Windows 11 windows update optional menu always emtpy

x7007 · Friday at 6:06 PM

it is always empty with 24H2, but always shown on 23H2 on my laptop

what causing that? I only disable the driver install but Optional is always empty since 24H2

26100.4202

Levitate11 · Friday at 6:27 PM

I haven't seen anything since 24H2.

What are you seeing on 23H2? Can you take a screenshot?

x7007 · Friday at 6:34 PM

Levitate11 said:
Optional updates are usually drivers in my experience. Even then, they are infrequent. I would not expect to be seeing anything in there. I haven't seen anything since 24H2.

What are you seeing on 23H2? Can you take a screenshot?

because I disabled the auto install of drivers through the registry and gpedit.msc instead of using Windows update mini tool to check every time for drivers I would want them to show up on optional so I'll know if there is driver to install or to update.

glasskuter · Friday at 6:35 PM

In other words, you have your setting to get preview updates as soon as they are released which is usually about 3 wks before update Tuesday.

x7007 · Friday at 6:38 PM

glasskuter said:
View attachment 135522
In other words, you have your setting to get preview updates as soon as they are released which is usually about 3 wks before update Tuesday.

yes it's on, so what is the option to have the optional back on 24H2? so it won't install the driver automatically even without the get latest updates
on my 23H2 it also enabled but it still let me optional updates and doesn't auto install

this is what I have set on 23H2

Bree · Friday at 6:46 PM

x7007 said:
yes it's on, so what is the option to have the optional back on 24H2? so it won't install the driver automatically even without the get latest updates

If you have 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' turned on then you get all optional updates automatically. That's not just the Preview cumulative updates, it also means all optional driver updates too. If you want to be able to pick and choose which optional updates to install, then you must turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available'.

glasskuter · Friday at 7:31 PM

x7007 said:
what is the option to have the optional back on 24H2? so it won't install the driver automatically even without the get latest updates

Toggle that off if you do not want preview updates and use this tutorial if you do not want to get driver updates thru windows update.
EDIT:Use Option 2 step 3 to stop getting driver updates through windows update.

Enable or Disable Include Drivers with Windows Updates in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable including drivers with Windows Updates in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows Update will include drivers when available in Windows 11 by default. You can enable the Do not include drivers with Windows Updates policy to not include drivers...

www.elevenforum.com

glasskuter · Friday at 7:36 PM

I edited my previous post to say use option 2 step 3 of the tutorial.

x7007 · Friday at 7:36 PM

Bree said:
If you have 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' turned on then you get all optional updates automatically. That's not just the Preview cumulative updates, it also means all optional driver updates too. If you want to be able to pick and choose which optional updates to install, then you must turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available'.

so I've found an option I can use so it will let me to still use it

x7007 · Friday at 7:37 PM

glasskuter said:
I edited my previous post to say use option 2 step 3 of the tutorial.

I still want to get drivers through windows update just not auto install
I want to see the optional drivers in the optional menu
I still want to get all the preview updates just not auto install
I don't want any updates to auto install

is that possible?

Bree · Friday at 9:49 PM

x7007 said:
I still want to get drivers through windows update just not auto install
I want to see the optional drivers in the optional menu
I still want to get all the preview updates just not auto install

All the above can be satisfied, even in W11 Home, just by turning off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available'.

x7007 said:
I don't want any updates to auto install

If by 'any' you also mean the mandatory monthly cumulative updates, then those cannot be prevented from auto installing in Home, but they can in Pro. You can set a group policy to notify you for downloads. Open the Group policy editor (GPEdit) and go to:
Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
Enable 'Configure Automatic Updates' and select option 2 'Notify for download and auto install'.

Note that this only prevents Windows Update from auto installing mandatory updates if it's left to check for itself (which it does daily). When you manually check for updates it is assumed that you want to auto install any mandatory update it finds. So don't click 'Check for updates' and all your requirements are met.

