[Fix] Remove “Test mode” and Build Number Watermark from Windows Desktop

Many times Windows 7 suddenly starts showing Test mode watermark on Desktop. A message is shown at the bottom-right corner on Desktop having following text:

Test Mode
Windows 7
Build 7600

If you are using Windows 7 SP1, you get Build 7601 displayed on screen:

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Test Mode
Windows 7
Build 7601

Windows_7_Test_Mode_Desktop_Watermark.png

Actually it happens when Windows 7 is running in Test mode. Microsoft has released a new Fixit to fix this problem.

SYMPTOM:

When you start your Windows 7 based computer, you receive the following message in the lower-right corner of the desktop:

Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7600

For Windows 7 SP1, you get following message:

Test Mode Windows 7 Build 7601

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This message is displayed because your computer is running in test mode.

CAUSE:

The test mode watermark can appear if the test signing mode is started on the computer. This test mode may occur if an application whose drivers are not digitally signed by Microsoft is installed and still in the test phase. Microsoft added test mode to Windows so that users can test programs without having to provide an authentication certificate. The message that is mentioned in the “Symptoms” section is displayed in the lower-right corner of the desktop when the computer is running in test mode.

SOLUTION:

1. Click on “Start button -> All Programs -> Accessories”. Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run As Administrator”. If you are prompted to enter password, enter the password and continue. You can also open Command Prompt in Administrator mode by typing “cmd” in Start Menu Search box and press “Ctrl+Shift+Enter”.

2. Now provide following command:

bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING OFF

If the above command doesn’t work, you can provide following commands:

bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING OFF

3. That’s it. Close Command Prompt window and restart your system. It’ll disable the watermark from Desktop.

AUTOMATED FIX:

If you don’t want to fix the problem manually, you can download following Fixit released by Microsoft which will automatically fix the problem:

Download Fixit to Remove Test Mode Watermark from Windows 7 Desktop

Published in: Troubleshooting Guides, Windows 7

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. That worked to remove the watermark, but it still is in test mode and won’t return to normal when I restart it. Any thoughts?

  2. Yes, I’ve done all the commands to turn it off in the elevated command prompt. Again, the watermark went away, but my computer still won’t properly run drivers like it’s still in test mode. Restarting hasn’t worked. Safe Mode didn’t work. A system restore didn’t work. I’m beginning to think I’ve exhausted my options.

  3. ^^ Why do you think its still in Test mode? If its in Test mode, it should show the watermark on Desktop.

  4. i tryed windows fixit and the CMDs bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING OFF and bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS now the computer goes in to a endless loop of startup repair i can get to load by hitting F8 then disable –drive signing?? or what ever
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
    Memory: 4096MB RAM NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU 530 @ 2.93GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.5GHz

  5. Thanks Vishal, useing the fixit I was able to remove the test mode watermark on my first try. Glad I found your article.

  6. 1)
    I think my watermark came after I inserted another 4gb RAM into the empty slot on my HP g6 Windows 7 x64, it is a Kingston, and the standard HP RAM (samsung I think) fills the other slot… so you think that would make this watermark appear.
    Also, since putting in the RAM I get the blue screen coming up atleast on average once every 48hrs, sometimes more… could this be caused by different RAM types?

    2)
    I have 2gb Kingston RAMS that are the same type as the 4gb I installed… should I remove the original HP 4gb one altogether and install a 2gb just for a test and see if the blue screen and test watermark goes away…

    3)
    Also, once inputting a new RAM, do you have download a special driver or something for it, do you think that may be the reason for the test mode watermark?

  7. ^^ I’m not sure about the watermark but there is definite some problem in the RAM. You should try with single or same brand RAMs as you mentioned.

  8. Not sure how long ago this thread was created, however, if you’re bootlooping after reenabling driver signature enforcement via bcdedit, it means you installed an unsigned driver at some point (more likely than not, you probably activated Test Mode yourself to enable the installation of an unsigned driver(s), as the only way to install an unsigned driver is to disable driver signature enforcement (temporary, re-enables after reboot) or turn on test mode).

    If you have any software that requires unsigned drivers, re-enabling driver signature enforcement, without first uninstalling any unsigned drivers you installed, will more likely than not cause your system to boot loop. Your only choice at that point is to do a restore via system restore or another imaging utility, as turning driver signature back off via bcdedit will probably not work to get you out of a boot loop.

