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Stop Windows Update Driver Updates

Windows Update can install a driver on its own and replace the one you chose, which sometimes causes conflicts after an update. This guide shows how to set Do not include drivers with Windows Updates to Enabled and explains the limits of that change.

Problems this setup can solve

  • A graphics driver that I installed from the manufacturer gets replaced after Windows updates.
  • A driver conflict appears right after an update and I want to stop drivers from arriving through Windows Update.
  • I manage several PCs and want them to use only the drivers my organization has approved.

Before you start

This policy controls whether Windows quality updates include drivers. With Do not include drivers with Windows Updates set to Enabled, they exclude drivers; with Disabled or Not Configured, they include updates from the Driver classification.

Steps

  1. Press Win + R and run gpedit.msc.
  2. Go to Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Windows Update › Manage updates offered from Windows Update and open the policy Do not include drivers with Windows Updates.
  3. Select Enabled.
  4. Save the policy.
  5. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run this command to apply the policy right away:
gpupdate /force

For details, see the Do not include drivers with Windows Updates page.

Apply it with the registry

If you do not use the Group Policy Editor, use one of the .reg, CMD, or PowerShell options on the registry value page to apply the same setting.

What this policy does not cover

A driver delivered through another route is outside this policy's scope, so this is not a general switch for stopping driver installations. This policy does not apply to drivers provided with Windows in security or critical updates, or to drivers installed during feature updates.

Risk and when to choose it

Excluding drivers from quality updates also means their fixes no longer arrive that way. Plan to get needed driver updates through another supported channel, such as the manufacturer.

Consider this policy if you rely on a manufacturer-verified driver, a Windows Update driver caused a conflict, or you need to control which drivers are used across your organization. Otherwise, leaving the policy at Not Configured is the simpler option. Try it on one PC first, then apply it to the others if the result works for you.

How to undo it

Set the policy to Not Configured and run gpupdate /force to undo the change.

This article is based on the Windows 11 version 26H2 (OS build 26300) policy templates (published 2026-09-29).

References