Possible false Code Integrity Event ID 3033 for Dropbox vulkan-1 DLL.

Question

I see regular Windows Event Log ID 3033 on my Windows 10 laptop AND on my Windows 11 Desktop PC.

It is reporting ONLY that the Dropbox vulkan-1.dll "did not meet the Microsoft signing level requirements":

"Code Integrity determined that a process
(\Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\Dropbox.exe)
attempted to load
\Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\224.4.4811\vulkan-1.dll
that did not meet the Microsoft signing level requirements."

QUESTIONS:

1: I assume that the message means that the vulkan DLL was NOT loaded in the parent process chain?

2: As there was a previous INFO event 3084 showing that WHQL Driver Integrity had been turned on 59 seconds before, is this why the DLL loading was checked for code integrity for this SPECIFIC DLL?

From the above, I can only guess that the Dropbox version of vulkan-1.dll is NOT a WHQL certified driver?

Here is a list of programs that use the same named vulkan-1 DLL (provided in different programs, so I must assume that THOSE are certified)

Answer 1

Hi TD47,

Thank you so much for your reply and the helpful information you shared. I’m glad to hear the Microsoft Store version of Dropbox is working well on both of your devices.

The error means, Windows saw a file from Dropbox called vulkan-1.dll and checked if it was properly signed. Even though it had a valid certificate, Windows still flagged it because it didn’t meet all the strict rules for security. This is common when certain protection settings are turned on.

This happens when, Dropbox’s desktop app comes with its own version of vulkan-1.dll.

That file might not be fully trusted by Windows when stricter security checks are enabled.

This happens more often with files that try to work with graphics or system-level tools.

Here's how to fix it:

By switching to the Dropbox app from the Microsoft Store, you avoided the issue. That version uses the built-in Windows system files, which are already trusted and won’t cause warnings.

Here’s the link again for anyone else who needs it: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nk4t08dhq80?...

Dropbox – Microsoft Store

Quick Fix Steps:

Step 1: Remove the desktop version

• Open Settings on your PC
• Go to Apps
• Find Dropbox and uninstall it

Step 2: Install the Microsoft Store version

• Open Microsoft Store
• Search for “Dropbox”
• Choose the version by Dropbox, Inc.
• Click Install

That should stop the error messages completely.

If you ever need to use the desktop version again, you can check the file’s digital signature by:

• Right-clicking the DLL file
• Choosing Properties
• Going to the Digital Signatures tab

Even if it says “Signature OK,” it still might not pass Windows’ stricter checks depending on the system settings.

I hope I was able to assist you effectively. If you have any other questions or need further help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,

Pau

Answer 2

"If you ever return to using the desktop version for any reason, you can manually verify the DLL’s digital signature by right-clicking it in File Explorer and going to the Digital Signatures tab in Properties."

I forgot to say in my original post, that the DLL DOES have what appears to be a Valid Certificate, as it shows "Certificate OK".

However, other specialists (in the MalwareBytes AV forum), have stated that the certificate being OK is only PART of the story, as there are other things to do with PP and PPL processes, that the Code Integrity checks. So if an executable or DLL wanted to access or hook into a Protected Process (like a Kernel Driver, e.g. Video Driver as in this case), it may get blocked.

I suspect the ONLY way to stop this is for such dynamic load libraries to be WHQL signed.

This link has some useful background:

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/325667-code-integrity-determined-that-a-process-xyz-attempted-to-load/

By the way, I just uninstalled the standard Desktop version of Dropbox on my Windows 10 laptop, installed the UWP version, and it all seems fine.   Thanks for your help.

Answer 3

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out, and I appreciate the detailed context you provided. Based on what you shared and my analysis, here’s a clear explanation of what’s happening and the best resolution steps:

1. The Event ID 3033 message means that Windows attempted to validate the digital signature of Dropbox’s vulkan-1.dll, but it didn’t meet the expected signing level. Most likely, this file was either unsigned or signed with a certificate that isn’t recognized under your current system policy, so the system flagged or blocked it.
2. WHQL Driver Integrity (Event ID 3084) being enabled shortly before is key. That policy introduces more rigorous checks for any DLLs that may interact with graphics hardware or drivers, which includes Vulkan libraries.
3. Dropbox’s version of the DLL is not WHQL-certified, nor does it need to be, but it’s not surprising that it would trigger the event if used alongside more strict enforcement settings.

