System FORCES installation of drivers when I plug in USB drive  

I have been trying to solve this problem for 2 hours and it has brought me nearly to tears. I have googled the hell out of it and every 'solution' I find is useless.

When I plug in my USB flash drive, Windows 7 Home Premium automatically locates and installs what it thinks is the 'correct' driver. I want it to STOP DOING THAT.

I have turned off Windows Update, but that really isn't relevant because it is not searching the internet for the file and then installing it; the file is SOMEWHERE on my system already and it is finding it and installing it.

I have uninstalled the device in device manager and manually gone in and deleted the existing driver file. I have used search to try and see if there is another copy of the file on my system and it does not find one.

If I try to go in and manually update the drivers for the drive, it refuses to let me; it tells me that the best driver is already installed.

I have found a set of instructions posted all over the place that begins by telling me to go to START and search for "gpedit.msc", but when I do it does not locate this file.

There has GOT TO BE A WAY to FORCE the computer to STOP automatically installing drivers for plug and play devices, and to let me do it manually!!!!

pebbly said:

Hi jaybeebrad, welcome to the forums , Have a look at this tutorial Drivers - Turn Off Automatic Driver Installation It may be of help to you :)

No, that doesn't help at all. If you read my original post you will see that this is not a matter of Windows Update connecting to the internet and downloading the drivers. The drivers that Windows is convinced are the appropriate ones are already in existence on my system. What I want is to STOP it from automatically locating and using those drivers. Windows Update is already turned off.

LiquidSnak said:

Thanks pebbly, you beat me to it

Also, if you read that tutorial, you will realize that the post has nothing to do with Windows update.

Did YOU read the tutorial? Because it has EVERYTHING to do with Windows Update. The entire tutorial is about how to stop Windows from installing drivers via Windows Update when the driver is not found on the computer. The last step, #5, is "Now your Windows won't automatically download drivers." Meaning from Windows Update. Seriously, I appreciate the help, but...literally that process tells you to go into "change device installation settings" and then select ""Never install driver software from Windows Update"

And as I said (twice now <3,) this is not an issue of it installing from Windows Update. This is an issue of it installing from drivers already on my system.

LiquidSnak said:

At the bottom of the posted tutorial there is a link to more turning off your driver installation instructions. Also, forgive me, but it just has to do with drivers, that method does not turn off windows update, I suppose I mis-spoke

Thank you muchly. It turns out the problem I'm having is something else entirely, and I'm not sure if I should post it here or in an entirely new post. I think I'll do a new one since it is not directly related, so that people who read this thread in the future won't be confused!