Fix: ‘Secure Boot Violation – Invalid Signature Detected’ Problem

The “Secure boot violation – invalid signature detected” is an error which appears during the initial boot of the system. You can tab the Enter key in order to proceed with the boot but the error will still appear during every startup.

Secure Boot Violation – Invalid Signature Detected

The error is quite annoying and many users are desperate for a solution. Luckily, other people have found their own methods which can be used to resolve the problem. Make sure you check them out below and follow the instructions carefully.

What Causes the “Secure Boot Violation – Invalid Signature Detected” Problem on Windows?

This problem is generally very difficult to find a cause for, considering how obscure it is and how it’s quite generic to ASUS and DELL. However, Secure Boot stands out as one of the most important causes. Secure Boot needs to be disabled in your computer’s BIOS settings if you want to get rid of this problem.

Another important cause is the Digital Driver Signature Enforcement which performs checks which may prevent your computer from booting properly. Make sure you disable this and see whether the problem still appears!

Solution 1: Disable Secure Boot

Disabling secure boot on your computer can easily resolve the problem. Even though many users are reluctant to enter BIOS on their own and change various settings, we urge you to start your troubleshooting process with this method. You can resolve the “Secure boot violation – invalid signature detected” error easily if you follow the steps below!

  1. Turn your PC on again and try to enter BIOS settings by pressing the BIOS key as the system is about to start. The BIOS key is typically displayed on the boot screen, saying “Press ___ to enter Setup.” or something similar to that. There are other keys as well. The usual BIOS keys are F1, F2, Del, etc.
Press __ to run Setup
  1. Use the right arrow key to choose the Security menu when the BIOS settings window opens, use the down arrow key to select the Secure Boot Configuration option, and press Enter.
  2. Before you can use this menu, a warning will appear. Press F10 to continue to the Secure Boot Configuration menu. The Secure Boot Configuration menu should open so use the down arrow key to select Secure Boot and use the right arrow key to modify the setting to Disable.
Disable Secure boot
  1. Navigate to the Exit section and choose to Exit Saving Changes. This will proceed with the computer’s boot. Check to see if the problem persists.

Solution 2: Uninstall the KB3084905 Windows Update

When the KB3084905 update was released for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft has announced that the update may cause problems regarding secure boot on computers connected to the same domain controller. The easiest way to resolve this is to simply uninstall this update from your computer by following the steps below:

  1. Click the Start menu button and open Control Panel by typing its name and clicking the first option at the top or by locating its entry in the Start menu initial screen.
  2. Switch to View as: Category at the top right corner and click on Uninstall a Program under the Programs area. At the right side of the screen, you should see the View installed updates button in blue so click on it.
View installed updates
  1. You should now be able to see the list of all installed Windows updates for your computer. Check the Microsoft Windows section at the bottom for the KB3084905 update.
  2. Scroll to the left in order to check the Installed on a column which should display the date when the update was installed so make sure you locate the update whose KB number is KB3084905.
  3. Click on the update once and choose the Uninstall option at the top and follow the instructions which will appear on screen in order to get rid of the update.
    Uninstall Windows Update
  4. Wait for Microsoft to release a new update that should be installed automatically if you have configured automatic Windows updates. Check to see if the “Secure boot violation – invalid signature detected” problem still appears during boot!

Solution 3: Disable Digital Driver Signature Enforcement

This option disables the driver signature enforcement which may be one of the reasons why your computer fails to boot properly as it’s stuck checking a single driver. This solution has helped plenty of folks so make sure you try it out.

  1. Click on the Start button and click the cog icon in order to open Settings. You can also search for “Settings” in the search bar or use the Windows Key + I key combination.
Opening Settings from Start menu
  1. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings app and click on Update & security.
  2. Click on Recovery from the tabs located on the left side of the Update & security screen.
Navigate to the Recovery tab
  1. The advanced startup section should be located in this option so locate it at the bottom of the Recovery tab. Click on Restart now. Advanced Startup Options should appear.

After you have successfully accessed the Advanced Startup Options, you can now freely navigate to the Startup Settings option by following the instructions below.

  1. Click on the Troubleshoot entry located just under the Continue button in the Choose an option screen.
  2. You will be able to see three different options: Refresh your PC, Reset your PC, and Advanced options. Click on the Advanced options button.
Troubleshoot >> Advanced options
  1. Under the Advanced options screen, click on Startup Settings which will open a list of available startup options for you.
  2. Option number 7 should be named Disable driver signature enforcement. Click on the number 7 on your keyboard or use the F7 function key.
Disable driver signature enforcement
  1. Press Enter in order to return to your operating system and check to see if the “Secure boot violation – invalid signature detected” problem still appears during boot!

Solution 4: Use the Following Useful Command

This method is quite popular for its simplicity and plenty of people use it in order to fix most things related to the issue at hand. The funny thing is that it works and users have commented saying that this is the only step it took to resolve the problem. Try it out now!

  1. Search for “Command Prompt” by typing it either right in the Start menu or by pressing the search button right next to it. Right-click the first entry which will pop up as a search result and select the “Run as administrator” context menu entry.
  2. Additionally, you can also use the Windows Logo Key + R key combination in order to bring up the Run dialog box. Type in “cmd” in the dialog box which appears and use the Ctrl + Shift + Enter key combination for administrator Command Prompt.
Running Command Prompt
  1. Type in the following command in the window and make sure you press Enter after typing it out. Wait for the “Operation completed successfully” message or something similar to know that the method worked.
bcdedit.exe -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
  1. Try to open Google Chrome and check to see if the “Establishing secure connection message” still hangs for too long!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.