Windows is improving, and along with it, the automatic installation tools built into the system are changing. Installed Windows, connected to the Internet, and the operating system will install all the necessary drivers on its own!
It would seem, what could be more convenient? But, unfortunately, quite often the equipment does not work correctly with the drivers built into Windows. And the installation of drivers is required from the equipment manufacturer. But Hardware Installation Wizard in modern Microsoft Windows 7 is so “independent” that if drivers for the hardware are already in the system, it simply blocks the installation of all third-party drivers.
How to disable automatic driver installation in Windows 7?
To prevent Windows 7 from installing its drivers automatically, you need to configure the settings for installing new hardware.
Open System properties:
Start --> Control Panel --> System.
The options window will open Systems. On the left side of the page that opens, click on the link Advanced System Settings:
In the new System Properties dialog box, go to the Equipment and click on the button Device installation options
You will see a window for changing driver installation settings for connected equipment
Check the box on the line No, give a choice.
In the submenu that opens, check the box Never install drivers from Windows Update and press the button Save.
After that in the window Properties of the system click the button OK.
It is also useful to disable Windows Update while installing the driver you need. For the changes to take effect, restart your computer. Sometimes these actions have to be carried out in Windows Safe Mode under Administrator rights.
Drivers for all hardware and some virtual devices included in the configuration of any computer system are known to play a key role in ensuring their performance.
Without the necessary drivers, not a single such component will function correctly. But Windows operating systems often install drivers from their own database, and only those that are digitally signed by Microsoft. It is also possible to install software taking into account those equipment manufacturers for which support from the corporation is declared.
But this approach is not always logical, and in some cases it is necessary to abandon such an installation in favor of another source or software developer. But how to disable automatic driver installation in Windows 7? It is about this and some other related issues that we propose to talk about further. But first, let's take a quick look at why you shouldn't automate the process of installing and updating management software.
Why might you need to refuse automatic driver installation?
The most important problem with absolutely all known versions of Windows is that the system, even if there is no driver fully corresponding to the device, does not inform the user about this, but installs its own components, which, as it seems to it, are best suited for the given equipment.
But this is not always the case. The device itself, even when integrating constantly updated updates for the system itself, sometimes containing driver updates, may not work correctly (this is at best) or not work at all. At the same time, Windows “happily” reports that the required driver has been installed successfully.
Even more controversial is the fact that Microsoft's policy is that by default it is prohibited or not recommended to install control software into the system without a special digital signature. Firewall, SmartScreen Filter, and even Windows Defender often classify such drivers as unwanted or even potentially dangerous software.
In this regard, many questions arise about how to disable the automatic installation of Windows 7 drivers. By and large, in the system itself, all prohibitions can be bypassed quite simply. Below are four main methods.
How to disable downloading drivers from Update Center in Windows 7 or other operating systems?
So, the first solution is to enter the system properties via RMB on the computer icon, go to the hardware tab and click the device installation options button. You can also access these settings by selecting the devices and printers section in the Control Panel.
In the settings window, you need to check the option to allow the user to select, and if required, at the same time activate the option to prohibit the installation of drivers from the Update Center. Thus, the system will not access either its database during the initial search for a driver or updates. The user will be able to install the necessary software independently.
How to disable automatic installation of drivers for Windows 7 and higher in policies?
However, the matter is not limited to the above actions. By default, the system may prohibit the installation of unsigned drivers. How to disable automatic driver updates in Windows 7 so that the user can choose what exactly he needs to install in each specific case?
To do this, you need to use the group policy settings (gpedit.msc). In the computer configuration, through the administrative templates section, get to the system section, go to device installation and select the restrictions subfolder.
On the right, several parameters will be presented, among which there is a ban on installing device policies not described by the parameters. Having entered into editing it by double-clicking the parameter, you simply need to switch it to the enabled state, save the options and reboot the system.
As an additional measure, a similar procedure can be done in the user configuration. Only there in the corresponding activated parameter for the situation when the system finds an unsigned driver should be set to ignore. You can also set a ban on updates.
Deactivating the installation of control software through the registry
Now let's see how to disable automatic installation of Windows 7 drivers using system registry settings. In the editor (regedit), you need to use the HKLM branch and follow the path indicated in the image above to find the DriverSearching folder.
In the window on the right there is a SearchOderConfig key. It needs to be set to zero instead of the default one, and then completely restart the computer.
Using a utility from Microsoft
How else can you disable driver auto-update? In Windows 7, as in any other system, for which a constant release of all kinds of updates is provided, you can use the “native” utility from Microsoft called Show or hide updates. After launching it, you must select to hide updates and mark updates that contain drivers that you do not want to install.