  9. i have a triple boot system window7 ultimate,windows 8.1,and peppermint 5 all 64 bit. easy bcd was installed on 8.1 to enable peppermint 5 os to boot,i have tried above mentioned all the tricks as admin even with fix it but no success after every boot of window7 it is taking to start up repair.pl mention how can i fix this issue(to remove watermark”test mode window7 build 7601″.thanks

  10. ***REALLY LONG COMMENT, but bear with me, this explains + solves everything***

    There’s a lot of people here complaining about being unable to start up properly after following the steps here and removing the watermark. This problem is actually really easy to fix – all “Test Mode” does is disable driver signature enforcement, which is why pressing F8 and selecting “Disable Driver Signature Enforcement” if you get into a bootloop from removing the watermark will work. How it works is Windows loads all drivers in *C:\Windows\system32\drivers* at every startup; by default, Windows requires security signatures on each driver (file) that it loads. Now, since Windows is Windows, the way it handles an exception is it catastrophically crashes with no error message whatsoever as to what has happened. Windows is also too dumb to actually remove the non-critical driver file. YOU can be smart enough though, and remove the offending file yourself.

    Boot your comp up normally, and let Windows fail to load. Windows will then launch Startup Repair; go ahead and let it do that. It’ll fail, but once it fails, you can go view the diagnostic log (or it might’ve been called error log), scroll down to the 2nd/3rd entry from the bottom, and see which is the offending file(s) in question (it’ll say “.sys is corrupted” or something like that). Now just delete the file, and then start up Windows and it’ll work. (To do that open up a command prompt, accessible from Startup Repair, and type in “del C:\Windows\system32\drivers\.sys”. Note that in Startup Repair your C: drive might be your D: drive, so you should check first – with diskpart. If you don’t know how to use that, Google it lol – the post is long enough as is.)

  11. Thanks for your provided information. That really saved my day. Even read that Microsoft Fix it, is full of virus (and at this point not available not even through their own links, so better stick to the manual typing, takes 10 seconds and restart a bit longer but its fixed.

    Thank you very much! 😉

  12. Unfortunately that is not the correct answer. Due to the incompetence of the Windows 10 designers you have to be in “test mode” to use unsigned drivers like the one I have to use for a USB Microscope I need to get connected to the PC. So I need a way to get rid of the STUPID watermark without getting out of test mode.

    Telling someone how to turn off and turn on testing mode to remove the watermark is, no offense, kinda dumb, I mean really, think about it, there is a reason some people are forced to run in “test mode”, as mentioned above, but they don’t need to be reminded of it.

    PS….

    That said, after further testing since writing the above, and trial and error I think I have found a way to stop integrity checking and not be in test mode. (I still can’t tell you how to get rid of watermark when in test mode, but for me I was at least able to use my unsigned driver and not be in test mode via the following steps…

    After turning off integrity and turning on test mode, install problem driver reboot and test it, then when all is working AOK, turn off test mode and leave integrity disabled.

    It worked for me, I got my Microscope drivers to stay installed and operational. I am not in test mode, but my integrity is disabled. No water mark on screen. All seems good.

    Of course if Microsoft had a quality professionally designed OS I could have during installation told it I was OK with it not being signed and that would have been the end of it with no further questions asked or, none standard, potentially unsecured settings needing to be put in place. But that is NOT the new MS way of scam spam and screw, and not provide excellent secure spam and tracking free OS.

    What I have not had time to test is to see if all I really needed to do is just disable integrity checking and not do the extra step of turning the test mode on and off etc. I’ll leave that for someone else to test.

    PS I am using Win 10 1903, updated as of 10-17-19.

    Thanks, in general this has always been a great site, thanks for having it.

    Ralph

  13. The last comment does work !
    This has been an issue since Windows 7 ! And the still haven’t done anything about it ? I just installed Win 11 and it is even worse than 10 !
    It seems that anything related to windows 7 is being removed?? I’ve been with windows from the beginning, was hesitant to update to 7 but found it wasn’t so bad if you can get rid of the unnecessary stuff, I WILL NEVER UPDATE TO 10 or 11 or etc… Because of the stuff that comes preinstalled. And am now leaving windows behind FOREVER !

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