How to /actually/ defer updates?

harald · 09 Jul 2016

I've been having a returning problem for months on end and by this stage I am livid with Windows not respecting my wishes to NOT INSTALL the latest driver for my Synaptics touchpad/trackpoint device, because this driver totally ****s the user experience my Lenovo X230 laptop.

(Latest Synaptics driver is useless for X230 trackpointer in Win10 because sensitivity is simply to low. I have found my solution for this: using Synaptics driver for Win 8.1 (16.2.19.14). My issue is with this sadistic autoupdate feature.)

I have tried deferring the driver. I have tried many times to uninstall + delete drivers in device manager. But, no questions asked, it automagically installs 19.0 during startup. I have tried rolling back to 16.2. After a reboot it is back to 19.0 again because **** YOU. Just now I made group policy that instructs Windows to ASK before downloading and installing updates. Does it care? No. It does what it pleases.

WHY do you make it so hard to stop a known bad update from happening again and again and again. This feels like a sick joke to me.

Brink · 09 Jul 2016

Hello Harald, :)

There's a couple of options that you could use if you like.

One is to disable automatic updates to be able to install them when you like.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8...dows-10-a.html

Next, is to disable driver updates from being included in Windows Updates. Of course, you'll have to manually download and install driver updates for your devices from the manufacturer afterwards though.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html

harald · 09 Jul 2016

Hi Brink,

Thank you for a swift reply.

I have already disabled Automatic Updates using Group Policy, and set it to 2 - Notify for download and notify for install. Nevertheless, Windows automatically downloaded - and installed - Synaptic 19.0 yet again when I followed this step: 9. Click/tap on the Check for updates button in Windows Update to apply.

I then followed your second link for enabling "Do not include drivers with Windows Updates" but there is no such option in my Local Group Policy Editor!

Brink · 09 Jul 2016

The GPO is only available starting with build 14328. You might see if using OPTION TWO may be able to still apply it for you.

If it won't work in a lower build, then you could try hiding the driver update for now until you have the GPO above in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2nd.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8...dows-10-a.html

harald · 18 Jul 2016

Thanks again.

I have run the Enable_Drivers_in_Windows_Update.reg and verified the ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate entry in regedit. It may appear that "Synaptics - Pointing Drawing - Synaptics Pointing Device" is not registered as a driver per se... as this package is still being downloaded in background. (2nd time it has happened now.) I have not been able to deselect this update so I have to roll back the driver (and set my mouse settings again) every time I have run Windows update.

Brink · 18 Jul 2016

Are you able to hide the update for now until another new version is released via Windows Update?

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8...dows-10-a.html

harald · 01 Aug 2016

Brink said:

Are you able to hide the update for now until another new version is released via Windows Update?

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8...dows-10-a.html

YES! YES! It seems to work!

At this time the Synaptic driver is now not only NOT being downloaded behind my back and installed against my will, I can now even do Windows updates without having a driver battle. Thank you so much!

Brink · 01 Aug 2016

You're most welcome. :)