I prefer to install my own hardware device drivers into Windows 7. But it is a race to uninstall the old drivers and after restarting, install the new drivers before Windows automatically installs older drivers again. What is the correct way to get Windows to ask first before doing this? Regards, Davy-D. Old Mig15 pilot. Now using Windows 7 Professional and Project Professional 2010 Beta.

I prefer to install my own hardware device drivers into Windows 7. But it is a race to uninstall the old drivers and after restarting, install the new drivers before Windows automatically installs older drivers again. What is the correct way to get Windows to ask first before doing this? Regards, Davy-D. Old Mig15 pilot. Now using Windows 7 Professional and Project Professional 2010 Beta. It really depends on how you are deploying Windows 7 to your computer(s). Are you just doing 1 or 2 computers? Are you creating images for a company-wide deployment? There is Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 (MDT 2010), Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK- make sure it is the version for Win 7) that can assist the average user setting up their Windows 7 install. For Enterprise deployment you get two more tools available to you. Windows Deployment Server (A part of Server 2003 and Server 2008) and Systems Center Configuration Manager, both of which will help you deploy out computers. Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) is a component of WAIK. Loading this up and then loading an install.wim image per Microsoft's instructions will enable you to create a autounattend.xml file. In it you can specify driver stores, etc. Then when you use the autounattend.xml file in conjunction with your Windows product CD, it will install your hardware drivers instead of the ones that come with the CD. It will also allow you to create an image distribution share amongst other things. Deployment Workbench is a feature of the MDT 2010. This will assist you in many of the same things, along with creating a share that you can use imagex to grab the images from (which will provide a place to add your drivers and such).

"Davy-D" <=?utf-8?B?RGF2eS1E?=> wrote in message news:7f20acdc-2a48-43cf-b47c-720a32805fba... >I prefer to install my own hardware device drivers into Windows 7. But it >is a race to uninstall the old drivers and after restarting, install the >new drivers before Windows automatically installs older drivers again. > > What is the correct way to get Windows to ask first before doing this? > > Regards, > > Davy-D. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Old Mig15 pilot. Now using Windows 7 Professional and Project Professional > 2010 Beta. You can change your settings in Control Panel, Windows Updates to "Download updates but let me choose whether to install them" or "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." That way you'll be notified that updates are ready to be installed. You can then pick and choose which ones you want. For ones you don't want (such as device drivers), right-click on the update and choose not to be notified about them again. -- SC Tom

Please perform the steps below to turn off automatic driver installation and see if the issue can be resolved: 1. Go to Start, type change device installation settings in the Start Search box and then press ENTER. 2. In the Device Installation Settings window, select No, let's me choose what to do. 3. Select Never install driver software from Windows Update. 4. Click Save Changes. Hope this helps. Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Thank you Linda that is the route I chose. But I was unsure as whether I should route through gpedit.msc and enable Prevent Installation of Devices not described by other policy settings? Regards, Davy-D. Old Mig15 pilot. Now using Windows 7 Professional and Project Professional 2010 Beta.

Thank you Linda that is the route I chose. But I was unsure as whether I should route through gpedit.msc and enable Prevent Installation of Devices not described by other policy settings? Regards, Davy-D. Yes, this is another option. J Enable this policy will stop prompting you to update the device driver using Windows Update and you will still be able to update the driver by manually going to Windows Update. Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Please perform the steps below to turn off automatic driver installation and see if the issue can be resolved: 1. Go to Start, type change device installation settings in the Start Search box and then press ENTER. 2. In the Device Installation Settings window, select No, let's me choose what to do. 3. Select Never install driver software from Windows Update. 4. Click Save Changes. Hope this helps. Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ” OK I'm going to try not to be to critical here since I know your only trying to help but, I see this answer all over the internet and it simply does not work. Sure windows won't download and install any drivers from the internet but how does that help you if windows thinks it already has a good match on your system and you are trying to do a CLEAN install. There are some drivers that are notoriously temperamental if not given a clean install after a complete sweep in safe mode for any previously installed drivers like drivers for sound or video cards. There are other drivers that may be somewhat compatible but may not have all the features or performance of the drivers you want to use and guess what, If those "somewhat compatible" drivers are already on your system windows automatically installs them without asking ANY permission and you have no choice but to do a dirty install of your hardware. NOT GOOD!! I spared no expense building my own PC and I kind of figure It should be mine to do what I want and that includes the operating system (7 ultra 64 bit) as long as it stays an integral part of this PC only. I got rid of Norton a long time ago because it tried to wrestle to much control from the user and I think windows is making a big mistake in amusing all its users are to stupid to make any important decisions like what drivers to install. I wouldn't buy a car that decided where it was going to go and what driver it was going to take without any input from me, why should put up with that from a operating system. There are plenty of computers out there for idiots. They are made buy a company called APPLE!! So come on Microsoft and get with it!

Please perform the steps below to turn off automatic driver installation and see if the issue can be resolved: 1. Go to Start, type change device installation settings in the Start Search box and then press ENTER. 2. In the Device Installation Settings window, select No, let's me choose what to do. 3. Select Never install driver software from Windows Update. 4. Click Save Changes. Hope this helps. Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. This certainly does not work with Network Device Drivers. This only works for peripherals, period. I have a failing ndis.sys after a Trend uninstall and Win7 just wants to keep installing the bad driver, over and over and over, and short of playing with the registry or sec settings, it doesn't appear to stop Win7 from installing non-peripheral devices.