How to Disable Driver Updates in Windows 10

Automatic driver updates in Windows 10 can be helpful, but they sometimes cause issues, especially when new versions of drivers are unstable or lead to errors. In this guide, we'll go through several effective methods to disable driver updates in Windows 10.

Method 1: Using the Local Group Policy Editor

This method is available for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions that have the Group Policy Editor. Follow these steps to disable driver updates:

  1. Press Win + R and type gpedit.msc to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > Device Installation Restrictions.
  3. Open the Do not include drivers with Windows Updates setting and set it to Enabled.
  4. Click Apply and then OK to save changes.

Once configured, your system will no longer automatically update drivers through Windows Update.

Method 2: Using the Registry Editor

If your version of Windows 10 doesn’t support the Group Policy Editor, you can disable driver updates using the Registry Editor:

  1. Press Win + R and type regedit to open the Registry Editor.
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
  3. Create a new key named WindowsUpdate (if it doesn’t already exist).
  4. In this key, create a new DWORD value named ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate and set it to 1.
  5. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes.

This will effectively disable driver updates on your system.

Method 3: Disabling Through System Properties

This method allows you to disable driver updates via system settings and is available in all editions of Windows 10:

  1. Open Control Panel and go to System.
  2. Select Advanced system settings on the left side.
  3. Go to the Hardware tab and click on Device Installation Settings.
  4. Select No (your device may not work as expected) and save the changes.

While this option doesn’t always guarantee complete deactivation, it helps reduce automatic driver updates in Windows 10.