{"id":150731,"date":"2026-02-04T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T05:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/?p=150731"},"modified":"2026-02-04T00:01:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T05:01:43","slug":"how-to-prevent-windows-updating-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/how-to-prevent-windows-updating-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Prevent Windows Updating Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"daves-1121629392\" class=\"daves-single-post-before-content\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><p>Device drivers are programs that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. When it comes to driver updates, the old saying &#8220;<em>if it isn&#8217;t broken, it doesn&#8217;t need fixing<\/em>&#8221; well and truly applies.<\/p>\n<p>The one possible exception is graphics card drivers, which often include support for newer games\/technology, but even then, the preferred option is to download updated drivers directly from the manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve always been of the opinion that, provided everything is working fine, device drivers are best left alone. That&#8217;s why I don&#8217;t allow Windows to automatically update device drivers, apart from the fact that Windows Updates are notoriously iffy.<\/p>\n<h2>Prevent Windows From Updating Drivers<\/h2>\n<p>Applies to both Windows 10 and Windows 11:<\/p><div id=\"daves-3375738900\" class=\"daves-single-post-in-content\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the Start menu and type <strong>sysdm.cpl<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Click the corresponding item in the results<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-150733\" src=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results-640x472.jpg\" alt=\"search-results\" width=\"640\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results-640x472.jpg 640w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results-350x258.jpg 350w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/search-results.jpg 725w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the System Properties window, go to (open) the <strong>Hardware<\/strong> tab<\/li>\n<li>Click the <strong>Device Installation Settings<\/strong> button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Device-Installation-Settings-Button.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150734\" src=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Device-Installation-Settings-Button.png\" alt=\"device-installation-settings-button\" width=\"407\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Device-Installation-Settings-Button.png 407w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Device-Installation-Settings-Button-347x400.png 347w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Device-Installation-Settings-Button-130x150.png 130w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enable the &#8220;No&#8221; option and click <strong>Save Changes<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disable-Driver-Updates.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150735\" src=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disable-Driver-Updates.png\" alt=\"disable-driver-updates\" width=\"601\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disable-Driver-Updates.png 601w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disable-Driver-Updates-350x175.png 350w, https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disable-Driver-Updates-150x75.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>NOTE: Mine was already set to &#8220;No&#8221; and that&#8217;s why the Save Changes button is greyed out. When you change from &#8220;Yes&#8221; to &#8220;No&#8221; that button will be active<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>BOTTOM LINE<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ve no doubt read the following advice many times, but it does bear repeating: <strong>always get driver updates from the device manufacturer&#8217;s website<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p><div id=\"daves-3346137794\" class=\"daves-single-post-in-content-2\" style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2700504761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"daves-3571017192\" class=\"daves-after-content\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7205184075006101\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7205184075006101\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3225321574\" \ndata-ad-format=\"autorelaxed\" data-full-width-responsive=\"false\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Device drivers are programs that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. When it comes to driver updates, the old saying &#8220;if it isn&#8217;t broken, it doesn&#8217;t need fixing&#8221; well and truly applies. The one possible exception is graphics card drivers, which often [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,4293,10797],"tags":[1267,1076],"class_list":["post-150731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how","category-win10","category-win11","tag-drivers","tag-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150731"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150761,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150731\/revisions\/150761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davescomputertips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}