Windows 10: Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10

I'm experiencing Windows Update replacing AMD drivers on my AMD A8-7600 Radeon R7 processor. Several times this has caused the computer to crash and it's also caused the menu item for Radeon Settings application to break.

I tried changing the "Device Installation Setting" to no, but that didn't make any difference.

On one occasion, the "Show or hide updates" utility, but this is only a temporary setting, so not really much of a fix. It seems the only way this can be used is to wait for the update to be downloaded.

I haven't tried changing the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching", because it doesn't seem to be a reliable fix, based on the feedback I've read.

I found the fix described in this thread and it looks interesting. However, I checked for the key on three different systems and the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate folder wasn't present. Two of the systems are running Windows Home and the other is running Windows Pro. On the Windows Pro system, the specific policy isn't present.

Here are the versions:

Home: 1511, build 10586.545
Home Insider Preview: 1607, build 14915.1000)
Pro: 1511, build 10586.545

For those who have tried this fix, did you have to create only the key or did you also have to create the folder?

 

Hello bimmerdriver, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

The registry entries are not there by default. They only get added when you disable including driver updates in Windows Update.

 

Thank you for the reply and for the welcome.

I'm not clear what you are specifically referring to.

My computers have the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching, which is set to 1.

Are you referring to changing the "Device Installation Setting" to no? Does that cause HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate to be created?

 

Correct. I'm referring to the one you mentioned for step 3 in OPTION TWO on the first page. *Smile

 

That's why you use:

Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update/Configure Automatic Updates: Enabled, Notify for download and notify for install

Automatic installation of updates will be disabled, and you will be able to hide the update before it is downloaded.

I covered all this in my last post on this thread.

If you want to 100% prevent all possible driver updates, you have to use the wushowhide tool. I don't like all the "temporary" language either, but I've never seen it un-hide a hidden driver. The "temporary" is probably referring mostly to Windows updates, and the fact that you can't hide those permanently because if you do, you will be denied subsequent updates.

In your case, you can probably get away with just Do not search Windows Updates, but it's all down to luck whether that setting works for the driver in question.

 

I just want to point out that even after setting the registry value specified here, Microsoft will eventually decide that they know what's best for you, and update your drivers without your prior knowledge.

I installed the fabled Anniversary update the other day. The first clue I had that something was wrong came when my monitor kept having static and popping sounds. I recognized this as a Nvidia driver issue, because I'd already wasted hours of my life trying to resolve those issues. The Anniversary update silently updated my video driver to one that does not work properly for me.

I don't know why no drivers after 362.00 work properly, and it's almost certain I never will know why. What I do know for certain is that I don't need some idiot choosing what software I should run on my $10,000 PC.

So now, I have to spend another hour putting everything back as it should be. Good stuff. It makes me so very angry.

 

Hello meh,

Yeah, unfortunately it's not uncommon for a new Windows build update to reset some stuff back to default. *Sad

 

I can confirm that the AU resets registry tweaks. That's why it's always best to use the GP equivalent if possible. For example, SearchOrderConfig 0 is reset to 1 by the AU, but the corresponding Do not search Windows Update GP setting is untouched. Obviously Win10 Home users get the middle finger here.

 

You won't find the 362 now meh but the ...
GeForce Game Ready Driver - WHQL
Version: 369.05 - Release Date: Tue Aug 02, 2016



is now what is being listed as the oldest on the support site presently with the 372.54 on August 15, 372.70 on August 30, and 372.90 a week ago on Sept. 21 as far as the W10 updates go when manually looking them up. Drivers | GeForce

The manual search for W8.1 ends up seeing the exact same driver version numbers. The question now would be if the WU is simply grabbing any of or just one of the latest being the 372.xx while the 369.05 might be a working solution as far as being newer then the 362 in order to fool the WU into believing the video is already updated to the latest by manually running with that or not?

The first step would be right clicking on the item in the Device Manager to see which of the latest is what the WU is grabbing and then simply seeing that removed by the uninstall to then manually install the older. If the 372.70 is buggy you may even find the 372.90 clears the problem up if not going for the 369 or 372.54. You might even try the 8.1 instead of 10 version of same to see if they are identical or geared for the previous version where often those will tend to work out on 10.

If found to work the only next concern would be following either the next clean install or following the next major update if not running with Insider builds. You might simply end up needing to wait for the 375.xx or other newer driver and have to stay with the 362 or 369 if the 372.xx is the problem. For some reason it always ends up seeming that NVidia runs into more issues while AMD/ATI and ATI prior to being AMD produced has also seen bad catalyst at times depending a lot on make and model card if not with onboard graphics. Generally however a direct trip to the support site has been found to be a good workaround.

 

That's because you're searching 10 series drivers. The last 20 drivers are still available off the nvidia site.

 

Not just AU, some updates as well. I apply my reg tweaks via batch file every day, MS taught me to be vigilant. *Smile

 

The 362.00 drivers are still available. I also have a copy saved locally.

I've tried many driver versions >362.00. Every single one gave me serious problems. The one installed by the AU was the worst though, since in addition to distortion and nasty speaker popping sounds, it frequently made my entire display go dark for several seconds at a time.

I always use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU). I did so last night after my rant, and I'm now back on 362.00 and everything is fine.

Speaking of DDU, when I used it last night, it indicated that it had disabled WU driver installation. I don't know what it actually did or why it had to do anything, though, since I did have "Do not include drivers with Windows Updates" enabled via GP already.

I used to apply .REG files via a GP shutdown script (or maybe I used reg.exe; I can't remember), to make sure that my changes remained intact. I can see that I need to do so again. I'm guessing it's best not to use a .REG file but to use reg.exe with the ADD parameter, and schedule it via Task Scheduler. There goes several more hours of my life...

 

The group policy mentioned does not exist in Windows 10, ver 1511 build 10586.589 (latest non-anniversary).

 

Nope. The policy is only available starting with build 14328. *Smile

 

Actually there were several changes once 10 got past the 14316 and 328 build onward from there which included the Bash support as well as changes starting to be seen with the Start menu in preparation for the Redstone 1 anniversary preview as well as WU general release. The RS1 fortunately on 3 of 4 laptops as well as three desktops(the main, second remote pc, and a sibling's pc) have all seen working results without the need to disable the WU at all.

The 4th older 7 upgraded to 10 laptop however might end up needing a separate video adapter in order to get the display working there however in order to update that from the TH2 that went on shortly before the display quit suddenly without warning. If that one gets fixed it would be interesting to see if that would run into update issues while it seems most are NVidia/8.1 related. The onboard for that was AMD. Years back it was AMD/ATI Catalyst problems which has recently been passed along to the competition it would seem as far as 10 goes.