How To Disable Automatic Driver Updates In Windows 10

Disabling Windows 10 driver updates both automatically and through Windows Update.

This tutorial will apply for computers, laptops, desktops, and tablets running the Windows 10 operating system (Home, Professional, Enterprise, Education) from all supported hardware manufactures, like Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo, and Samsung.

Windows 10 automatically downloads and installs all updates. This includes security updates, feature updates, and driver updates provided through Windows Update. If a driver or update causes problems, you can uninstall it and block Windows from downloading it again.

Microsoft doesn’t provide a way to block updates from within Windows 10, but it does provide a downloadable tool to do this. This effectively allows you to “hide” updates like you could on Windows 7.

View Recently Installed Drivers and Updates

Not sure which device driver or update Windows just installed that might be causing you problems? Open the Settings app and select “Update & security.” Under Windows Update, scroll down and select “Advanced options,” and then select “View your update history.” You’ll see a list of updates installed and the dates they were installed here.

Uninstall an Update

The option to uninstall Windows Updates (not driver updates) is buried in the Settings app. Open Settings and navigate to Update & security - Windows Update - Advanced options - View your update history. You’ll see a link reading “Uninstall updates” at the top of the update history list.

(In the Windows Insider Preview, there was also a link here for uninstalling the latest build. If Microsoft rolls out a big update to Windows 10 as a “build” again, you might see a link right under “Uninstall updates” for rolling back to an earlier build.)

This link takes you to the “Uninstall an update” dialog, where you can uninstall an individual Windows Update if it’s causing problems on your system.

Disable Automatic Download of Drivers from Windows Update
There’s still a “Never install driver software from Windows Update” option in the final version of Windows 10, buried in the old Control Panel.

Different people report different luck with this option. Some people report that it prevents Windows from overwriting their custom-installed drivers, while others report that Windows continues downloading drivers even after this option is selected. If Windows keeps replacing your own drivers with its own, be sure to try this option.

Depending on how the driver is being installed, it may arrive as an update from Windows Update afterwards. Use the tool below to disable the driver update if this doesn’t help.

To access this option, open the Control Panel by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Control Panel. Navigate to System and Security - System - Advanced system settings. Click the Hardware tab, click Device Installation Settings, and select the “No, let me choose what to do option. Select “Never install driver software from Windows Update.”

Prevent a Driver or Update From Being Installed from Windows Update
Just uninstalling drivers or updates won’t prevent them from being installed again. There’s no way to “hide” an update or block updates from within Windows itself, but Microsoft provides a downloadable tool to do this. It’s intended for temporarily hiding buggy or otherwise problematic while they don’t work properly on your system.

Download and run the “Show or hide updates” troubleshooter for Windows 10 from Microsoft.

When you run this troubleshooter, it will search for available updates and allow you to “hide” them, preventing Windows from automatically installing them. In the future, you can run this troubleshooter again and unhide the updates when you want to install them.

Prevent a Driver or Update From Being Installed from Windows Update

Just uninstalling drivers or updates won’t prevent them from being installed again. There’s no way to “hide” an update or block updates from within Windows itself, but Microsoft provides a downloadable tool to do this. It’s intended for temporarily hiding buggy or otherwise problematic while they don’t work properly on your system.

[gothicoutcast]

Very much needed thanks! My display driver for my AMD graphics card kept getting updated by windows update and it would leave me with the black screen of death at boot up and i would have to get my laptop to reboot in repair mode to get it to boot into safe mode and then roll back my driver every day. Now i dont have to bother with it and I can get all my work transfered and finished and then wipe my hard drive and go back to windows 7.

[blase]

Thanks bro. Ever since a recent AMD driver update, when i leave my pc alone for 20 minutes, the screen falls asleep and can't post again, only after a reboot, which isn't good for the pc. It has been a problem for some time, and i was aware of it and that it's easily fixable, but i was too lazy to do it until today lol. Thanks again

[ahmadazab]

it was already "No" ! now I'm confused

[justinbryson]

I did this, and Windows 10 is still updating my NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 video card, automatically, without asking me if I want it installed. It is Faulty, so I just need to to remain uninstalled.

[ReiNFrags]

8 years ago but still helped me fix my boot camp Mac from BSODing after installing Intel drivers via windows update

[davidevitale]

Does it work on win 10 Home? I have to disable automatic installation driver of Amd hd 6770m, because it's broken.

[hymnwellse]

Just to ask because I cant keep pausing my updates forever; through doing this my keyboard driver wont ever get updated right? Because when I do it stops working and I resort to just restoring my laptop to a previous date.

[SusanAmberBruce]

I got a Linx 1010 and since windows optional updates the touch and sound are not working, how do I uninstall those updates?

[Alex.R.O.P]

I hope this will prevent windows from overlaping drivers on my asus maximus rog viii Ranger (Mobo).. Last time it messed up my audio and i had weird stutters ingame

[SpinkzGaming]

Thx for the help! My nvidea card won't run with the win Update graphics drivers. Now its fixed! Keep jo te Good work:p
(Sorry og im gramatic incorrect, im dane)

[abulbasharmohsin]

Thanks a lot, it’s helped me. I subscribed your channel.

[jenessie]

mine says maufacturers app and custom icons
it still downloading drivers

[raymondchiu]

Nicely done: good context explanation and concise.  Wondering if and when does it make sense to also uncheck the box 'Automatically get the device app and info provided by your device manufacturer?  Is there a good example of how to do this with a script so that this can be systematically applied to a small group of PCs?

[francisamoako]

Please can I do the same process for Windows 11

[birsaidul]

whats about windows 10 20 h2? only icons updating stop!!! I need to stop that way.

[hridoynoman]

Thank you very much. It really worked!

[unforgettablememories_umy]

You are the best mate. Nothing have to say

[IMJH]

After clicking "No", I don't get the new options below it. Is that because I'm not on pro?

[jadeinciong]

Thanks my tablet kept trying to auto update my network driver but kept failing causing me to lose my network

[PnikStudios]

This does literally nothing. Windows will still mess with your drivers on sleep and update. Even if you edit your registry windows will do whatever it wants.