How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates on Windows 10?

The driver for our Windows 10 device is downloaded and installed automatically on our computers by default. Outdated drives slow down the performance of your PC. The automatic update feature in Windows 10 is handy for users who don’t know how to do it or don’t want to worry about it.

It might be necessary to disable automatic updates in Windows 10 if automatic updates affect your PC’s stability or for other reasons. Here’s how to disable automatic updates in Windows 10 using this risewindows article.

You can stop Windows 10 from installing drivers using the following methods:-

• Local Group Policy Editor
• Registry Editor
• Settings app

How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates on Windows 10 using Local Group Policy Editor?

Group Policy (gpedit. MSc) may be the best way to disable the automatic driver update on Windows 10. However, it is not part of the Windows 10 Home edition. So, you’ll need to Enable the Group Policy Editor on your computer first. After that, you can also use the following steps:-

Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.

For that, click the Start button and type  group policy. In the search results, select the Edit group policy .

Alternatively, press Windows + R keys on the keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then, type gpedit.msc in the Run box. Finally, hit the Enter key on the keyboard or click the OK button.

Step 2. After that, browse to the following path in the Local Group Policy Editor window:-

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Window

Step 3. On the right side of the “Windows Components” folder, double click on Windows Update to open it.

Step 4. Next, find the policy name “Do not include drivers with Windows Updates.” When you see it, double-click the policy to open its settings.

Step 5. Choose the Enabled option in the following window. Then, click the Apply and OK button.

Step 6. Reboot your computer or laptop to see the changes.

If you want to revert the change, update drivers through Windows Update automatically; on step 5 above, select the option “Not Configured” or “Disabled.” Then, click Apply and OK buttons.

How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates via Registry Editor on Windows 10?

Before editing the Windows Registry, we recommend creating a system restore point. If something goes wrong on your computer, you can quickly revert your PC to its previous working state using that System restore point.

Step 1. Open the Registry Editor.

To do that, type Regedit in the Start/taskbar search field and then select the Registry Editor from the available search results.

Alternatively, press Windows + Rkeys on the keyboard to open the Run command box. Type Regedit and hit Enter key on the keyboard to open the Registry Editor.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Step 3. Next, right-click the Windows folder, select New > Key. Name the newly created key as WindowsUpdate.

Step 4. Then, select the Windows Update key and right-click on the blank area on the right side. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Rename the newly created DWORD (32-bit) as ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate.

If you want to enable automatic driver updates again, set the value back to 0 or delete ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate.

How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates using the Setting?

Windows 10 Settings also allow you to disable automatic driver updates through Windows Update. These are the steps:-

Step 1. Press Windows + I hotkeys to Open The Setting App in Windows 10.

Step 2. Then, click the System.

Step 3. Under System, select “About.”

Step 4. Then, scroll down on the right-side pane and click the link “Advanced system settings.”

Step 5. When you’re done, the System Properties dialog will appear. Navigate to the Hardware tab, and then click on the “Device Installation Settings” button.

Finally, click the   “Save Changes” button.

Now, Windows Update will stop downloading the driver’s software for your Windows 10 computer or laptop.

Since you have stopped the driver’s update through Windows Update, you must manually update the drives or use a third-party freeware application like Double Driver or DriversBackup to automate the driver’s update process. This way, you can keep your PC components updated.