Windows 10 Will Stop Mandatory Driver Updates

With Windows 10, Microsoft aimed to make the operating system more user-friendly for the masses. One of the changes they did was to move to a mandatory automatic update model not unlike mobile OSs. In addition to security and stability updates, Microsoft also forced automatic hardware updates as well. In an upcoming change to the Insider build, the company is finally allowing users to opt out of mandatory driver updates.

Starting with Build 15002, Windows 10 will allow users to disable driver updates. This feature had previously been limited to users of the Professional version of Windows 10 but is now being expanded to all users. The new update is expected to roll out to all users as part of the new Creator’s Update set to arrive in April.

While having mandatory updates can be great for security, they require more stringent testing as the user cannot control them. This is especially true for Windows PCs which come in endless configurations and variety. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to their updates. With this move, users will at least have the option to disable updates for drivers which if buggy, can lead to system failure. Given how often we hear users complaining about how they have to be on a specific driver to release to be stable, this move can’t come any sooner.

For UWP games though, the latest graphics drivers for the titles will still be automatically installed. This may cause issues as game ready drivers are often a bit rushed and are commonly buggy. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft will give in, AMD and Nvidia will do a better job, or us users will just have to suffer through the ordeal.