Additional measures
As one of the most effective solutions for disabling digital signature checks, we can recommend using the corresponding item in the start menu, called up when the system boots with the F8 key. You can also use the dispatcher configuration by calling it from the command line (verifier), which must be run as an administrator, and deleting existing parameters.
It is the second solution that is most effective if for some reason it is not possible to completely remove all prohibitions on installing software that is not digitally signed.
This instruction tells you how to disable automatic updating of device drivers in Windows 10 in three ways - a simple setting in system properties, using the registry editor, and also using the local group policy editor (the latter option is only for Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise). You will also find a video tutorial at the end.
According to observations, many problems with the operation of Windows 10, especially on laptops, are currently associated precisely with the fact that the OS automatically loads the “best” driver, which in its opinion can ultimately lead to unpleasant consequences, such as a black screen , incorrect operation of sleep and hibernation mode and the like.
You can disable automatic installation of drivers for individual devices in Windows 10 manually - using the Local Group Policy Editor (for Professional and Enterprise editions) or using the Registry Editor. This section shows the prohibition for a specific device by hardware ID.
To do this using the Local Group Policy Editor, you will need the following simple steps:
After these steps, the installation of new drivers for the selected device will be prohibited, either automatically by Windows 10 itself or manually by the user, until the changes are canceled in the local group policy editor.
If gpedit is not available in your edition of Windows 10, you can do the same using the Registry Editor. To begin, follow the first step from the previous method (find out and copy all equipment IDs).
Go to the registry editor (Win+R, enter regedit) and go to the section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Policies\ Microsoft\ Windows\ DeviceInstall\ Restrictions\ DenyDeviceIDs(if there is no such section, create it).
After this, create string values, the name of which is numbers in order, starting from 1, and the value is the ID of the equipment for which you want to prohibit driver updates (see screenshot).
Disabling automatic driver downloads in system settings
The first way to disable driver updates is to use the Windows 10 device installation settings settings. There are two ways to get into these settings (both options require you to be an administrator on the computer).
In the installation options, you will see a single request: “Automatically download manufacturer apps and custom icons available for your devices?”
Select "No" and save the settings. In the future, you will not receive new drivers automatically from Windows 10 Update.
Video instruction
Video guide that clearly shows all three ways (including two that are described later in this article) to disable automatic driver updates in Windows 10.
Below are additional shutdown options if certain problems arise with those described above.
Using Registry Editor
The same can be done using the Windows 10 Registry Editor. To launch it, press the Windows + R keys on your computer keyboard and enter regedit in the “Run” window, then click OK.
In the Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ DriverSearching(if section DriverSearching is missing in the specified location, then right-click on the partition CurrentVersion, and select Create - Section, then specify its name).
In chapter DriverSearching change (in the right side of the registry editor) the value of the variable SearchOrderConfig to 0 (zero) by double-clicking on it and entering a new value. If such a variable is missing, then in the right part of the registry editor, right-click - New - 32-bit DWORD Value. Give it a name SearchOrderConfig, and then set the value to zero.
After this, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. If in the future you need to re-enable automatic driver updates, change the value of the same variable to 1.
Disabling driver updates from Update using the Local Group Policy Editor
And the last way to disable automatic search and installation of drivers in Windows 10, which is only suitable for the Professional and Enterprise versions of the system.
Done, drivers will no longer be updated or installed automatically.
Sometimes automatic installation of drivers in Windows (in Windows 7, 8, 10) for all the equipment that is on the computer is, of course, good. On the other hand, sometimes there are cases when you need to use an old version of a driver (or just a specific one), but Windows forcibly updates it and does not allow you to use the desired one. We will perform these actions on Windows 10.
In this case, we will disable automatic installation and install the required driver.
Method number 1 - disabling auto-installation of drivers in Windows 10
First, press the WIN+R button combination - in the window that opens, enter the command gpedit.msc and then press Enter. If everything was done correctly, the “Local Group Policy Editor” window should open.
The branch that we opened in the previous step should have the parameter " Prevent installation of devices not covered by other policy settings". You need to open it, select the "Enabled" option and save the settings, click OK.
Actually, after this, drivers will no longer be installed independently.
Now, by the way, if you connect any device to your computer, and then go to the device manager ( Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Device Manager), then you will see that Windows does not install drivers on new devices, marking them with yellow exclamation marks. Because if this policy setting is enabled, then Windows cannot install or update device drivers that are not specified in the policy settings.
Method number 2 - disabling auto-installation of new devices
You can also prevent Windows from installing new drivers in another way...
First you need to open the control panel, to do this we do as indicated in the screenshot, then go to the " system and safety", then open the link "System".
All that remains is to switch the slider to the " No, the device may not work properly", then save the settings.
The article describes an example of how to prevent the installation of a device in Windows Device Manager once and for all.
