Win10 Home Edition: how do I stop ms from updating my gpu driver?

Folks,

I'm running an AMD 5600XT gpu. The latest WHQL driver that works is v21.8.2. (Later WHQL and the beta's all have a memory leak for the game I enjoy.)

So, my rig is FINE with that driver. Unfortunately, Win10 updates overwrite that. All the time.

I'm running Win10 Home, 21H2, version 19044.1526.

Because my win10 is not Pro, I cannot access the Group Policy Editor and block updates to the graphics card by specifying the DeviceID, as shown in this great link: How to Stop Automatic Graphics Driver Update in Windows 10

The Control Panel does not give me an option to block updates to non-Windows or non-Microsoft software.

I have to open my Device Manager, check my GPU and driver, if it's been changed, I've got to roll back and reboot. This is all because Windows keeps spamming me with an undesired driver update.

How do I stop it from doing this?

Thanks!

Have you tried the following?

Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver
Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10

Matthew Wai said:

Have you tried the following?

Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver
Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10

Thanks.

The second one, disabling ALL driver updates is not the route I want to take, so going back to the first link you provided...

...I have a Win10 Home install, so I tried to follow the instructions to edit the registry (since the group policy editor is not functional for Home editions).

Oddly, the tutorial directs to: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall

I don't have that: I have: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows and it goes from DeilveryOptimization to DriverSearching, skipping over any entry for DeviceInstall. See the screenies....



and what I have:



So...I appreciate the help. A lot. But it seems like I'm missing something.

Thanks.

Ghot said:

@iamc3k

Download the registry patch (in RED rectangle below), save it to your desktop. Double click the registry patch to merge it with your registry.
(It will "add" those keys that you are missing)






This is what's IN that registry patch. You will need to replace the line (underlined in RED), with the Hardware ID of your video card.





This is how you find the Hardware ID for the video card...





1. Right click the video card and choose: Properties
2. Click on the Details tab.
3. In the drop down box, choose: Hardware IDs
4. Right click the top entry and choose: Copy
5. Then, in the registry, replace the line (underlined in RED), with the Hardware ID of the video card, that you just copied.

Thanks!!!

One quick question: since just about all the devices have FOUR values for Hardware ID, do I add 4 lines to the registry, one for each of the values, or just the one, with the first ID?

Ghot said:

Just the top one.


But it's much easier and a lot smarter, to just block all driver updates.
This will juust block ALL driver updates included in the Windows Updates.

Thanks...

But, now I'm a little (more) confused. So, by using that regedit entry, it'll only block Windows Updates that try to update my driver.

Are there OTHER types of updates that windows would use to update that driver? Meaning, I want to block ALL updates to the ONE HARDWARE item (my gpu), other than what I do, manually.

If I follow the example you've given (the red box and substitute in my hardware id), will that still allow other background updates to that hardware item?

Hello. I am going to try the registry hack too. W10 forces v30.x of AMD drivers for my RX550 card. I prefer the 20.x version.