Event details
Several hardware vendors (OEMs) we work with recommend not installing drivers delivered via Windows Update, claiming that in some scenarios they may cause performance regressions or instability, and instead ask us to deploy OEM‑validated drivers only.
From an enterprise perspective, we would like Microsoft‑supported guidance on this topic.
Specifically:
- What is the recommended approach when OEMs advise against Windows Update drivers?
- Should organizations block all driver updates via Windows Update, or use a controlled approval model instead?
- How do Intune Driver Update policies or Windows Autopatch fit into this scenario?
- Is the expectation that drivers from Windows Update are production‑safe, or should they be treated as optional / staged updates?
Our goal is to balance stability, performance, and security without relying on unsupported workarounds.
- Kevin-Sullivan
Microsoft
thanks for the question here. OEMs and hardware vendors submit their own drivers through Partner Center and choose to publish them to WU. The OEM decides what goes there and which devices it targets.
We're not directly familiar with OEMs advising customers against drivers they've published to WU themselves. If that's what you're experiencing, we'd want to understand more – reach out to your Microsoft account team and they can connect you with the right folks to dig into the specifics.
