Windows Logo Program

Chapter 2 - Hardware Requirements for Windows Logo

Compliance dates for specific Windows Logo Program requirements are defined on the web at http://www.microsoft.com/winlogo/hardware/.

Statements in this document or in the HCT documentation related to "testing requirements" or "systems submitted for Microsoft Windows Logo Program Testing" indicate test submission requirements; such statements do not reduce or alter these Logo requirements.

A customer may request that the system supplier omit a particular component from a system configuration as shipped to that customer; however, such a customer request does not remove or reduce any related requirements for that system to support that component's functionality if the customer installs a Logo’d component of that class into the system.

Summary of Windows Logo Requirements

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  Current Microsoft Hardware Compatibility Tests (HCTs) from WHQL, available on the web at http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest/testkits/.
  
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  The requirements summarized in the following sources:
  

• 
  This chapter
  
• 
  Appendix A, "System Requirements Checklist"
  
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  Appendix B, "Device Requirements Checklist"
  
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  Any clarifications, corrections, or additions listed on the Windows Logo Program for Hardware web site at http://www.microsoft.com/winlogo/hardware/
  

Implementation guidelines for drivers are defined in the Microsoft Windows DDK. System and component design guidelines are defined in the PC System Design Guide series published on http://www.pcdesguide.org and the Hardware Design Guide for Microsoft Windows Server series, published at http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/serverdg.htm.

Note that the PC and Server Design Guides do not define the Windows Logo Program requirements; rather, these publications provides feature guidelines for system and component design.

Windows Logo Program Requirements

WL-1. System and devices support required operating systems

WL-2. System memory provides a satisfactory user experience

WL-3. System includes required set of buses and devices

WL-4. All components and devices meet Windows compatibility and quality design guidelines

WL-5. System and components meet reduced legacy support goals

WL-6. System and components support operating system configuration and control of devices

WL-7. System and peripherals implement ease-of-use guidelines for a good end-user experience

WL-8. System components operate correctly upon installation of a later operating system

Rationale

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  For minimum memory and processor performance: These minimum requirements ensure that the system will provide an adequate user experience when running applications designed for the targeted platform.
  
• 
  For configuration, installation, and ease-of-use requirements: These requirements ensure that the hardware and drivers run in a stable, reliable manner and result in the optimal end-user experience when running under Windows operating systems.
  
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  For legacy removal: Requirements for "no ISA devices or slots" are specified to reduce frustration for users, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) in the enterprise, and reduce the support burden for vendors. Also, because the ISA bus is very slow and only supports 16 MB of addressable space, ISA removal may lead to improved performance. Reduced reliance on legacy buses and components means less time required to install new devices in the system, and the system won’t stop running and devices won’t fail because of resource conflicts.
  
• 
  For migration capabilities: The goal of this requirement is to ensure that when a user upgrades the operating system, previously installed components will continue to function as before, with all preferences and privileges working after the upgrade.
  

WL-1. System and devices support required operating systems

These requirements apply to all systems and peripherals displaying the "Designed for Windows" Logo, as the system or device/peripheral is shipped to a customer. Statements within this document relating to "testing requirements" or "systems submitted for Microsoft Windows Logo Program Testing" indicate test submission requirements; such statements do not reduce these Logo requirements.

A customer may request that the system supplier omit a particular component from a system configuration as shipped to that customer; however, such a customer request does not remove or reduce any related requirements for that system to support that component's functionality when and if the customer installs a Logo’d component of that class into the system.

Notes:

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  The system manufacturer must provide the customer with drivers for all devices for all operating systems for which the system has received the Windows Logo, unless a particular device class is not supported on one of the operating systems. That is, if the system has the logo for Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000, the end user must have access to all compatible drivers and utilities for each version of the operating system.
  
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  If the device class is supported under Windows Driver Model (WDM) in the operating system, the manufacturer-provided driver solution must use WDM.
  
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  The manufacturer does not need to supply a driver if the device passes Logo testing using a driver provided with the operating system.