Automatic Driver Installation  

driecken said:

I remember in vista it was in the control panel, I think it was under advanced system settings (Hardware tab, Driver Settings)

I think it is similar in 7, i did it recently and it was pretty simple, heres a quick run through if your interested in a 7 workaround I am certain there is more then one or two ways to disable his feature though.

How To Disable Automatic Driver Installation In Windows Vista

If you'll read a few posts up you'll see I already tried that and it doesn't stop Vista or 7 from installing the default drivers. It simply stops it from downloading MORE/NEW drivers from windows update.

akash3656 said:

okay but if you use driver sweeper with my instructions, it will remove the in-built Windows driver(that has been haunting you). That way it will go on9 and search for a driver from Windows update (so disconnect your internet to avoid the auto update from haunting you now... then right click computer>Properties>Advanced System Settings>Hardware>Device Instaltaion Settings>No,let me choose...>Never install driver>Save Settings, now you can go online, get the driver YOU want and install it.

PS: its actually nice to have all the drivers you need built in the OS, but not when it doesn't work...

Driver sweeper worked for me when Nvidia graphic driver installation screws up ... then I clean them off form safe mode and try a re-install.

REMEMBER: Driver sweeper is like a tool which removes every SINGLE trace [ALMOST] of a driver whether its a Windows in-built driver of an updated driver....

EDIT: Hmmm something seems wrong, but did you try the LATEST driver sweeper & what is the hardware thats causing the issue??? BAsically SIW2's idea is removing the in-built Windows' driver manually... driver sweeper will do that automatically... i think....

I know it still technically works but it is extremely annoying. I have to restart 2 or 3 times just to install a driver, and even in safe mode vista/7 installs the default driver. With XP, you choose the driver, you restart once, that is it. With Vista/7 you have to restart multiple times, my driver setup programs won't allow a driver installation when a windows driver installation is open. Not only that, but since I can't even STOP the windows driver installation, I then have to reboot when it's done, since my driver setup wont let me continue since windows took over. Then I basically just install the other driver over the one that Vista/7 installed. I know it works most of the time, but it is extremely annoying, XP was perfect. SLI is even worse, have to restart even more..

This feature is VERY ANNOYING.

Well, IF YOU WERE TO slipstream XP with the latest drivers (with nlite), it will do the same **** as Windows 7..... I know its annoying, but we have to face it...... T.T .... OR when vlite's (Vista slipstreaming program) succesor for Windows 7 comes out, you customize Windows 7 Installation DVD to remove the drivers you don't want.... vlite-ing is tiresome and also time-consuming so don't tell me I didn't warn you... (I didn't try it after hearing it+I have a slow rig) BUT, MS should REALLY ADD THIS AS AN OPTION TO Windows 7 to disable this and auto-installation **** for selected devices (a.k.a: graphic drivers???).. But leave it enabled for USB devices....

SORRY FOR ANNOYING YOU if i did.... I tried to help with 1 of Vista's/7's weaknesses.. But its still a great OS... I'm a nice guy, not a annoying guy, u know?

I have been using vlite and nlite for a long time

I will try SIW2's suggestion next if there is no clear way to disable the feature

Thanks for all the input

I deleted the 4 nv_disp folders in C:\Windows\System32\Driverstore\FileRepository and it STILL installed drivers automatically, and then I had to restart.

I noticed it installed WDM 1.1 drivers, and iirc a windows update installed those drivers a long time ago. Where would those be located?

Is it safe to assume that every file starting with "nv..." in the \Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository directory is an Nvidia related driver? Provided you don't have a motherboard with an nvidia chipset, or any other nvidia products besides a video card installed, would it be ok to simply move every "nv..." file out when trying to install the drivers of your choosing?

Well I renamed every folder pointing to nvidia drivers that I could. Permissions seem messed up on these files and even after taking ownership, it still says I need permission from MYSELF (being the admin already) to alter the files. I still can't stop Windows 7 from installing some lame ass WDDM driver for my graphics card. Driver Sweeper DOES NOT get rid of everything, certainly not whatever is left that keeps installing itself. I can't get the latest driver installed (without errors) to save my life. It's getting extremely annoying.

Has anybody found a solution for this yet? Windows 7 keeps installing the default driver for my graphics card nomatter what I do. Manually deleting/driver cleaner just doesn't stop it.

Comzee said:

Has anybody found a solution for this yet? Windows 7 keeps installing the default driver for my graphics card nomatter what I do. Manually deleting/driver cleaner just doesn't stop it.

Ok, I used the Driver Cleaner found at guru3d listed above, the trick was click analyze, then you can see where the drivers are and if there removed or not. So what I did was uninstall the Nvidia defualt driver, then in the driver cleaner clicked clean, it didn't remove everything on the first pass, so I kept spamming clean like 7 times until everything was finally gone. Reboot, you should get the (VGA adapter) found :). Here the catch, I downloaded the official Nvidia driver for my card (8800gts) and it said it couldn't install it because I didn't have the right version of windows. I was like WTF, I do have windows 7. Thanks Nvidia for making BS drivers that don't work. The driver version was 191.07.

I went to the beta drivers section of the site HERE, the version number was 195.39. Thankfully those windows 7 drivers worked.

I hope this might help somebody that's going through the same problems. Oh, and a big F U to Windows 7.