stop windows 10 from downloading and installing device drivers using windows update

One solution is to use the Sledgehammer script in my signature. No device driver can install unless you specifically allow it. If you decide you don’t like it, just run the uninstall script to reverse all changes.

 

Here's the script I use to disable driver auto-downloads, but graphics cards are an exception. I'd recommend disabling internet while installing working graphics card drivers, using this script to disable the downloads, and rebooting before re-enabling internet.

Code:

@echo off

title Disable/Enable Windows 10 Automatic Device Driver Updates
color 1f
:Begin UAC check and Auto-Elevate Permissions
:-------------------------------------
REM  --> Check for permissions
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\config\system"

REM --> If error flag set, we do not have admin.
if '%errorlevel%' NEQ '0' (
echo:
echo   Requesting Administrative Privileges...
echo   Press YES in UAC Prompt to Continue
echo:

    goto UACPrompt
) else ( goto gotAdmin )

:UACPrompt
    echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    echo UAC.ShellExecute "%~s0", "", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"

    "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    exit /B

:gotAdmin
    if exist "%temp%\getadmin.vbs" ( del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs" )
    pushd "%CD%"
    CD /D "%~dp0"
:--------------------------------------

:Check Windows Version
wmic os get version | find /i "10.">nul 2>nul
if %errorlevel% neq 0 GOTO :Not10

:Check the key:
(reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig"|find /i "0x0")>NUL 2>NUL
if %errorlevel% neq 0 GOTO :KEYOFF

:KEYON
echo ============================================================
echo Device Driver Automatic Updates are currently disabled.
echo Would you like to re-enable them? (Y/N)
echo ============================================================
echo.
choice /c yn /n
If %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 1 GOTO :QUIT

echo Attempting to shut down the Windows Update service if it's running
net stop wuauserv>NUL 2>NUL
echo.

Echo Changing Registry key
REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig" /D 1 /T REG_DWORD /F>NUL 2>NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO :ERROR
Echo.

Echo Device Driver Automatic Updates have been enabled
Echo.
goto :QUIT


:KEYOFF
echo ============================================================
echo Device Driver Automatic Updates are currently enabled.
echo Would you like to disable them? (Y/N)
echo ============================================================
echo.
choice /c yn /n
If %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 1 GOTO :QUIT

echo Attempting to shut down the Windows Update service if it's running
net stop wuauserv>NUL 2>NUL
echo.

Echo Changing Registry key
REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig" /D 0 /T REG_DWORD /F>NUL 2>NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO :ERROR
Echo.

Echo Driver Automatic Updates have been disabled
Echo.
goto :QUIT


:QUIT
echo ============================================================
echo Press any key to exit...
echo ============================================================
pause>NUL
goto :EOF

:ERROR
echo ============================================================
echo The script ran into an unexpected error setting reg key.
echo Press any key to exit...
echo ============================================================
pause>NUL
goto :EOF

:Not10
echo ============================================================
echo This script is only designed for Windows 10...
echo Press any key to exit...
echo ============================================================
pause>NUL
goto :EOF

 

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[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Update]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Update]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Update\ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate]
"value"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

 

EDIT: Sorry I did not see you were on Home. This won't work on Home

Try this

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching]
"DriverUpdateWizardWuSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching]
"SearchOrderConfig"=dword:00000000

 

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I think if the driver package is still in "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download", it tries to reinstall the driver regardless of the GPO settings (registry keys/settngs that were posted). I remember running into such issue in early builds, not sure if it's still the case.

 

which builds were you using, deadock?

 

Early builds, I don't remember which exactly. Rough guess is the first or the second version of Windows 10. I Install and set everything, post install script, GPO and registry, offline since.

 

@murphy78 Does your script still work?

 

In some builds it will try to auto-update at least once, but it's not clear if it's because it fails to read the appropriate reg key or it checks for updates and then auto-schedules them to download and install.
I have never had a problem when I have ran the script, manually installed graphics drivers, and restarted before turning on my internet after an install.

 

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Are these connected via USB? Can you explain why this is abnormal? Did they specifically download drivers from the internet or did they just install a generic USB audio driver that was already in the os?

 

One is via USB 2.0 and other is Firewire (IEEE-1394),windows 10 installs generic drivers with and without internet .
I'm just going to use windows 7 on a separate workstation to listen to my audio files ,no big deal .The soundcards i have are really ancient .
Thank You for responding .

 

Have you tried looking for firmware updates or win10 drivers from the manufacturer websites? I've never ran into this problem so forgive me if this is a dumb question.

 

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