The objective of this UEFI-based tablet test tool is to validate the following:
- Whether the tablet supports the required UEFI-based protocols
- Whether the OEM correctly implements the UEFI-based protocols
This tool gives customers, partners, and OEMs the ability to verify in a quick, easy, and straightforward manner whether the DE
preboot environment responds to the touch interface. It's a standalone tool and doesn't require DE to be installed. We recommend that you run this tool on devices to verify compatibility before considering an encryption deployment to that specific tablet device.
At a high level, the general process to test a UEFI-based tablet with this test tool is as follows:
- An administrator downloads the tool from this article.
- The administrator runs the tool on the selected tablet device.
- The tool checks for the required UEFI protocols.
- The administrator tries to touch the four red buttons, one in each corner of the screen.
A successful test is characterized by the following:
- The administrator can touch each of the four buttons, turning them from red to green.
- After all buttons are pressed, the status message turns to green, indicating success.
A failure is characterized by the following:
- The Absolute Pointer Protocol isn't present and linked to the hardware.
- The administrator can't touch all four buttons because of the absence of the Absolute Pointer Protocol and scaling issues, among other reasons.
- The message is displayed in any other color apart from green.
Only a successful test status makes sure that the DE preboot environment can respond to the tablet's touch interface.
How to load the tool onto a USB drive
Here, we consider Windows 8.x as an example.
- Download the TabletTool.zip attached to this article and extract the contents.
- Format a USB drive as FAT32.
- On the USB device, create the folder /efi/boot/
- Copy the required file to the /efi/boot/ boot folder:
-
On a system with a 32-bit UEFI implementation, copy BOOTIA32.efi
-
On a system with a 64-bit UEFI implementation, copy BOOTX64.efi
NOTE: If you're uncertain whether the device is 32-bit or 64-bit, copy both files. This action also gives you the ability to use the same USB device on many systems, regardless of a 32-bit or 64-bit UEFI implementation.
- Disable Secure Boot (if needed):
This step is required on Windows 8-certified hardware because Microsoft doesn't sign tools according to their rules for Secure Boot.
- To display the Windows 8 charms sidebar, move your pointer to the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Click Settings, Change PC Settings, General.
- In the right pane, scroll down and locate Advanced start-up, and then select Restart now.
- In the Choose Options window, click Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, UEFI Firmware Settings, and then click Restart.
- In the Setup window, select the Security tab, Secure Boot Configuration, and set the UEFI Secure Boot option to Disabled.
- Save your changes and exit.
- Insert your USB device.
- To display the Windows 8 charms sidebar, move your pointer to the bottom-right corner of the screen
- Click Settings, Change PC Settings, General.
- In the right pane, scroll down and locate Advanced start-up, and then select Restart now.
- In the Choose Options window, click Use a Device, and select USB.
Your computer restarts and you see the Absolute Pointer Protocol Test Tool interface.
NOTE: The Absolute Pointer Protocol Test Tool interface closes and restarts your computer after five minutes. If the test fails, restart manually.
Structure of the tablet test tool
The tablet test tool displays the following:
- A colored status message in the center of the upper part of the screen indicates the test status, which is the definitive indication of whether the test has succeeded or failed.
- Four red buttons, one in each corner of the screen. You must press each one at least once. After you've pressed them, the following observations are made:
- The buttons turn from red to green.
- The text on the buttons changes from Press me to Pressed N times (where N is the number of times the button is pressed).
- The log is updated.
- A log in the middle of the screen shows various pieces of information and a log of actions taken during the test.
- A box detailing the last reported coordinates (x,y) from the Absolute Pointer Protocol is located at the center of the lower part of the screen.
Status message of the tablet test tool
The tablet test tool can display the following status messages:
- UEFI Pre-Boot Support: Cannot be determined until all corner buttons are pressed
- The message is displayed in yellow.
- This message indicates the default status of the tool and remains this way until all corner buttons are pressed or a failure condition occurs.
- If scaling is incorrect on this device and the cursor can't reach one or more of the buttons, this status remains.
- This status doesn't mean that the test is successful.
- UEFI Pre-Boot Support: Unsupported - No Absolute Pointer Protocol for touch screen
- The message is displayed in red.
- It indicates that the required UEFI protocol isn't present and linked to hardware on this tablet.
- The DE preboot environment doesn't respond to the touch interface of this tablet device.
- Your OEM must provide this UEFI protocol for the touch interface to work correctly, which might involve a UEFI upgrade for this device from your OEM.
- This status indicates that the test has failed.
- UEFI Pre-Boot Support: Unsupported – Touch scaling is incorrect
- The message is displayed in red.
- It indicates that the scaling is incorrect on this device, depicted by the cursor leaving the screen.
- The DE preboot environment doesn't respond correctly to the touch interface of this tablet device.
- Your OEM must provide an update to the UEFI implementation to make sure that it works as expected. This might involve a UEFI upgrade for this device from your OEM.
- This status indicates that the test has failed.
- UEFI Pre-Boot Support: Supported
- The message is displayed in green.
- It indicates that all the four buttons have been successfully pressed at least once.
- The DE preboot environment responds to the touch interface of this tablet device.
- This status indicates that the test is successful.
Contents of the log
The log displayed in the middle of the screen is automatically saved and concatenated to a file named
MfePointerStatus.txt, and is written to the folder containing the executable file.
Execution of the tablet test tool
When it first starts, it displays the following information:
- UEFI firmware vendor and version
- Current graphics mode information
- Number of I2C Protocols
- Number of Simple Pointer Protocols and, if found, whether they're linked to the hardware in the tablet
- Number of Absolute Pointer Protocols and, if found, whether they're linked to the hardware in the tablet
During execution, more information can be appended to the log, which can include the following:
- Status changes
- Information about the buttons that are pressed
IMPORTANT: If you receive a failure status message, contact your OEM for a resolution. We can't add protocols to UEFI or address potential UEFI protocol defects.
