A new device or board
A driver is required for PCIe, USB, a virtual device or a proprietary hardware interface.
WINDOWS KERNEL DEVELOPMENT
Custom Windows driver development
Architecture, implementation, porting and stabilization of Windows system software — from hardware access to virtual devices and difficult production diagnostics.
When it is needed
Problems that application code cannot solve
A legacy driver
Existing WDM code must support current Windows versions, be stabilized or be migrated incrementally to KMDF.
A system defect blocks release
A BSOD, hang, leak or memory corruption appears only under load, Driver Verifier or the customer test environment.
Scope
What Windows driver development can include
- WDM, KMDF and UMDF — selected to fit the actual constraints
- PCIe, USB, virtual devices, request queues and user-mode APIs
- DMA, interrupts, DPCs, timers, cancellation and concurrent execution
- Plug and Play, power management, installation, update and safe unload
- IOCTL interfaces, shared memory, system services and diagnostics
- WinDbg, Driver Verifier, dumps, tracing, stress and regression tests
Engineering process
The driver is designed together with its failure model and release path
I/O contracts
Request formats, buffer ownership, timeouts, cancellation, completion ordering and the kernel/user-mode boundary.
Synchronization
IRQL, locks, atomic state, object lifetime and behavior under multiprocessor execution.
Hardware path
BARs, registers, DMA, MSI/MSI-X, device queues, bus errors and recovery.
PnP and power
Start, stop, removal, sleep/resume, surprise removal and safe resource release.
Diagnostics
Symbols, WPP/ETW, dumps, Driver Verifier and minimal scenarios that reproduce the defect.
Release preparation
Builds, INF packaging, installation, supported-OS matrix, test environment, documentation and signing-ready artifacts.
PROJECT EXAMPLE
What a verifiable result looks like
The anonymized example shows the form of the outcome and validation without exposing a customer or confidential code.
Initial situation
A legacy WDM driver passed ordinary tests but failed under Driver Verifier during concurrent device open and close operations.
Work performed
The IRP lifecycle, cancellation path, context ownership, and synchronization between dispatch and completion paths were audited.
Result
The use-after-free root cause was removed and a deterministic stress scenario was added for regression testing.
Validation
Repeated Driver Verifier runs, clean crash-dump analysis, and installation, removal, and power-transition tests.
How to start
The first stage depends on project maturity
Technical assessment
Architecture, risks, interfaces, test-environment plan and estimate for the next stage.
Diagnostic cycle
Reproduce the defect, analyze dumps or traces, fix the cause and rerun validation.
Driver prototype
A minimal vertical slice: device discovery, basic I/O and validation of the primary risk.
The minimum paid engagement is three working days, starting from RUB 200,000 or the equivalent in another currency. After a short introductory call, scope, deliverable, validation method and price are fixed.
Before the project starts
Windows driver development FAQ
Can work start without the physical device?
Yes, when a specification, emulator, remote lab or agreed mock interface is available. Final validation of a hardware driver still requires the real device.
WDM or KMDF?
KMDF usually reduces infrastructure code and lifecycle defects. WDM remains appropriate for legacy code, unusual constraints or areas requiring complete control.
Is driver signing included?
The build, INF, package and test artifacts can be prepared for signing. Certificate ownership and publication under the customer identity remain with the customer.
Can you fix one BSOD without rewriting the driver?
Yes. A bounded diagnostic stage can deliver a reproducer, root cause, fix and regression test without replacing the entire codebase.
Engagement model
KernelSoft is an independent expert practice
Maxim personally leads architecture, critical implementation, diagnostics and final technical validation. Additional engineers or domain specialists are involved only with the customer’s agreement and with explicit roles and responsibility.
28+years of experience
60+patents
14years at Acronis
2 400+citations
Discuss the project
Describe the device, current code and target Windows versions
Include the platform, what already exists, where the problem occurs, the target load and the acceptance criterion. This is enough to choose a sensible first stage and validation method.
Target response time: one business dayNext: a short introduction → an NDA if needed → agreement on the first stage.