Solved How to stop Windows Update from installing device drivers?

Fabler2 · Aug 13, 2022

@Joanne remember to run it again if there's a major or cumulative update, as soon as you land back on the desktop, otherwise you'll land back in the same boat. On the Dev channel where major updates is a weekly thing I sometimes forgot and had to go through the rigmarole to get the latest driver back again. Now I just let WU do it's thing.

For laptops its the manufacturer that pushes the certified drivers to Microsoft to push through WU so maybe not all Microsoft's fault.
I've given up fighting this and so this is my ASUS AMD driver that I have now which is not the latest. That will come when ASUS is ready I guess. Good luck.

2022-08-13 21_47_13-How to stop Windows Update from installing device drivers_ _ Windows 11 Fo...png

Joanne · Aug 14, 2022

@Fabler2 , thank you for your advice, I will make sure to do that :)

In the case of my Hewlett Packard, though, I believe that it is Windows 11 Home who is trying to impose the previous driver. In the attached screenshot, it can be seen that even though the HP Support Assistant and the HP website say I am up to date, Windows 11 Home believed that I need the previous driver. Fixed now, with Hide Windows Updates. :)

Fabler2 · Aug 14, 2022

Joanne said:
@Fabler2 , thank you for your advice, I will make sure to do that :)

In the case of my Hewlett Packard, though, I believe that it is Windows 11 Home who is trying to impose the previous driver. In the attached screenshot, it can be seen that even though the HP Support Assistant and the HP website say I am up to date, Windows 11 Home believed that I need the previous driver. Fixed now, with Hide Windows Updates. :)

Yes but I think it's because HP hasn't notified Microsoft of the updated driver yet so WU sees a 'wrong driver' and so tries to update it.

erpster4 · Oct 26, 2023

Joanne said:
Hello again,

I'm currently at work so I have not tried everything but what I have tried, so far, has not worked.

- I've tried the batch file and rebooted.

- I've tried the command:
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching /v DriverUpdateWizardWuSearchEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0x0 /f
and rebooted

- I've tried the command:
Reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching /v SearchOrderConfig /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
and rebooted

None of the above had any effect.

I am using the Intel Driver & Support Assistant to download the driver.

I will try the rest of the options, as soon as I can

try setting "PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork" entry into "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata" (see section "Turn On or Off Automatic Device Driver Installation using REG file" in ten forums)