great and runs on its own without any drivers.  I have been away on holiday with it.  At home, there is more music on my computer than the 128GB at a time it can have on its memory card, and I was interested in using it as a DAC so then I could listen on better speakers than my computer has.  iRULU have been making this type of thing for some time so I guess that's why the driver is old.  It looks as if mega.nz is a commercial site where companies can put stuff for downloading, my Malwarebytes did not warn me not to go there.  But won't be installing anything yet, as VLC player and headphones gives decent audio.
Matthew

[David H. Lipman]

Yes, VLC Player by VideoLAN is excellent and can play and transform numerous video and audio formats.  If "iRULU have been making this type of thing for some time" then they should be hosting the software on their own web site and should update their software for Windows 10.  As a standalone product it may not be obsolete.  However, one would thing the manufacturer would want to keep it up-to-date with or without a new Publisher's Certificate.

 

 

[mnsh2019]

Thanks David, I was not clear enough, the product itself is great and runs on its own without any drivers.  I have been away on holiday with it.  At home, there is more music on my computer than the 128GB at a time it can have on its memory card, and I was interested in using it as a DAC so then I could listen on better speakers than my computer has.  iRULU have been making this type of thing for some time so I guess that's why the driver is old.  It looks as if mega.nz is a commercial site where companies can put stuff for downloading, my Malwarebytes did not warn me not to go there.  But won't be installing anything yet, as VLC player and headphones gives decent audio.
Matthew

 

Dear exile360
Thank you for this advice.  Plugging in the iRULU F20 does not cause an offer to install any drivers, it shows up in Windows as a USB mass storage device.  I read the Geek page on disabling signatures, and presumably I would have to go back and change this back to normal once I had installed iRULU driver?  Then I wondered if it would work to install it using the Windows Compatability thing that is for old programmes, or would that not work?  Thank you for telling me about virus-total which I was unaware of.  I gave it the iRULU zip file (which I have only downloaded but not installed) and 59/60 scanners found nothing in it, but Zillya antivirus found a file called Downloader.Small,Win32.105774 which I Googled and found was a trojan, so I think I will avoid doing anything further pending any more information
Matthew

[exile360]

If a file that old only gets detected by 1 out of the 60 scanners on VirusTotal then it is most likely a false positive, meaning it isn't actually a Trojan.

As far as disabling driver signature enforcement goes, I think that as long as you are going to use the device as a DAC, you'll have to keep Windows configured to boot with digital signature enforcement disabled, otherwise it won't load the driver into memory and so the device won't function as a DAC.  I don't think compatibility mode will work because it doesn't bypass driver signature enforcement, so that will still stop you from getting the driver installed on the system and running so you'll have to disable enforcement on boot to get it installed and working.

[Amaroq_Starwind]

I believe that there's actually a workaround to signature enforcement that is less strict without disabling it entirely, and I believe that it might work for certain drivers. I'll do some checking and see what I find.

[mnsh2019]

Dear Amaroq
Many thanks for your interest but please don't take up time on it.  I found a work-around until they produce a Win10 driver: I used a Bluetooth dongle in the AUX input to my BOSE Radio/CD in the far corner of the room and linked my PC to that.  All going well from VLC or Groove music players.
Thanks again and other members please regard problem as solved and thanks for your input, I have not disabled any Win10 security, and as exile360 says likely a false positive trojan report but I will stay clear.
Matthew

[exile360]

Excellent, I'm glad you were able to find an alternative method.  Enjoy your music, and if there's anything else we might assist you with please don't hesitate to let us know  

[Bastian72]

When switching to USB-DAC mode, Windows 10 automatically detects the device without reloading drivers. The whole discussion is superfluous. Nothing has to be installed extra. The device works flawlessly without additional drivers. I can not understand the debate here. There is no need for a workaround either. Everything works by itself. Firmware 2.3.