Windows 7 - Drivers - Turn Off Automatic Driver Installation

Capt.Jack Sparrow

How to Turn off Windows 7 Automatic Driver Installation

Information

Thanks to Shawn for his Device Installation Tutorial. This is just a part of that Tutorial

Most of the crashes happens because of a bad drivers. Unfortunately most of the time these bad drivers are coming from Windows Update. Because it won't pick the best driver. So when we troubleshoot BSOD it's best to disable automatic driver installation so we can make sure we are downloading the best driver from manufacturer's website.

Here's How:

1, Start Menu search box : type change device installation settings

2, Once you click on that to start it up you will get the following dialog that gives you two choices:

3, The top option: Yes, do this automatically ( recommended ).
When the second option is selected the options expand:

4, When it is expanded you see a default choice and this is basically the same as the automatic option above. The other two choices are the big difference here.

Install driver software from Windows Update if it is not found on my computer. This will search your computer first instead of Windows Update. If it is not found locally then it will go to Windows Update and look there for a driver.
Never install driver software from Windows Update. The system will always ask you to provide the device driver.
We want to enable "Never install driver software from Windows Update"
Then click on Save Changes

5, Now your Windows won't automatically download drivers.

For more information on Device Driver and Information Installation Settings check Shawn's Tutorial Device Installation Settings

Hope this helps,

Captain

Related Tutorials

CarlTR6 · 05-02-2010

Excellent, Captain Jack. Very well done.

Capt.Jack Sparrow · 05-02-2010

Quote: Originally Posted by CarlTR6

Excellent, Captain Jack. Very well done.

Thank You Carl !!

Joshatdot · 08-10-2010

Nice! I've been trying to figure how to stop auto installs, thanks!

mysticeye · 01-31-2012

but this does not stop windows 7 from constantly installing drivers that it has allready downloaded.
This is an unbeleivably bad fault of an otherwise great OS.
Its so pathetic..

I heard there is a way (a rather tricky way) to stop windows using all of its own drivers.

All this could have been avoided by one simple thing.
if windows 7 just ASKED before it installed its crappy drivers automatically.'Can I insall a driver for you, or are you using you own?'
but no..
its has to just do it, and mess everything up.

I guess windows xp is still the best..

Windows 7 - Drivers - Turn Off Automatic Driver Installation

Drivers - Turn Off Automatic Driver Installation

Drivers - Turn Off Automatic Driver Installation problems?