Block Windows 10 Creator Windows Update Service from downloading Hardware Driver updates

With the release of Windows 10 Creator, Microsoft removed the GUI Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise users had for blocking Hardware Driver updates in the Windows Update Service. Home users never had this option.

There are still ways to achieve this though both via Group Policy Editor and / or your Registry. This can be useful as not all updated drivers are good, and as the adage goes, 'If it is not broken, don't fix it!'.

Using the Registry to block driver updates

• This will work for Windows 10 Creator Home edition, Professional edition or Enterprise edition.
• Note: Professional / Enterprise users could instead use their Group Policy Editor if they prefer.

You can choose between opening your Registry Editor, or using an Elevated Command Prompt to make this Registry Tweak.

• Right-click on Start and select Run
• In the Run dialog type regedit then click OK
• Click Yes when the User Account Control prompts you
• In the left pane of the Registry Editor expand the keys to the following location:

• Right-click on WindowsUpdate key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
  
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• This will appear in right pane with the name highlighted.
  
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• Type or copy & paste this for its new name: ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate
• Right-click on this now and select Modify then enter a 1 in the Data value field and click OK
• Press F5 to refresh Registry.
  
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• Now close Registry Editor

• Tip: You may have noticed when right-clicking on Start or pressing Windows key + X key the context menu no longer displays the Command Prompt or Command Prompt (Admin) options. If you would like that back simply:
  
  Click Start > Settings > Personalization > then in left pane select Taskbar and turn off the following feature:
  
  
  

• Having done the above simply right-click on Start and select Command Prompt (Admin) then click Yes when the User Account Control prompts you, or if you preferred to keep the PowerShell options then:
  
  Press Windows key + S key and in the Search / Cortana box type Comm then on results displayed, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator and click Yes when the User Account Control prompts you.

• Now in the Administrator: Command Prompt window type or copy & paste the following:
  
  
  Code:

  REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

  
  Press Enter key then when task completes successfully, close the Command window.

• Right-click on Start and select Run
• In the Run dialog type gpedit.msc then click OK
• If prompted by User Account Control click Yes
• In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor expand to this location:

• Left-click on Windows Update to view its content in right pane
• Double-left-click on Do not include drivers with Windows Updates then check the radio button next to Enabled and click OK
  
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• Close the Local Group Policy Editor and any other open programs, then restart computer

Note: Microsoft may at times include Hardware Driver updates bundled inside Cumulative or Security updates. The above measures to prevent such updates will have no affect on these bundled updates; meaning at times they may still sneak one through. However, in that scenario you could either roll back the driver update, or if it works fine, leave it be.

Addendum: Information about these bundled updates can be read on Microsoft's TechNet site:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us...ure-wufb#exclude-drivers-from-quality-updates

Regards,

Regedit32