As standard Windows updates tend to care about device drivers, many PC users don’t want to manually update device driver. However, such automatic driver updates are a problem to system administrators and enterprise users as well as game players and other power users who want more control over driver changes. However, thankfully, you can turn off these driver updates and a regular Windows update is still running smoothly.
I am very glad to have Windows care of all drivers update updates. Nevertheless, many users may want to do it on their own schedules, or keep some drivers the same.
Microsoft overwrites your fine NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Dolby or ASUS or MSI drivers with generics drivers by a regular Windows update * Manufacturer/OEM drivers > generic’s. When you have your favorite apps and games, it can sometimes lead to a lack of features and poor performance inside the app or game.
Virus * Instabilities and crashes from poor driver configuration*** New drivers pushed through Windows Update can lead to black screens, blue screens of death, game stuttering, audio issues, monitor flickers, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth problems. They are a rare issue to have such issues, but we regularly see them in our monthly Windows 11/10 updates bulletin.
*** ** * **Enterprise users/system administrators want better controls If you’re an enterprise user of Windows or a system administrator managing multiple devices, you need more control over driver changes. Users like Intune WSUS or can only download manufacturer packages, but they use .
- Specialized drivers for niche hardware Windows generic drivers work across the board, but some PC hardware works best with exact driver matches. Describe audio interfaces/scanners, USB devices or gaming peripherals?
- You may have paid for vendor specific drivers Microsoft will aggressively replace any older drivers with its own generics. But, as a user, you may have paid extra for vendor-optimized drivers.
The best solution is automatic driver updates for non-average PC users in summary, i.e For those who are not on average computers, etc. If you want to lock out your Windows device from unexpected changes, you would rather just keep it locked.
- Disable Driver Updates Through Hardware Settings [Older Windows Builds]
A driver update from the normal Windows hardware settings can be disabled, for example, by you. Nevertheless, this method is not visible on new Windows 11 builds.
For older builds and Windows 10, press Win + X, and select System.
This action will open the System window. Here, click on Advanced System Settings.
A new pop-up window, System Properties opens. Navigate to the Hardware tab and click on the Device Installation Settings button.
During the Device Installation Settings window, on older versions of these devices, you can select the No (which is selected as an option for me to choose what to do radio button). After that, you can choose the Never install driver software from Windows update radio button. If you can save the changes, click on Save changes button to save them.
On newer Windows 11 builds (22H2 -> 25H2), just select Yes to automatically downloading manufacturer apps for your devices.
Restart your system and you are good to go.
- Disable Driver Updates Through Group Policy
If you are running multiple systems, then the Group Policy Editor can control driver update policies. If you start with Win + ‘R, type -gpedit. msc, press and Enter.
Navigate to the following folder: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Internet Communication Management -> Internet Communication settings.
Now, find the Turn off Windows update device driver searching option and double-click on it.
A further settings window is opened by the above action of , which will open the additional settings windows. Alternatively, just choose the Enabled option and click on the *OK** button to save the changes.
Should I get rid of my and start your system again. For reverting, you can choose the Disabled or Not configured option.
- Disable Driver Updates Through Registry Editor
A third option to disable driver updates is the Windows Registry Editor, which uses the windows Registry editor. If you’re trying to press Win + “R” first, type -regedite and then push the –Enter button.
Once the Windows registry has been opened, navigate to the following key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching
You can see the SearchOrderConfig key here on the right pane. default value data is set to “1” which means that the automatic updates are enabled. double click on the value to change it,’ .
The Edit DWORD Value window will be opened by the above action. For example, enter the new value data as “0” here and then click on the OK button to save the changes.
The above action will completely disable the driver updates through Windows update.
- Use This PowerShell Switch
Assuming you’re a regular PowerShell user, this is the most effective way to stop automatic Windows driver updates. The reason we’ve resisted this direct method is that, unlike the methods above, you can’t see the process as clearly.
Administrator mode Open PowerShell in powershell. You also can launch it in quake, an international console from the top of your Windows screen.
Now enter the following command:
Set-ItemProperty
-Path
"HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching"
-Name
"SearchOrderConfig"
-Value
0
-
Type
DWord
-Force
To restart the automatic driver updates, exit the current PowerShell window to start a new one? Restart a new one in administrator mode, and enter the following;
Set-ItemProperty
-Path
"HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching"
-Name
"SearchOrderConfig"
-Value
1
-
Type
DWord
-Force
Changing driver updates through Windows Update is just a few clicks as you can see. Yet you should follow this tutorial only if you know what you are doing, as turning off automatic driver updates may sometimes be an obstacle to how your device works.
Assuming you are a normal PC user with no need for customizations, then you should not change your drivers. If you want to move on, make sure you write a system restore point first.
Thanks for reading How to Disable Driver Updates Through Windows Update
