Within Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft added Core Isolation to add protection against malware and other attacks by isolating key computer processes from the operating system. Many Windows 10 systems have this turned off by default, because certain hardware configurations do not support it. Enabling Core Isolation settings, specifically “Memory Integrity”, may lead to a security conflict with hardware drivers and an inability to run some applications.

Issues with DS5 and D440 Drivers

With the introduction of Windows 11, an increasing number of systems are shipped with Core Isolation features activated by default and this has been problematic for some Digitimer D440 and DS5 users. Although the device drivers used by the DS5 and D440 were signed by Microsoft when first released, they rely on a legacy version of the ubiquitous FTDI drivers and as a result are incompatible with Core Isolation. This means that their installation is blocked by Windows, which makes communication with the DS5 and D440 impossible. Fortunately, we have a couple of solutions, which are detailed below.

The easiest way to avoid any clash between Core Isolation settings and our existing device drivers, is to disable Memory Integrity within the Core Isolation settings, as shown below. With this setting disabled, the DS5 and D440 drivers will install and work as they did before Core Isolation was implemented in Windows. This approach works for both the DS5 and D440.

What if I can’t disable Core Isolation?

With some systems, there may be a local security policy imposed by the user’s IT department, which prevents the Memory Integrity setting from modification.  Under these circumstances, it is necessary to update manually the incompatible device drivers.

Fortunately, this solution is now offered for both the DS5 and the D440 amplifier, however, because we are unable to re-compile the DS5 or D440 GUI software installer, the new drivers need to be installed separately from the respective software.

The updated DS5 and D440 drivers, GUI software and installation instructions are now available to download from the respective product pages on our website.  Just visit DS5 and D440 and find them in the downloads section.

With the new drivers installed, the PC should correctly identify and connect to the DS5 or D440 when Core Isolation features are enabled within Windows 10 or 11.