Windows 8.1 ‘SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly’ watermark finally removed via hotfix

Ron

Windows 8.1 Start Screen

When Microsoft rolled out Windows 8.1 on October 17th, there was one annoyance that has popped up regarding Secure Boot, leaving an annoying watermark on the desktop. Many Windows 8.1 users were reporting that they have a watermark stating “SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly.” Today, Microsoft has rolled out a fix (KB2902864).

“Secure Boot helps increase the security of Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 PCs by stopping unauthorized software from running. If you see a “SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly” message in the lower-right corner of the desktop, it means that Secure Boot has either been turned off or hasn’t been set up correctly on your PC,” Microsoft explains.

Expanding on that, Microsoft never came up with SecureBoot. Microsoft is simply the first to widely implement it via Windows 8. SecureBoot is part of the new UEFI spec, which is a new replacement for the old BIOS that we have come to know and love over the years. SecureBoot simply adds extra steps when it comes to getting a non-Windows operating system to dual boot alongside Windows 8 or 8.1, preventing the loading of drivers or operating system loaders that are not digitally signed. This can be one of the reasons why many people want this SecureBoot feature turned off.

Unfortunately, those who did not want to enable SecureBoot were stuck seeing the watermark. Microsoft today rolled out a hotfix that removes this watermark for those of you on Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. 

We’ve added the download links to the update below, available in 32bit and 64bit for Windows 8.1 and a download for Windows Server 2012 R2 64bit. Let us know if you were able to remove the watermark successfully after installing this update.