Preventing Windows 10 from Forcing Unwanted Driver Updates – Any Permanent Solutions?

[kalmaneugeneryan]

I’m struggling with Windows 10 automatically updating my drivers, even when I explicitly don’t want it to. I rely on a specific older version of my GPU driver for compatibility with certain software, but no matter what I do, Windows keeps overriding it with the latest update.

I have tried:

• DDU – Works temporarily, but the update returns after a reboot.

• Registry Tweaks & Group Policy Edits – No luck, Windows still forces updates.

• Shutup10 & Other Privacy Tools – The setting claims to block driver updates, but doesn’t work.

• The Microsoft “Show/Hide Updates” Tool – Only a short-term fix; the update reappears.

At this point, I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. Has anyone found a permanent way to block driver updates in Windows 10? Any registry hacks, third-party tools, or creative workarounds that work long-term? Would love to hear from someone who’s successfully stopped this madness.

[Wagnard]

I’m struggling with Windows 10 automatically updating my drivers, even when I explicitly don’t want it to. I rely on a specific older version of my GPU driver for compatibility with certain software, but no matter what I do, Windows keeps overriding it with the latest update.

I have tried:

• DDU – Works temporarily, but the update returns after a reboot.

• Registry Tweaks & Group Policy Edits – No luck, Windows still forces updates.

• Shutup10 & Other Privacy Tools – The setting claims to block driver updates, but doesn’t work.

• The Microsoft “Show/Hide Updates” Tool – Only a short-term fix; the update reappears.

At this point, I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. Has anyone found a permanent way to block driver updates in Windows 10? Any registry hacks, third-party tools, or creative workarounds that work long-term? Would love to hear from someone who’s successfully stopped this madness!

usually the Group Policy should do the trick, If everything you told is not working then I would suspect something is wrong with your windows installation

[keitha2]

Ugh, I get it! It’s so annoying when Windows just won’t listen. You might want to check out the 'wushowhide.diagcab' tool again, it sometimes helps if you hide the update right after it pops up. Fingers crossed you find a solid solution!

[kalmaneugeneryan]

Thank you so much for sharing your suggestion and your sincere help! I will try again with the wushowhide.diagcab tool as you suggested – hopefully it will work this time. It is appreciated when someone understands and sympathizes with the frustration I am experiencing.

[tc0566]

I am on Windows 11. And now DDU no longer disables driver installing. I uninstalled Nvidia driver yesterday and made sure the setting in DDU option was set to prevent driver installations. This morning my GPU driver was updated.

[Wagnard]

I am on Windows 11. And now DDU no longer disables driver installing. I uninstalled Nvidia driver yesterday and made sure the setting in DDU option was set to prevent driver installations. This morning my GPU driver was updated.

DDU doesn't prevent "Windows update" from updating a driver; it never had. What the option does is that it prevent a newly detected device to check windows update for it's driver.

If you want to prevent a driver that you installed yourself to be updated by windows update, you have to use another method like gpedit or the old tools "wushowhide.diagcab"

[tc0566]

That was tried, it doesn't detect the Nvidia drivers so can't be used.

[Wagnard]

That was tried, it doesn't detect the Nvidia drivers so can't be used.

For the "wushowhide.diagcab" , it work when the driver you don't want is NOT yet installed.
If the driver (that you don't want) is installed, it wont show it.