about Hardware Submission

Question

Resubmit with a justification document detailing the exception required for the driver，But there has been no result yet. May I ask, is there any problem with the instruction file that I added

Answer 1

Based on the current hardware submission rules for legacy printer drivers, the justification document must meet very specific requirements. If any of these are missing or incorrect, the submission can be blocked or rejected during review.

Key points to verify in the justification JSON and package:

1. Confirm the justification JSON is present and correctly placed
   • For WHQL submissions: the JSON must be inside the HLK package under the Supplemental folder (for example: HLKPackage/…/Supplemental/DriverException.json).
   • For Attestation submissions: the JSON must be placed directly in the driver folder (for example: DriverSubmission/DriverFiles/DriverException.json).
   • Submissions without a justification document are automatically blocked and rejected during manual review.
2. Ensure the JSON contains all required sections The justification JSON must follow the required schema and include at least:
   • Submission metadata:
     • Version = 1.0 (fixed value)
     • SubmissionDate in ISO 8601 UTC format
   • Partner information:
     • Company name
     • Contact name
     • Contact email
   • Driver details:
     • Target models
     • Driver version
     • Overview of changes
   • Submission type:
     • NewDriver or DriverUpdate
       • If DriverUpdate, it must include:
         • PreviousSubmissionId
         • Explicit confirmation that no new HWIDs are added
         • Missing PreviousSubmissionId causes immediate rejection, and adding new HWIDs for a DriverUpdate causes automatic rejection.
   • Exception justification:
     • Exactly one exception type must be requested and justified (for example CannotSupportMopria, ARM64Addition, SecurityVulnerability, Fax device, or Other).
     • The justification must include the specific evidence required for that exception (for example, technical reasons Mopria cannot be supported, ARM64 parity confirmation, CVE details for security fixes, confirmation that the device is a fax device, etc.).
3. Check that the exception category matches the submission scenario
   • New drivers in 2026 are only allowed if they meet one of these:
     • Device cannot support Mopria
     • Device is a fax device
     • Adding ARM64 version
     • Target Windows 10 22H2 or earlier
     • Target Windows Server 2022 or earlier
   • Driver updates are only allowed if:
     • No new HWIDs are added
     • No new functionality is added
     • The PreviousSubmissionId of the existing driver is provided
     • And they meet at least one of:
       • Security update
       • Fax device
       • Add ARM64 version
       • Target Windows 10 22H2 or earlier
       • Target Windows Server 2022 or earlier If the exception type in the JSON does not align with one of these allowed categories, or the driver package contradicts the exception (for example, a fax exception but the package targets a printer device), the submission can be blocked.
4. Validate the JSON format and schema
   • The justification must follow the Microsoft schema. The recommended way is to use the DriverExceptionDocGenerator tool (when available) to generate and validate the JSON. This reduces the risk of schema or formatting errors that could cause rejection.
5. For driver updates, double-check HWIDs and functionality
   • Confirm that the driver package does not introduce any new HWIDs compared to the previous submission.
   • Confirm that the changes are limited to what is justified (for example, security fix only, ARM64 addition only) and do not add new features.
6. If the submission is still pending with no result
   • After confirming the above, if the submission remains stuck or unclear, a support request can be submitted to Windows Hardware Engineering Support with business justification to ask about the status or to expedite review. This is done by signing in with the Hardware Dev Center/Partner Center account and using the “Hardware submissions & signing (all OS version)” category.

If the justification JSON is missing required fields, placed in the wrong folder, does not match the actual driver contents (for example, HWIDs, target OS, device type), or the exception category is not correctly justified, that is likely the problem with the instruction file.

---

References:

• Legacy Printer Driver Submission Process
• Create a new hardware submission
• Gradual rollout