Windows 10 and 11 Are Ignoring Update Settings and Installing GPU Drivers

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Windows 10 and 11 Are Ignoring Update Settings and Installing GPU Drivers
By Josh Norem June 14, 2023

Windows 11 has a reputation for forcing certain things on users, such as putting the deleted icon for its Edge browser back on the desktop after an update. Of course, some updates it pushes out are welcome, such as for security. However, now it seems the company is taking this a bit further and is forcing driver updates for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, even if you have this feature disabled via Group Policy Editor.
 
I have had problems with it still wanting to update drivers even though I have it disabled. A real PITA as often the AMD graphics drivers on Windows Update are out of date and it installs them over the newer drivers anyway.
 
I didn't know there was an actual setting for this.

I've always checked the box in DDU to prevent reinstallation of the GPU drivers after wiping them out, and that seems to have worked. I'm not sure how DDU accomplishes this though. Does it just change the Windows setting for you, or does it do something else with the registry?

The last time I did it though was when I installed my 4090 back in January, so maybe they broke it since then?
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I didn't know there was an actual setting for this.

I've always checked the box in DDU to prevent reinstallation of the GPU drivers after wiping them out, and that seems to have worked. I'm not sure how DDU accomplishes this though. Does it just change the Windows setting for you, or does it do something else with the registry?

The last time I did it though was when I installed my 4090 back in January, so maybe they broke it since then?
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It's an option in the Group Policy Editor if you're running Pro or equivalent. There's also a registry entry you can add. But it applies to all drivers, not just GPU drivers, so I'm not sure if DDU is just adding the registry entry or what.
 
EmerilLIVE said:
It's an option in the Group Policy Editor if you're running Pro or equivalent.
Click to expand...
The complaint here, though, is that it's ignoring the Group Policy setting. Which is pretty bad, especially with the "overwriting newer drivers with older ones".

I saw a different article that suggested it was forcibly upgrading people who were deliberately holding back driver updates (perhaps because newer ones had compatibility problems with specific games, but the article wasn't too clear.)
 
1_rick said:
The complaint here, though, is that it's ignoring the Group Policy setting. Which is pretty bad, especially with the "overwriting newer drivers with older ones".

I saw a different article that suggested it was forcibly upgrading people who were deliberately holding back driver updates (perhaps because newer ones had compatibility problems with specific games, but the article wasn't too clear.)
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That is, for sure, a big issue.

The one I have run into the most is Windows uninstalling a driver right after I installed it because it things the generic gpu driver is better then AMD's.
 
yup, welcome to the club. it stopped doing it to me during the last insider preview i was on and then started again last friday. i got two week in the last year where it hadnt been every other day...
 
MaZa said:
Instead of Group Policy try this, change the Device Installation Settings.
https://pureinfotech.com/stop-windows-10-installing-drivers-automatically/

So far I haven't had a single problem with drivers forcefully updated (or downgraded) when I did not want to. Works with Windows 10 and 11 and Home versions as well.
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i have all of then "on", still does it....

techie81 said:
Exactly. In before the MS defenders come in here and accuse OP of doing it wrong or blaming him outright for trying to control his OS.
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only issue ive had with it is this. happy now?
 
I have the same problems, I'll be watch something and then it just makes my screen flicker and bam new driver that breaks the AMD control center. Its been a problem since Windows 10 came out its pretty annoying.
 
alf717 said:
I have the same problems, I'll be watch something and then it just makes my screen flicker and bam new driver that breaks the AMD control center. Its been a problem since Windows 10 came out its pretty annoying.
Click to expand...
I didn't have it start happening until one of the last few major updates for 10.

Usually it happens for me when I turn on my TV that's a clone of the main screen, which might be due to it being a different resolution and refresh rate but it never did that before. I've also had it happen a couple of times that seemed more random as well though.
 
I guess I'm lucky.
I have had mine disabled through GP and registry since my last install of W10 2yrs running and no auto updating yet.

If Windows does it for out of date drivers, than my Nvidia drivers should of caused all kinds of alarms since I'm still on a really ancient set (526.86).
 
Just noticed on my last windows update for my win 10 box that despite it being disabled in gp that it was trying to download and install new drivers. I am VERY annoyed at this. Confirmed just now my windows 11 box was trying to do it too.
 
dunno, i haven't changed anything in the update section of w10 other than what time i want it to restart at.. w11 i wouldn't be surprised since they're shifting more and more for mom and pop users that know nothing about driver updates. wonder if it's something tied to OEM keys maybe?
 
win 10 22h2 here and using driver 471.96 since sept 2021 and haven't
had a forced update yet...
Decided to update yesterday... to newest driver... no gforce either...
 
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