Windows 10: Turn On or Off Device Driver Automatic Installation in Windows 10

Synaptics disappeared from Windows Update list when I used this tool -
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930

Article on what screens look like -
Microsoft releases tool to hide or block unwanted Windows 10 updates | ZDNet

 

If the driver has already been downloaded before disabling, then it would be normal for it to be waiting to be installed.

You could hide the update to stop this part.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8...dows-10-a.html

 

Hi guys,

"If the driver has already been downloaded before disabling, then it would be normal for it to be waiting to be installed."
Makes sense ...

I think what I'll do next is this, I'll install the update, reboot, then uninstall from dev manager with removal of the drive itself, and then reboot and see if it comes back, policy is still enabled ...

Well, that didnt work ... Still hits me up for the damn update. Will look at the tools and other stuff you both posted, just annoying ....

 

Update: The wuhideshow tool works as advertised, thanks!

That took it out of the system ... good to go.

 

It worked for me too. Good to see that you got this resolved.

 

Great news. I'm glad it could help. *Smile

 

I'm holding on to that SW tool for future use ... I'm sure it will come in handy down the line ...

 

Turn Off is better correct? I am assuming that if I turn off, I will never get driver problems because the driver remains unchanged.

After turning off by following OPTION ONE Driver Updates in Windows Update - Enable or Disable in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums ?

What is the difference between this thread and the other thread?

Thanks

 

Hello comcom, *Smile

This tutorial is more for automatically downloading and installing drivers for setting up devices.

The second tutorial is the main one you would want to use to prevent driver updates in Windows Update.

 

1. Which tutorial should be turned on/off?

2. I should follow this tutorial to turn on for better performance is it? Is it that if I turn on, when I plug in some new device like a keyboard/mouse/printer/hard disk, it will auto download the driver and install correct?

3. The second tutorial should be turned off to prevent driver updates so it will not break any drivers that are already in good working condition, am I correct?

4. Are the stuff in both tutorial turned on by default when I was using Windows 7 Home Premium? I don't seem to remember turning off anything similar to these tutorial when I was using Windows 7.

Thanks

 

Has the anniversary update made any changes to the behavior of the Device Installation Settings Yes/No setting? (like making it actually work?)

 

Hello Oubadah, *Smile

No changes. If you wanted to disable drivers from being available in Windows Update, then the method in the tutorial below would be best.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html

 

I think it would be a good idea to acknowledge somewhere in this article that the Device Installation Settings setting does not reliably prevent drivers from being installed. The way you have it presented makes it look like Device Installation Settings: No and SearchOrderConfig 0 are two ways to achieve the same outcome, but they are not.

For example: set Device Installation Settings: No and attach a Logitech peripheral device. Logitech drivers and Logitech Download Assistant bloatware will immediately be silently installed (and later, ironically, Windows will notify you about startup programs impacting system performance, and the "high impact" bloat it lists will be the Logitech Download Assistant it installed). Connect a Razer peripheral and the Razer Synapse driver/bloatware will immediately be downloaded. SearchOrderConfig 0 actually prevents that from happening, while Device Installation Settings: No does nothing.

And by the way, that new Do not include drivers with Windows Updates gpedit setting is similarly unreliable. I still see drivers listed in WU (eg. Intel IGP driver), just less of them.

EDIT: Is SearchOrderConfig 0 in the registry the same as setting Specify search order for device driver source locations to Do not search Windows Update in gpedit (Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Device Installation/Device Installation)? It seems to have the same effect.

 

Oubadah,

Some drivers are included with Windows 10, and are automatically installed if the supported device is connected. This is outside of Windows Update.

Could be a bug for why some drivers are still available via Windows Update even though the policy below is set to not allow it.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html

SearchOrderConfig in OPTION TWO is a different way to set Device Driver Installation settings. The separate group policy you mention affects the same setting, but overrides whatever is set it Device Driver Installation instead.

 

I know, but none of the settings I'm talking about have anything to do with that. Even Device Installation Settings refers explicitly to "downloading" manufacturer software.*

Yes, I think you're right.

My point is that I don't think SearchOrderConfig has anything to do with Device Installation Settings (aka. Option 1 in this article). SearchOrderConfig and the GP I mentioned both have an identical effect, while Option 1 doesn't seem to affect driver installation at all.

*In fact, if you look at the wording of Device Installation Settings, it no longer even mentions drivers.

It used to say "Choose whether Windows downloads driver software... and detailed information..." in the Hardware tab of system properties, and then when you clicked into the actual setting the wording was "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons...".

Now it uses the "manufacturers' apps and custom icons" language in both the Hardware tab of system properties and when you click into the setting itself. There is no mention of "drivers" anywhere, which makes perfect sense to me because in my personal experience the setting never did squat to prevent driver installation:





You can see the wording is now different to your screenshots in Option 1.

People have been promoting Device Installation Settings: No as a solution to Windows 10 driver installation since the OS was released. Every build I've tested it, and it's never has any perceivable influence on driver installation. Now the revised wording seems to support my experiences.