---
title: "ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate: stop Windows Update from replacing your GPU driver"
description: "Windows Update can install drivers on its own, and sometimes replaces a graphics driver you installed with an older one. What it changes and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/stop-windows-update-installing-drivers
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Windows"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate: stop Windows Update from replacing your GPU driver

**Short answer:** Windows Update can install drivers on its own, and sometimes replaces a graphics driver you installed with an older one. ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate set to 1 and SearchOrderConfig set to 0 leave drivers out of Windows Update. In the registry it sets ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate to 1 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, and 1 more value.

## In the app

- Switch: Keep Windows Update From Replacing Drivers (Windows, Pro, Advanced)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1141

## What it does

Windows Update can install drivers on its own, and sometimes replaces a graphics driver you installed with an older one. ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate set to 1 and SearchOrderConfig set to 0 leave drivers out of Windows Update.

In the app the switch is called "Keep Windows Update From Replacing Drivers", described there as: Leaves drivers out of Windows Update, so it cannot swap your GPU driver for an older one.

## When it helps

- Keeping the graphics driver you chose, and avoiding a driver swap in the middle of a week.

## When it hurts

- Windows no longer delivers driver updates at all, including useful ones for chipsets, Wi-Fi and firmware. You update drivers yourself.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate` | `ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate` | `1` | Your previous value (saved before the change, or deleted if there was none) |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching` | `SearchOrderConfig` | `0` | Your previous value (saved before the change, or deleted if there was none). Windows default: 1 |

Source: Tweaks/pack_extra.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v "ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /v "ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. The app saved what each value was before the change and writes exactly that back, or removes the value if it did not exist.

## Verdict

Worth it if Windows has replaced your graphics driver before. Remember that driver updates are now your job.

## Questions

### What does the "Keep Windows Update From Replacing Drivers" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate to 1 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, and 1 more value. The full list is in the table on this page, read from the app's source.

### What is the default value of SearchOrderConfig?

The Windows default of SearchOrderConfig is 1. Frozen Tweaks sets it to 0, and switching the tweak off puts back the value you had before.

### Is "Keep Windows Update From Replacing Drivers" safe to switch on?

Worth it if Windows has replaced your graphics driver before. Remember that driver updates are now your job. The main cost: Windows no longer delivers driver updates at all, including useful ones for chipsets, Wi-Fi and firmware. You update drivers yourself.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.

### Is "Keep Windows Update From Replacing Drivers" free in Frozen Tweaks?

It is part of Frozen Pro and Elite. You can also make the change by hand with the values on this page.

## Related guides

- [Best NVIDIA Control Panel Settings for Gaming in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/nvidia-control-panel-best-settings)

## More tweak explainers

- [Sticky Keys popup](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-sticky-keys-popup)
- [MenuShowDelay](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/menushowdelay)
- [Classic right click menu](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/classic-context-menu-windows-11)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/stop-windows-update-installing-drivers