Windows 10 is designed to automatically keep your drivers up-to-date, which includes updates for your graphics card among other hardware components. While this feature can help in ensuring that you are using the most secure and stable versions of software, it may sometimes interfere with your existing setups or cause compatibility issues with your applications.

Here’s how you can prevent Windows from automatically updating your graphics drivers, giving you full control over your driver installations.

Step 1: Access the Start Menu

Firstly, access your system settings through the Start menu. You can do this by clicking on the Start button or pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.

Step 2: Open Advanced System Settings

Type in advanced system and open advanced system settings.

Using the search bar in the Start menu, type “Advanced System Settings” and click on the relevant option that appears. This action will lead you to a new window where you can manage your system’s advanced settings.

Step 3: Navigate to Hardware Settings

The Hardware tab in the Advanced System Properties windows is selected.

In the System Properties window that opens, go to the ‘Hardware’ tab. Here you will find options related to hardware installation and configuration.

Step 4: Modify Device Installation Settings

Click on the Device Installation Button.

Select No for automatic hardware updates.

Click on ‘Device Installation Settings’ and choose ‘No’ when asked if you want Windows to automatically download manufacturer’s apps and custom icons. This will prevent automatic updates to your device drivers, including graphics drivers.

Step 5: Save Your Changes

Hit the Save Changes button to save the settings.

Lastly, click Save to apply the new settings.

After selecting your preferred options, click ‘Save’ to apply the settings. This ensures that your changes are implemented and Windows will stop auto-updating your drivers.

Alternative Methods to Prevent Driver Updates

If the standard method doesn’t fully stop the driver updates, or if you prefer a more robust solution, consider these alternatives:

Using the Local Group Policy Editor

Exclude driver updates for Windows updates in Group Policy Editor.

Press the Start button, type gpedit.msc, and open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update.
Find the policy “Do not include drivers with Windows Updates,” set it to “Enabled,” and apply the changes.

This method effectively prevents Windows Update from automatically downloading and installing driver updates.

Using the Windows Registry

For advanced users, modifying the Windows Registry offers another method to stop driver updates:

Create a new folder under the Windows folder in Windows Registry.

Here’s how to use the registry to stop automatic driver updates:

Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu and opening the app.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
Right-click on ‘Windows’, select ‘New’ -> ‘Key’, and name it ‘WindowsUpdate’.
Inside the new ‘WindowsUpdate’ key, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate and set its value to 1.

Windows key and value added to the Registry.

This registry edit will exclude drivers from Windows Quality Updates, giving you control over when to update drivers manually.

Conclusion

Managing how Windows updates drivers can help maintain your system’s stability and ensure that you’re not caught off guard by unwanted changes. Whether through system settings, Group Policy, or directly via the Windows Registry, you have the tools to control driver updates effectively.

By taking these steps, you can balance between security, stability, and maintaining the driver configurations that work best for your specific hardware setup.