Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10  

Oh hell. I don't want Windows update touching my drivers. It just brings back BSODs whenever it does.

Thanks for the help! This saved me a lot of time!

It was established up the thread that ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate doesn't affect updates outside of Windows Update itself, even if the system (via Device Manager) actually uses WU services to do it, which I think it does.

So for those times where you don't want Device Manager (or the system) sneakily re-installing a driver from the Internet, what does one do short of not connecting to the Internet or disabling the device?

I was in a bizarre situation with an HP convertible (Win10 Home 1803) where the presence of an obscure Intel system driver (a sensor driver) was breaking the keyboard and touchpad. At first, I thought that I had to simply revert the driver to the previous version (maybe it had updated), or update the driver to the latest version (maybe it was outdated), but neither worked. It didn't like any version of the driver at all. I only knew to focus on the driver because of a thread on HP's forum (not that there's an explanation there as to why the driver is a problem in the first place).

Simply uninstalling the driver (with delete) from Device Manager wasn't enough to stop it from coming back, even with the Registry key (set to 1 and rebooted) in place, and even with the (probably useless) corresponding setting in "Devices and Printers" in Control Panel set.

I couldn't hide the driver, because doing that requires an Internet connection, and once you connect.... I couldn't disable the WU service, because then hiding something would be impossible, since I wouldn't get a list of any available drivers.

So I ended up just disabling the item in Device Manager, but the next Feature Update (1809) will just re-enable it, so it's a stopgap. Not a big deal, but I was just wondering if anyone knows if it's really possible to stop this sort of thing.

Oh, that's a good one, thanks!

I have to wonder though, just like the reg method doesn't have an effect on driver updates that happen outside of formal Windows Update, whether they'll still be able to wiggle through the metered connection trap. Worth a try when I next get the machine back.

Created an account just to say there's fully working solution for this thread. It includes Option Three first (or four if U want to use Reg files). However, the Language of My SO (Win 10 LTSC x64 - Old Hp Dv4) is Portuguese Brazilian. I'll make a fresh install in English-US and put the next Path (in Group of Policy) here. Probaly tonight I'll be here.

Solution Works in RS1 V1607 (Anniversary Uptade) too, including LTSB releases.

NOTE: As someone said before, sometimes, when you change some parameters in Group Policy, those changes will not take effect instantly. I do not know why. So my suggestion is that if you did a clean installation of Windows 10, DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET , follow the steps below and install all your manually downloaded drivers from your manufacturing machine. It's a good idea to give the OS time to reconfirm the changes. Btw, if it’s possible, Configure Automatic Updates, momentarily, to Notify before downloading and notify before installing any updates.

Let’s go:

1 – Follow the Option Three (or Four) from this thread. Therefore, in a few words, in LGPE, navigate to Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update. In the right pane, Enable the option Do not include drivers with Windows Updates. Select OK.
2 – Now, Navigate to Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Internet Communication Management/Internet Communication settings
3 – In the Right pane, Enable Turn off Windows Update device driver searching. Click OK.
4 – Reboot your computer just in case.

If your SO still download and Install DRIVERS, it’s cuz the alteration of parameters did not take effect yet.