Does disabling automatic Win Updates include automatic Device Driver?

Hi, all:

1) Does setting Windows Updates to "notify for download and notify for install" via GP edit also disable Device Driver automatic installation?
2) Or does disabling automatic device driver installation need to be configured separately?
3) If the latter (separate setting), is it advisable to do so, despite the ominous warning from M$ that "your device may not work as expected"?

I followed Brink's characteristically excellent tutorial for GP edit here: Windows Update Automatic Updates - Enable or Disable in Windows 10 to "notify for download and notify for install" (Thanks for that!).

So my questions center on whether doing so will also prevent automatic device driver installation, or whether I need to and/or should configure that setting separately?

M$'s ominous warning seems to be strongly discouraging users from disabling automatic device driver updates and "realistic icons"().
For my OEM XP, Vista and 7 systems, I have always gotten drivers -- WHEN NEEDED -- from the OEM, not via Windows Update, as the OEMs historically have done a better job than M$ in offering the needed drivers for their computers.

Is that still true under Win10?
Assuming that disabling automatic Windows Updates does NOT also disable automatic device driver updates, should I disable automatic device driver installation on this OEM Win10 box?

TIA,

MM

Brink said:

Hello MM, :)

That will stop drivers from automatically being installed in Windows Update, but won't stop drivers from being available in Windows Update.

If you don't want drivers to be available in Windows Update, then you can disable this using the tutorial below. If disabled, you'll have to manually update (download and install) your drivers from the manufacturer.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/48277-driver-updates-windows-update-enable-disable-windows-10-a.html

The first tutorial below you posted will turn on/off automatic installation of drivers for devices. However, I would recommend to also disable automatic updates in the second tutorial below to be safe.

Ah! I missed that tutorial for the GP edits to DRIVER UPDATES in WINDOWS UPDATES.
I will do that.
Thanks for the tip.
I suppose there is no harm in notifying me of their availability, as long as they are not installed automatically or without my permission.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...dows-10-a.html

So, is it advisable to disable this "device driver" setting, despite M$'s warning not to disable it?
That is the crux of my question, I suppose.
I am confused by the overlap or lack thereof between the two settings: "Driver Updates in Windows Updates" and "Device Drive Automatic Installation".

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

Yep, I think already did that for "Windows Updates" -- it is set to "notify for download and notify for install" (Option 2 in the GP edit drop-down menu). And the Windows Updates window shows the change. Thanks!

Sorry for all the questions -- loss of end-user control over updates has been one of the sticking points for me for Win10.
But, I don't want to "break" needed functionality or cripple my system under this fundamentally new OS by going overboard with efforts to regain a semblance of control.

Thanks again!
MM

Update.

Darn, I hit a snag trying to turn off Driver Updates in Windows Update via GP edit.

See screen shot showing that there is no such option on this system (Win10/Pro 1511 Build 10586.494).

What am I missing?
Is the setting in the tutorial to "Do not include drivers with Windows Updates" only available for Insider Preview and unavailable on the OS build I am running?

Thanks,

MM

Brink said:

The driver update policy is only available starting with build 14328, but will be included in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on Aug. 2nd.

Ah, OK, I had a feeling that might be the case. Sorry for missing that critical detail. Bit of a learning curve for me with all this Win10 stuff.

So, now I am back to my original question/confusion re: Device Driver Automatic Installation - disable it or not????
The MS warning about disabling it -- "your device may not work as expected" -- is a bit off-putting.

It seems to at least partially overlap with "Driver Updates via Windows Update", or perhaps I just do not understand this particular feature. If so, then I guess that disabling the Driver Update policy after the Aug 2 upgrade should accomplish what I want.

As I mentioned earlier, I do not want to cripple my new system in a fruitless, if well-intentioned, quest to wrest a bit of control from Redmond.

Thanks again,
MM

Brink said:

The new policy will stop drivers from being available in Windows Update.

Sweet.

Unless someone else weighs in with a compelling reason to disable that device setting, I guess I will wait for Redstone and leave that device setting for "Device Driver Automatic Installation" enabled by default for now.

I may never fully understand the difference between that setting and strikingly similar group policy, but I will chock that up to my ignorance of OS programming.:)

Thank you, @Brink.
MM