Levitate11 · Friday at 10:24 PM

Bree said:
All the above can be satisfied, even in W11 Home, just by turning off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available'.

View attachment 135540

View attachment 135539

If by 'any' you also mean the mandatory monthly cumulative updates, then those cannot be prevented from auto installing in Home, but they can in Pro. You can set a group policy to notify you for downloads. Open the Group policy editor (GPEdit) and go to:
Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
Enable 'Configure Automatic Updates' and select option 2 'Notify for download and auto install'.

Note that this only prevents Windows Update from auto installing mandatory updates if it's left to check for itself (which it does daily). When you manually check for updates it is assumed that you want to auto install any mandatory update it finds. So don't click 'Check for updates' and all your requirements are met.

FYI - This could just apply to my system for some reason, but I have had little luck getting Option 2 to work properly. When I set the policy to 2, it goes into a mode that updates are not listed in Widows Update. If/when I "Check Options", I get "You are up to date".

Setting Option 3, which allows Download but not install, works well. I have an "Install" button in Windows Update if there's anything that becomes available. However, once any listed updates are installed, click the "Check for Updates" button will, as you mention, download and install any new updates that are available.

I have a long thread on the difficulties and things I've tried. Option 3 seems to be the only viable choice, at least for me.

As they say "Your mileage may vary".

x7007 · 2025-05-31T01:13:03-0400

Bree said:
All the above can be satisfied, even in W11 Home, just by turning off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available'.

View attachment 135540

View attachment 135539

If by 'any' you also mean the mandatory monthly cumulative updates, then those cannot be prevented from auto installing in Home, but they can in Pro. You can set a group policy to notify you for downloads. Open the Group policy editor (GPEdit) and go to:
Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
Enable 'Configure Automatic Updates' and select option 2 'Notify for download and auto install'.

Note that this only prevents Windows Update from auto installing mandatory updates if it's left to check for itself (which it does daily). When you manually check for updates it is assumed that you want to auto install any mandatory update it finds. So don't click 'Check for updates' and all your requirements are met.

but how come I don't have optional right now , it's still empty even when I have everything like you say. like 5 drivers are not shown

Bree · 2025-05-31T07:55:30-0400

Levitate11 said:
This could just apply to my system for some reason, but I have had little luck getting Option 2 to work properly.....

x7007 said:
how come I don't have optional right now , it's still empty even when I have everything like you say. like 5 drivers are not shown.....

I'm surprised by that, it works correctly on all my Pro systems. But then this is the only group policy I have put in place.

How do you know there are 5 drivers missing? If it's because they are available from Intel/your OEM/etc. then you need to be aware that it always takes time before MS approve any submitted driver for distribution by Windows Update, weeks, maybe months.

Maybe another one is altering the behaviour? To see only your configured policies, in GPedit select Administrative Templates, then Action > Filter options. Set 'Configured:' to 'Yes'.

x7007 · 2025-05-31T09:32:32-0400

Bree said:
I'm surprised by that, it works correctly on all my Pro systems. But then this is the only group policy I have put in place.

How do you know there are 5 drivers missing? If it's because they are available from Intel/your OEM/etc. then you need to be aware that it always takes time before MS approve any submitted driver for distribution by Windows Update, weeks, maybe months.

Maybe another one is altering the behaviour? To see only your configured policies, in GPedit select Administrative Templates, then Action > Filter options. Set 'Configured:' to 'Yes'.

View attachment 135578

only 2 keys are set for windows update,
using windows update mini tool shows me the drivers

also if I delete this then it will install the drivers automatically and allows the device manager
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata]
"PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork"=dword:00000001

Show optional
and block drivers

EDIT : If I disable Do Not include drivers with Windows update it instantly installs the drivers even without Get Latest updates. so I can't figure what is going on.
It doesn't install any drivers if Get Latest is on now with this disabled

could it be the don't include then?

even with get latest disable it install the drivers automatically

Windows 11 windows update optional menu always emtpy

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