Windows keep changing significantly with the various updates which have changed the experience of using laptops and desktops with the release of Windows 11/10. But, the things that have not changed yet are the driver updates. The driver is often updated automatically, which sometimes affects our overall experience working on our PCs. This post will share how you can disable automatic driver updates.
Why Should You Disable Automatic Driver Updates in Windows?
Driver updates can be problematic. It’s not anybody’s fault, but every system is different, and nobody wants to mess with a perfectly working PC. In fact, many users wait for the second release of drivers, which fixes many bugs in the first version. So it’s best to disable the automatic update and choose the manual installation.
How To Disable Automatic Driver Updates on Windows 11/10?
There are primarily two ways you can reactivate Windows after reinstalling it. Here they are:
- Group Policy Editor
- Registry Editor
You may need an admin account to get these done. Let’s have a closer look at these methods.
1] Disable Automatic Driver Downloads on Windows with Group Policy Editor
- Press the Windows+R keys and type on gpedit.msc. Click on Enter key to open the group policy editor.
- Now, go to Computer configuration> Administrative templates > Windows components > Windows Update > Manage Updates offered from Windows Update.
- Double-click the policy—Do not include drivers with Windows Updates— in the right window.
- Click on Enabled. Apply the changes
Once you update the policy, it will disable automatic driver installation for the PC. An IT admin can also connect to another PC and make the changes to more PCs. It is a practice that is followed in many business houses to ensure the stability of PCs.
Group Policy is not available for the Windows Home version. We suggest you follow our guide to enable Group Policy for Windows Home PCs.
Disable Automatic Driver Updates on Windows 10/11 with Registry Editor
- Press the Keys windows+R and then type Regedit. Now press Enter to open the Registry editor.
- Go to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\POLICIES\Microsoft\Windows
- Right-click on the Windows key and choose New Key. Name the new key as WindowsUpdate. It might be already available so you can check for its availability.
- Right-click on the WindowsUpdate and click on New > DWORD(32-Bit) value. Name the new value as ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate.
- Double-click on it and set its value to 1.
As this will disable the Windows automatic driver updates, to enable it again, one must follow the same steps and set the value to 0.
Conclusion:
The article is written with all the best possible methods to disable Windows from automatically installing the driver. You can use any of these methods, of which the Group Policy method is safer than the Registry method. When following the Registry method, we suggest you create a System Restore. In case something goes wrong, you will be able to restore the PC quickly.
Can We Change the Automatic Driver Updates Settings on Windows Again?
You can do it by changing the Group Policy or the Registry Editor. When changing or deleting the registry entry, make sure you do not delete anything else.
Which Method Is Easier to Disable the Automatic Driver Update on Windows?
The first method, the Group Policy editor, is the easier one. But, after understanding both processes, one can effectively use any one method. Also, since Windows Home doesn’t have Group Policy, the Registry method works for them.
Aren’t driver updates important? Then why should one disable them?
It is never recommended to disable the driver updates on Windows. However, a lot of Windows users have reported issues post-driver installation. Hence, you can disable and manually install it by downloading it from the OEM website.