Stop Windows 11 Auto-Updating a Specific Driver

One device on your Windows 11 PC keeps getting a driver you don't want, reinstalled again and again no matter how many times you fix it. Maybe a newer graphics build breaks a game, or an updated printer driver drops a feature you rely on. You don't want to freeze every driver on the machine, just this one. Windows 11 gives you a couple of targeted ways to pin a single device to the driver you trust while everything else keeps updating. Here's how to block just that one and confirm it stuck.

1. 1

   Install the exact driver you want to keep

   Start by getting the right driver onto the device. Right-click the Start button, open Device Manager, right-click the problem device, and choose Update driver or reinstall from your vendor's official support package. On the device's Properties Driver tab, note the exact Driver Version now showing. The blocking methods ahead work by preventing changes to what's installed, so the version present at block time is the one you'll keep. Make sure it's the build you actually want before you lock things down, or you'll end up pinning the wrong one.

2. 2

   Grab the device's hardware ID

   For the most precise, device-only block you'll need the hardware ID. In Device Manager, right-click the device, open Properties, and select the Details tab. Change the Property dropdown to Hardware Ids and copy the top string, which contains the VEN and DEV codes that uniquely identify this hardware. Save it in a text file. The Group Policy method later uses this exact string to tell Windows 'never automatically install a driver for this specific device.' Keeping the full ID handy now saves you flipping back and forth between windows during the policy step.

3. 3

   Create a restore point

   You're about to change how Windows handles a device, so set a safety net. Search for 'Create a restore point,' select your system drive, confirm protection is on using Configure, then click Create and give it a clear name like 'before driver block.' If a policy change causes an unexpected side effect, you can roll your system settings back. This is quick insurance, and it pairs well with Device Manager's per-device rollback so you always have a way to undo both the driver and the block if needed.

4. 4

   Hide the update with wushowhide

   The simplest per-device block on Windows 11 is Microsoft's 'Show or hide updates' troubleshooter, wushowhide. Download it from Microsoft's official support resources and run it. Pick 'Hide updates,' and it shows the updates Windows wants to install. Find the driver for your device, tick it, and confirm. Windows will stop offering that specific update. This works on Home and Pro alike and is easy to reverse: rerun the tool, choose 'Show hidden updates,' and unhide it. It's the fastest option when you just need one stubborn driver to stay put.

5. 5

   Block the device by hardware ID in Group Policy

   For a firmer block on Windows 11 Pro, use device installation restrictions. Press Windows+R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, Device Installation, and Device Installation Restrictions. Open 'Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs,' set it to Enabled, click Show, and paste your hardware ID. Decide whether to also apply it to matching devices already installed. Click OK. Windows will now refuse to install any new driver for that device, holding your chosen version firmly in place.

6. 6

   Apply the policy and refresh

   Policy changes don't always take effect instantly. Open a Command Prompt as administrator and run gpupdate /force to apply your new setting right away. Wait for it to report that the computer policy updated successfully. If the change involved an already-installed device, a restart helps Windows fully honor it. At this point the device keeps working on its current driver, but Windows is instructed not to swap it. You haven't touched any other device, so the rest of your machine still receives its normal driver updates.

7. 7

   Verify the block survived the next update cycle

   Confirm the block actually holds. Open Settings, go to Windows Update, and click Check for updates to force a cycle, then reboot if asked. Afterward, open Device Manager, view your device's Properties, and check the Driver tab: the version should still match what you pinned. Look under Windows Update history to be sure the unwanted driver didn't reinstall. If it did slip through, recheck that the hardware ID was pasted correctly and that gpupdate ran cleanly, then repeat the wushowhide hide as a backup layer.