Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver  

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    Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver

    Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver

    How to Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Windows Update & Activation
    16 Dec 2019
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver in Windows 10


    If you want to disable automatic updates of Windows 10 drivers, Shawn Brink has created some excellent, as always, tutorials, which prevent installation of new drivers for all devices.

    Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10
    Turn On or Off Device Driver Automatic Installation in Windows 10

    These really work, if you want to disable updates for all devices.

    But what if you want to disable driver updates for specific device(s).

    Fortunately there is an alternative way which allows to disable driver updates for specific device(s). You can accomplish that by setting the Group Policy "Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs".

    According to Microsoft:
    You can use this procedure to prevent installation of any device that matches a specified hardware ID.

    You can choose any of the hardware IDs that apply to a device, from the very specific to the very general. If you choose a more general ID, then you prevent installation of an entire set of devices, rather than just one device.

    If this policy is enabled, in addition to preventing installation of the affected devices, it also prevents users from updating the device drivers for already installed devices that match the policy setting.

    Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

    Please have in mind that once you follow this solution you will not be able to update your driver, neither automatically via Windows Update, nor manually by applying a downloaded driver, for as long as the Policy is in force.

    If you set the Group policy for a specific device, as outlined below and at a point of time you decide that you want to be able to update your driver, before trying to update, you need to DISABLE the Policy, as described in section B of Step 3 below.


    These are the steps to be followed to set the Group Policy.

    Contents

    • Step One: Update the driver
    • Step Two: Find the device Hardware ID
    • Step Three: Enable/Disable Group Policy to prevent Driver installation for a particular device





    Step One

    Update the driver


    You must first update your device driver to the version you want. It’s better to do that without an active internet connection, as Windows Update might try to update it to another version.
    1. Download the driver version you want.
    2. Disconnect from the internet.
    3. Open Device Manager and locate the device you want to update.
    4. Double-click on it, or Right-click and select Properties from the context menu.
    5. Switch to the Drivertab.
    6. Select Update Driver to update your driver to the new driver version, you just downloaded.

    Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver-devicemanager-updatedriver.png





    Step Two

    Find the device Hardware ID


    The process requires you to know the Hardware ID for the device you want to prevent its update. To do that:

    1. You need to open the Device Manager again if it is closed already.
    2. Locate the device again
    3. Double-click on it, or Right-click and select Properties from the context menu.
    4. Switch to the Details tab.
    5. Under the Property menu at the top, select Hardware Ids.
    6. For most devices there are more than one Hardware Ids. Usually the first two are the ones you need. The first one is the actual Hardware Id of your device and is specific to your device. For proper prevention, it is recommended to select the second one, which is more generic.
    7. Right-click on the ID you want, and select Copy from the context menu to copy it to and save in a notepad txt document, for Step 3.

    Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver-devicemanager-select.png





    Step Three

    Enable/Disable Group Policy to prevent Driver installation for a particular device


    The Group Policy can be enabled/disabled:

    In Windows 10 Pro edition:
    • Using the Group Policy Editor, or
    • By changing the Registry.


    In Windows 10 Home edition, which doesn’t have Group Policy Editor:
    • By changing the Registry.

     A. Enable the Group Policy

    I. Setting the Update Prevention in Group Policy Editor

    1. Open Group Policy editor, by typing Edit group policy, in Windows search or by typing gpedit.msc, and hit the Enter key. This will open Group Policy Editor on Windows Pro edition.
    2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > Device Installation Restrictions.

      Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver-gpedit-select-gpo.png
    3. Double-click on "Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs".
    4. Change the status to "Enabled".
    5. If you wish, you can also select the "Also apply to matching devices that are already installed", which will prevent installation or update of already installed devices. That means that already installed devices that match the Hardware Id, will be retroactively uninstalled and not allowed to be installed for as long as the Policy is Enabled (active)!

      Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver-gpedit-set-gpo.png
    6. Click on the "Show" button.
    7. Add the device Hardware IDs, that you copied in Step 2.
      All device values (= Hardware Ids) entered in this section, will not be updated neither by Windows Update nor manually by the user. Note that one hardware ID, per device, is enough, you don't need to add all the Hardware Ids listed in Device Manager.
    8. Once done, Click ok.

    Prevent Windows Update from Updating Specific Device Driver-gpedit-set-hwid.png

    II. Setting the Update Prevention in the Registry

    Windows 10 Home, does not include the Group Policy Editor. That means that Group policies (most of them) can be set by making the appropriate changes to the Registry. These changes are the same, the Group Policy Editor when you enable or disable a group policy.

    You can get a copy of all available Group Policy Registry settings in this Microsoft Excel document.

    The downloadable .reg file below will make the following additions/changes to the registry.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions
    DenyDeviceIDs DWORD
    DenyDeviceIDsRetroactive DWORD

    1 = Enable
    0 = Disable

    The DenyDeviceIDs DWORD is set to 1 when the policy is Enabled.
    The DenyDeviceIDsRetroactive DWORD corresponds to the "Also apply to matching devices that are already installed" checkbox: 1 for checked, 0 for not.



    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions\DenyDeviceIDs
    1 String
    Value of 1: <Device Hardware Id>


    Please use the following reg file as a template and change and/or add device Hardware Ids under the section [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions\DenyDeviceIDs]

    Prevent installation of new drivers for device (the audio device is used as example): Enable_DeviceInstall_Restrictions.reg

    Download


    When changing/adding Hardware Id in the reg file, if the Hardware Id contains a backslash character (\), you need to “escape” the character by adding a second backslash (\\)
    e.g.
    For the device Hardware Id: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0282&SUBSYS_103C80C1
    You should enter in the reg file: "1"="HDAUDIO\\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0282&SUBSYS_103C80C1"

    You can increase the number of devices you prevent from updating, by adding another <Device Hardware Id> and incrementing the number e.g.
    "2"="<Second Device Hardware Id>"
    "3"="<Third Device Hardware Id>"
    etc.