Sometimes a situation occurs when, after hastily installing drivers, a device is prescribed in Windows that prevents the system from working normally. And sometimes it’s easy to just start. It is firmly “stuck” in the Windows Device Manager, and even after removal, the system continues to install it with each subsequent boot. The user either has to roll back through system recovery (if he managed to create a point), or each time delete the device in the Manager. And the driver is known, and you see the device, but it seems that nothing can be done. And Windows is completely new... But every time the system boots, it is accompanied by an annoying window:
If you recognize the situation, read on to see how to prevent device installation in Windows Device Manager.
We will carry out the work in several stages. To be sure. The next 4 points work for Windows Vista/7/8, the last one works for Windows XP (but here is where the hard work awaits you). Don't forget about system recovery!
Remove the device and delete it from system memory
We will now have to clean up the Windows memory a little. We will delete the corresponding device .inf file located in the Windows root directory %windir%\inf. In the Windows search engine you can type this. Here she is:
and here are the device files
Almost every such file has a file of the same name with the extension .pnf. He will get it too... Then we will adjust the Windows Group Policy settings. And finally, let's remove the annoying warning. But first we have to make sure that:
- this device is independent of other devices and is in no way connected with them; and to make sure of this, remember that...
- Removing an “extra” sound or video card is sometimes accompanied by removing ALL of them, and then installing only the cards you need
- if you delete unnecessary Bluetooth, disable first WiFi map
- It is better to perform the operation in Safe Mode
How to prevent installation of a device in Windows Vista/7/8/10: remove it from Device Manager
- To find the required file of an unnecessary device, we need to isolate it in Windows Device Manager. Let's go there using WIN + R, command devmgmt.msc.
- Double-click on it with the mouse, calling up its properties.
- For example, I have a “left” speaker registered in the system, which constantly conflicts with the working driver Realtek. The sound may disappear right in the middle of a Windows session. This is what I’ll deal with now (you, of course, have your own problematic devices):
I selected the tab Intelligence. And in the drop-down window Property I'll find it INF Name. Here it is:
- I decided on the name in the Windows directory. We go there, look for the files we are looking for - there are two of them, and delete them:
- Now Disable And Remove device in the tab Driver
Let's prevent Windows from installing devices: everything you need is already there
Enough is enough, really. The system is installed, now it’s up to the “native” drivers. Those that are downloaded from the Update Center like to conflict with native drivers. So let's go to the Group Policy Editor. WIN+R command gpedit.msc. We need the path:
Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – System
Here we are interested in two settings: Driver Installation and Device Installation. I will limit myself to setting the second one, find the following items and enable them in the properties:
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Let's remove the message about installing the software
Windows will continue to search and find the device. And every time she will report about it. This means that in the lower taskbar at the bottom right, in the notification area, click on the up arrow and select Disable And Remove it in the tab Driver Tune:
There it is easy to find the corresponding settings and disable them:
I haven’t figured out how to remove a device from the Device Manager list yet (damned function Plug and Play). It will hang there as an uninstalled device with a yellow icon, but it will no longer interfere with the operation of another device.
How to prevent installation of a device or driver in Windows XP?
This version is a little different. And, of course, more difficult. The INF Name item is not included in Device Information, and Group Policy items and settings are not as rich as in later versions. And there are no cherished points that are now directly responsible for installing devices and drivers. So the method for removing and preventing permanent installation of the device and driver in the Windows XP version looks like this:
- log in to the system in Safe Mode
- let's move on Computer – Properties– tab Equipment- let's choose Never use Windows Update...
- in line Execute type the command to launch the Device Configuration utility msconfig and in the autorun tab we will remove all services that are associated with the startup of the conflicting device (when I removed the video driver, I found two of them)
- go to Device Manager, double-click on the unnecessary device
- in properties and go to the tab Driver. Let's find the button Intelligence…
- the last window displays all information related to the device and its drivers. The latter are those that end with sys, and sometimes on exe. And now you will have to somehow remember them and then delete them. Manually. And you will have to search in folders Windows, Windows\system32 And Windows\system32\Drivers- so good luck... But that’s later, but now...
- Let's go back to Device Properties and go to the tab Intelligence. There you need to select two parameters in the information drop-down list: Instance code And Service:
just remember up to the & icon
- we stop the service in the list of running services in the Computer Management console, but the Device Instance Code is useful for finding the device in the folder inf Windows: this is the most tedious process that awaits you (on your own - the built-in search engine copes with this extremely poorly, I advise you to download it from the outside) - enter this very code in the field by file name and force you to search for it among the files:
- and only now in the Device Manager select the now unnecessary device, Disable it and Delete it:
- don’t forget to force Windows not to bother with updates (although what kind of updates are there – it’s old XP...) and set it to prohibit installation of the device through the update node:
