Forum Discussion
Clearing the download and install list
I have a new install of windows 11 home, and manually installed drivers and such before connecting to the Internet. I also disabled drivers in Windows update.
Windows update still wants to replace my 2 month old Ethernet driver with one from 2021.
How do I get rid of this, and why is it pulling driver updates when that setting has been disabled?
I've tried stopping services and renaming the two folders and the list of updates to download is still intact.
The wusahowhide tool says nothing can be hidden.
I had to reinstall because windows messed up my drivers while they were disabled. How to I actually stop it from thinking it knows best when it obviously doesn't and get rid of this download?
2 Replies
Windows Update still offering the older Ethernet driver does not mean it will replace a newer driver; Windows evaluates hardware IDs, rank, and applicability rather than date alone. On Windows 11 Pro, enable Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update > Do not include drivers with Windows Updates. This excludes separately classified drivers from quality updates, although drivers bundled with security or feature updates can still be installed. Restart, run gpupdate /force, and confirm the policy with gpresult. Then install the Acer or adapter manufacturer’s supported Ethernet driver and create a restore point. Avoid repeatedly renaming SoftwareDistribution folders because that does not change applicability. If the driver remains only pending, leave it uninstalled. If Windows replaces the working driver, roll it back in Device Manager and capture its hardware ID, offered version, and update history for Microsoft Support.
It's incredibly frustrating when Windows ignores your explicit instructions. The root cause is that Windows Update has multiple layers of control, and disabling one doesn't necessarily stop all of them.
