Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings Description
This policy setting specifies whether Windows searches Windows Update for device drivers when no local drivers for a device are present. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Update is not searched when a new device is installed. If you disable this policy setting, Windows Update is always searched for drivers when no local drivers are present. If you do not configure this policy setting, searching Windows Update is optional when installing a device. Also see "Turn off Windows Update device driver search prompt" in "Administrative Templates/System," which governs whether an administrator is prompted before searching Windows Update for device drivers if a driver is not found locally. Note: This policy setting is replaced by "Specify Driver Source Search Order" in "Administrative Templates/System/Device Installation" on newer versions of Windows.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching Value name: DontSearchWindowsUpdate
Enabled: DontSearchWindowsUpdate = 1
Disabled: DontSearchWindowsUpdate = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ICM/DriverSearchPlaces_DontSearchWindowsUpdate Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching]
"DontSearchWindowsUpdate"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DontSearchWindowsUpdate' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ICM/DriverSearchPlaces_DontSearchWindowsUpdate
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching' -Name 'DontSearchWindowsUpdate' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DontSearchWindowsUpdate' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching' -Name 'DontSearchWindowsUpdate' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Update device driver searching
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DontSearchWindowsUpdate' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.