How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates in Windows 11
Windows Updates not only brings new features but also installs the drivers for your devices. The entire process is automatic, a very useful feature since it keeps all drivers up to date.
However, the drawback of automatic driver updates is that Windows 11 may install drivers with bugs, which might cause some issues. Also, if you prefer using a specific driver version, you should disable automatic driver updates on Windows 11.
If you don’t want Windows 11 to automatically install driver updates, it’s best to disable the feature completely. Below, we have shared some of the best ways to do this. Let’s get started.
1. Disable Automatic Driver Updates via System Properties
In this method, we will change the Windows 11 System Properties to disable the automatic driver updates. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Press the Windows Key + R button on your keyboard. This will open the RUN dialog box.
2. On the RUN dialog box, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
3. On the System Properties dialog box, switch to the Hardware tab.
4. Next, click on Device Installation Settings.
5. In the Device installation settings, select No (your device might not work as expected). Once you’ve done this, click the Save Changes button.
2. Disable Automatic Driver Updates via Local Group Policy
You can also use the Local Group Policy Editor to enable or disable the auto driver updates on Windows 11. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Open the Windows 11 Search bar and type in Local Group Policy Editor. Then, open the Local Group Policy Editor app from the list.
2. When the Local Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to this path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update.
3. On the right side, find and double click on the Do not include drivers with Windows Updates.
4. On the Do not include drivers with Windows Updates dialog box, select Enabled.
5. Once done, click on the Apply button.
3. Turn Off Automatic Driver Updates via Registry Editor
If you cannot disable the automatic driver updates on Windows 11, the next best option is to turn off automatic driver updates. Here’s how to turn off automatic driver updates via Registry Editor in Windows 11.
1. Press the Windows Key + R button on your keyboard. On the Run dialog box, type regedit and press Enter.
2. When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to this path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionDriverSearching
3. On the right side, double click on the SearchOrderConfig REG_DWORD key.
4. On the value data field for SearchOrderConfig, enter 0 and click the OK button.
Now close the Registry Editor and restart your Windows 11 PC. This should disable automatic driver updates in your Windows 11 PC.
How to Uninstall or Roll Back Driver Updates?
While the methods above described how to disable the auto driver update on Windows 11, what if you want to uninstall or roll back an existing driver update?
To do that, follow these simple steps to uninstall or roll back the driver updates.
1. Type Device Manager on Windows 11 Search. Next, open the Device Manager from the list of best match results.
2. When the Device Manager opens, find the target device you want to roll back the drivers.
3. Right click on the device and select Properties.
4. Switch to the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver option.
5. If you want to uninstall the driver, click Uninstall Device.
These are the best ways to disable automatic driver updates in Windows 11 computers. If you have followed all methods correctly, automatic driver updates are likely already disabled. Let us know if you need more help with this.
