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How to keep Windows 7 from updating device drivers — Parallax Forums

How to keep Windows 7 from updating device drivers

RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
edited 2014-10-25 06:44 in General Discussion
Anyone who had a device damaged by the recent FTDI driver fiasco might find this useful.

Go to the Control Panel and open "System".
Select "Advanced system settings" on the left.
In the window that pops up, click on the "Hardware" tab.
Select "Device Installation Settings".
Make your choices there.



attachment.php?attachmentid=111616&d=1414162090



I personally never let Windows update anything on it's own. I look at each individual update before allowing it to install. When it comes to device drivers, if it's working I'm usually reluctant to change anything.
WindowsDriverUpdates.jpg
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Comments

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-10-24 09:02
    Windows must be the only operating system where most of the users debate about it are how to turn off, disable, circumvent and generally remove it's features.:)
  • ratronicratronic Posts: 1,451
    edited 2014-10-24 09:12
    I let Windows do updates automatically. I don't run into a problem with updates. Lucky I didn't have any fake FTDI chips!
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-10-24 09:52
    Thanks for the information!

    Driver updates can really bite you - especially if you don't know it is happening without your approval...
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-10-24 09:59
    Heater,

    I certainly have to agree with that. I have a 10 page document I refer to when doing fresh installs of Windows 7 which details all the useless and annoying stuff to disable/change so that it works the way I want it to.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-10-24 10:06
    10 pages!

    Wow. It's worse than I even imagined from the anecdotal evidence I have heard.

    Do you have that document online someplace. In case I ever have to do such an install myself?

    I'm sure others would like to contribute to it.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-10-24 10:46
    I would have to clean it up. I use a lot of "colorful metaphors" and such to describe Microsoft's default settings for many things.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-10-24 11:09
    Nahh. Publish and be damned. As the Duke of Wellington said.

    Such a document seems to be very valuable. Everybody will understand the reason for the colorful metaphors.

    Like I said, I bet others would like to contribute.
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2014-10-24 11:26
    I can solve this for you. Get a nice Windows server for $5,000. Promote it to a domain controller, spend a couple hours building a group policy and apply it to unlimited workstations on your network. By unlimited I mean whatever client access licenses you pay for.

    Only $5,000 and never worry about it again, c'mon guys...
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-10-24 11:39
    Sounds like a bargain...let me think on it...(click brrrrr)
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-10-24 17:18
    spend a couple hours building a group policy and apply it to unlimited workstations
    This can also be done on standalone Windows systems in the LSP (Local Security Policy)Basically does the same thing as GPO.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,257
    edited 2014-10-24 18:10
    Heater. wrote: »
    Windows must be the only operating system where most of the users debate about it are how to turn off, disable, circumvent and generally remove it's features.:)

    Jeepers. Post #2. Slow project day, huh?

    In future quips, a single "Nanner, nanner" should do nicely.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-10-24 21:20
    A few weeks ago, shortly after getting a new Windows 7 computer, and while I was still installing my old apps, a box popped up with a message something like this:
    "An illegal change has been made to your Windows operating system, and it may be disabled as a result. To fix this problem and to prevent future issues, go to microsoft.com/..... to download Windows Audit ..."

    I was in the middle of something critical and could not afford to have Windows be disabled, so I downloaded the auditing app from Microsoft. This thing is pure evil. It runs in the background, monitors which programs I'm using and gathers other information about my computer usage and sends it to Microsoft's "Windows Genuine Advantage" server on a periodic basis.

    One amusing sidenote, though: whenever I start Excel now, a box pops up asking if I really want to run this program from an "unknown publisher!" Not unknown, but certainly untrusted. :)

    Anyway, I've given up entertaining any notions that I actually own my computer. That would be pure fantasy.

    -Phil
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-10-24 22:02
    That sounds very suspicious. If it were me I'd probably reinstall the OS from scratch.
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2014-10-24 22:12
    Illegal? Wasn't that like 2000/XP dialouge? That sounds strange. You still have it in event viewer?

    Are you running applocker in audit mode maybe?

    Get a firewall for your PC that blocks outbound traffic it buys you time to fix whatever you need to on the computer.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2014-10-25 06:44
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

    Anyway, I've given up entertaining any notions that I actually own my computer. That would be pure fantasy.

    I feel a whole lot more like I actually own my computer running Linux Mint. If you aren't completely stuck with a "Windows Only" application, give it a spin.
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