How to Disable Driver Updates via Regedit in Windows

Windows Update automatically downloads and installs the latest hardware drivers, which can sometimes lead to instability, system crashes, or unwanted rollbacks of custom driver configurations. By modifying the Windows Registry, you can prevent Windows Update from automatically delivering hardware driver updates to your PC while still allowing regular security and quality updates to install.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow access.

Step 2: Navigate to the WindowsUpdate Key

In the Registry Editor address bar, paste the following path and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

Note: If the WindowsUpdate key does not exist under Windows, right-click the Windows folder, select New > Key, and name it WindowsUpdate.

Step 3: Create and Modify the ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate Value

  1. Right-click on the WindowsUpdate key (folder) in the left sidebar or anywhere in the empty space on the right panel.

  2. Hover over New and select DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  3. Name the new value:

    ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate

  4. Double-click ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate to open its properties.

  5. In the Value data field, change the value from 0 to 1.

  6. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal, then click OK.

Step 4: Apply the Changes

  1. Close the Registry Editor.
  2. Restart your computer to apply the new policy.

How to Re-Enable Automatic Driver Updates

If you want to restore the default behavior and allow Windows Update to download drivers again:

  1. Open regedit and navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
  2. Double-click ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate and set its Value data to 0 (or right-click the value and select Delete).
  3. Restart your computer.