How do I stop Windows automatically installing device drivers?
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.
June 30th, 2010 12:33am

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).
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June 30th, 2010 1:22am

"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
June 30th, 2010 1:23am

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.
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June 30th, 2010 11:28am

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.
June 30th, 2010 11:46am

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.
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July 1st, 2010 11:37am

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