     B. Disable the Group Policy

    To reverse the above process and allow device driver updates, you either disable the Policy with Group Policy Editor (Windows 10 Pro) or merge the following reg file (Windows 10 Pro and Home).

    The downloadable .reg file below will make the following changes to the registry.

    Remove the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions

    Allow installation of new drivers for all devices: Disable_DeviceInstall_Restrictions.reg

    Download

    That's it. HTH

    Dimitri



  1. Posts : 2,450
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #1

    A special thanks to @dalchina, for suggesting the creation of this tutorial and of course a great thanks to Shawn @Brink for helping materialize it.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 7,606
    Windows 10 Home 20H2
       #2

    Do you think the prevention of updating specific drivers is now unnecessary because of the following?
    Windows 10 driver updates will now be manual Optional Updates
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2,450
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Matthew Wai said:
    Do you think the prevention of updating specific drivers is now unnecessary because of the following?
    Windows 10 driver updates will now be manual Optional Updates
    This is not generally available yet .
    When it becomes available, we need to check if it allows disablement of installation of specific device drivers (i.e. any driver the user wants to stop updating) and not drivers of devices Microsoft has chosen. This is not clear yet, at least not from the above Microsoft blog.
    If it does, then the only difference with the GPO used in this post, will be the complete disablement of the entire device and not just the driver update.

    So if the goal is just to avoid the driver update, then yes the GPO will not be necessary, when "Manual Drivers" becomes available, hopefully in H1 2020.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 13
    Win10 Pro x64 v2004
       #4

    ddelo said:
    This is not generally available yet .
    When it becomes available, we need to check if it allows disablement of installation of specific device drivers (i.e. any driver the user wants to stop updating) and not drivers of devices Microsoft has chosen. This is not clear yet, at least not from the above Microsoft blog.
    If it does, then the only difference with the GPO used in this post, will be the complete disablement of the entire device and not just the driver update.

    So if the goal is just to avoid the driver update, then yes the GPO will not be necessary, when "Manual Drivers" becomes available, hopefully in H1 2020.
    This is correct. With a completely updated Win10 Pro 1909, I had to use the GP Edit method to block "A-Volute - Extension - 1.1.32.62690" which is a Nahmic driver. Windows Update insists on rolling back my installed version which disables my Realtek HD Audio.
    Thank you kindly for the tutorial!! ��
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 7,871
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       #5

    This is a useful tutorial. I've just had to use the Group Policy method to stop Windows Update rolling back the Intel HD Graphics driver to a 2016 version on my Dell laptop when newer versions are on Dell's web site and from Intel. I hope the fix continues to work,
    Last edited by Steve C; 28 Jun 2020 at 13:13.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 2,450
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Steve C said:
    This is a useful tutorial. I've just had to use the Group Policy method to stop Windows Update rolling back the Intel HD Graphics driver to a 2016 version on my Dell laptop when newer versions are on Dell's web site and from Intel. i hope the fix continues to work,

    Thank you Steve. Glad you found it useful.
    I started using it to stop Windows 10 from updating my Intel RST driver, on my old laptop and it's still working like a charm!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,606
    Windows 10 Home 20H2
       #7

    I wonder why things have become so complicated. I have simply used Windows Update MiniTool to hide all unwanted drivers.

      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5
    W10 Enterprise
       #8

    No matter what I do or how many hardware ID's I entered into the subsequent fields in gpedit, nothing works, heh. Windows continues to try to install outdated Intel UHD 620 drivers. I ended up just using the wushowhide.diagcab utility to block the download of "Intel Corporation - Display - 27.20.100.8190" when I already have 27.20.100.8587 installed.

    It's almost as if Enterprise 2004 (19041.508) isn't following or refuses to follow group policy settings in regards to hardware/device driver updates.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #9

    Hello,

    I'm running Windows 10 Pro and have followed the instructions here to prevent Windows from updating a driver for a Prolific USB to Serial Com port. I installed a working driver and verified that it was working, then proceeded to activate a group policy as described here to prevent Windows from updating the driver. (The new driver that Windows wants to install does not work. I've been through this process twice now.)

    Yesterday, my computer updated to version 2004. When I tried to use the Prolific device today, I received a notification that a group policy prohibited the update but that the device was ready for use. When I tried to use the device, it didn't work at all. So I checked Device Manager and it looked like Windows installed a generic Com Port driver and uninstalled the working driver as part of the update.

    So, I went back to the group policy editor and changed the setting to "Not Configured". Then I plugged the device into a USB port and looked at the Device Manager and, lo and behold, the working driver was installed. I tried to use the device and it worked correctly.

    I'm no expert, but it seems like what happened is that Windows did not install an updated driver and also did not uninstall the old one. But it effectively uninstalled the device itself and then wouldn't install a driver for it when I plugged it in. Setting the group policy back to "Not Configured" allowed Windows to reinstall the device and the old, working driver.

    Now, the group policy is not enabled for this device and, next time Windows 10 updates, I suspect it will install a new, non-working driver that I'll have to uninstall again.

    I'm thinking I've done something wrong, and I'm really hoping I can prevent Windows for messing up this device every time it updates. I'd like to change a setting somewhere to prevent any updates to this device driver and prevent Windows from effectively uninstalling it as part of the update process. Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks!
      My Computer


 

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