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Incompatible driver(s) Patin-Couffin (pcouffin.sys)

Anonymous
2021-05-24T14:40:43+00:00

I was checking out Window's Security settings recently and I saw a security feature that once had been ON the last time I checked and is now turned OFF. 

It's the memory integrity setting under Core isolation that's supposed to block incompatible drivers from loading.

Because blocking these driver(s) might cause unexpected behavior, the memory integrity setting turned itself OFF for the low level access layer

of my CD/DVD device belonging to the Patin-Couffin engine

Naturally I have a CD/DVD - RW optical drive. Two (duplicate name description) pcouffin.sys driver(s) show in Windows settings and to be associated with the manufacturer VSO Software.

I figured the driver(s) installed without my knowledge. As a matter of fact, I just installed MalwareBytes Premium and it did not find these to be malware.

I researched Microsoft and found an article about wanting to restore the memory integrity setting to ON,

It says you can try to see if an updated compatible driver is available through WU. The article doesn't even refer specifically to pcouffin.sys.

I went to VSO Software's site and don't see a way to update apparently "their" driver. 

Questions

1) What's the purpose of this driver anyway?  

The CD/DVD RW device came pre-installed with the desktop purchased 4 yrs ago    

The CD/DVD RW optical drive worked fine before I was aware this driver installed 

2) What's the best way to update to a compatible driver? In device manager? 

I'd like to to turn memory integrity back ON and not have to hope WU eventually installs the correct / most up to date driver. 

If no one has any familiarity with how to turn the windows security setting back on or how to resolve the driver update so that memory integrity can be turned back ON,

please don't offer any best "guesses". It's likely someone else knows who eventually will provide an answer to resolve the issue.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-05-25T13:22:39+00:00

    I found some shared answers on what others were asking. what is it? where did it come from? is it needed?

    The PCouffin.sys driver is a device driver that provides access layers for optical drives. Its shared by various vendors but all likely have their software pathed to their own installation of drivers.

    Basically, its a DVD/CD access driver that allows software to communicate to the drive.

    Different vendors of CD/DVD programs share the same installation of the PCouffin.sys driver.

    Having never used any CD/DVD programs myself, the task of finding where it came from will require searching programs that were already pre-installed before puchasing my system. Once narrowed down, the same program software should be able to check if there's a driver already installed, what version it is, and most importantly,  if it is an up-to-date driver.

    If it doesn't appear possible to update the program, I'll likely just unistall the CD/DCD program since I don't either use or need the software.

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