Good news is Installing the UWP version of Dropbox via the Microsoft Store appears to completely sidestep this issue, because it does not bundle its own copy of vulkan-1.dll. Instead, it relies on the system’s built-in, properly signed Vulkan DLLs.

Here’s a direct link to that version: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nk4t08dhq80?...

Dropbox on Microsoft Store

If you ever return to using the desktop version for any reason, you can manually verify the DLL’s digital signature by right-clicking it in File Explorer and going to the Digital Signatures tab in Properties.

Let me know if this solves it on your Windows 10 device as well. Hoping that to have positive outcome.

Best regards,

Pau

Answer 4

Hello Pau Soliven, many thanks for your useful and comprehensive reply.

I understand what you are saying, and it DOES seem that code integrity is too strict, and creating unnecessary Event errors.

I see similar things with AV AV-AMSI routines (like mbae64.dll) that get "inserted" into browsers like Chrome and Firefox, and gets the 3033 event, but not Edge oddly, although it IS there, I assume that it is MS WHQL signed, so does NOT fall foul of Code Integrity.

I just heard back from the Dropbox forum today, that it is only the Desktop/Normal app that has this DLL, and that I should uninstall the original one, and re-install it from the Windows Store, as a UWP version. I suspect that the UWP version will use the inbuilt Windows 10/11 system versions of this DLL, at C:\Windows\system32 and C:\Windows\sysWOW32.

I was NOT aware of this, and the desktop installer version is still around, at version 1.3.983.1, from 24 Jan 2024 from the certificate.

I will confirm shortly if this fixes the issue. UPDATE:

I uninstalled the Desktop version on my Windows 11 desktop, installed the UWP version, and now there is NO error, and NO vulkan-1.DLL to worry about.

See this MS Store Link for installing the UWP version: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nk4t08dhq80?rtc=1&hl=en-us&gl=US

Answer 5

Hello TD47,

I'm Pau, your Independent Advisor, ready to help. I know dealing with technical issues can be frustrating, so I appreciate your patience. Let’s take a look at some steps that might help resolve this.

First, let’s break it down:

1. What Event ID 3033 is saying:

This event is triggered by Windows Code Integrity and means that the vulkan-1.dll inside Dropbox’s folder did not meet the Microsoft signing level requirements. In simple terms, Windows expected this file to be signed in a certain way (or by a trusted certificate), and it wasn’t, or didn’t meet the latest stricter criteria.

Yes you're right, this does not mean the DLL was successfully loaded. Instead, it was blocked or at least flagged as a potential issue before loading, depending on your system policy. This is a protective mechanism.

2. Why this might be happening:

The INFO-level Event ID 3084 showing WHQL Driver Integrity being turned on 59 seconds earlier is relevant. This means the system started checking driver integrity more strictly, especially for components interacting with graphics drivers, which vulkan-1.dll does.

So yes. This may explain why the integrity check triggered specifically for this DLL at that moment.

3. Is Dropbox's Vulkan DLL a problem?

This is likely a false positive. Dropbox packages a version of the vulkan-1.dll library for internal rendering/graphics purposes, but that DLL may not be signed the same way as official GPU driver versions that come from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. As a result, even though it's a known Vulkan library, it might not carry WHQL certification, since it’s not a driver, it’s just a redistributable DLL.

This same filename exists in many locations games, tools, graphics programs, and each may ship their own version. Only those included with official driver packages from hardware vendors typically have WHQL-level signing.

Try the following approach to address this:

Step 1: Check File Signature

1. Go to the file path listed in the event:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\224.4.4811\vulkan-1.dll

2. Right-click > Properties > Digital Signatures.
3. See if any signature is present and if it's valid.

**If there's no signature or the signature is from an unknown/untrusted publisher, that's why the alert appeared.

Step 2: Ensure Dropbox is Updated

Go to Dropbox settings and make sure it’s up to date. Sometimes newer releases include updated and properly signed versions of their DLLs.

Step 3: Report It to Dropbox

If this keeps recurring and you're concerned, you might want to report it to Dropbox support directly. Include the event details so they can confirm whether this DLL version is expected to be unsigned or if it’s a packaging oversight.

I hope I was able to address your concerns. If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Warm regards,

Pau