Configure Windows to Search Windows Update for Device Drivers

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista

When a new device is detected, Windows checks the driver store to see if an appropriate driver package is staged there. If not, it checks several locations to find a driver package. In order, these locations are:

1. The folders specified in the DevicePath registry setting. For more information, see Configure Windows to Search Additional Folders for Device Drivers.

2. Windows Update on the Web, as described in this topic.

3. A file path or media after provided by the user.

After Windows locates the driver package, it is copied to the driver store, and then installed from there.

By default, Windows searches the Windows Update driver repository on the Internet if the driver cannot be automatically discovered locally. Administrators in managed environments may wish to exercise more control over their managed systems, and turn off the automatic search of Windows Update.

This topic provides a procedure that you can use to enable or disable searching Windows Update for device drivers.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To configure Windows to search additional folders for device drivers

1. Start Local Group Policy Object Editor. Click Start , and then in the Start Search box, type mmc gpedit.msc.

2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes .

3. Open Local Computer Policy , Computer Configuration , Administrative Templates , System , Internet Communication Management , and then Internet Communication Settings .

4. In the right-hand pane, double-click Turn off Windows Update device driver searching .

5. Select one of the following:

   • Select Enabled to prevent Windows from searching Windows Update.

   • Select Disabled to always search Windows Update automatically when a driver is not found locally.

   • Select Not Configured to use the system default, which is to search Windows Update automatically.

6. If you selected Disabled or Not Configured , then the policy found at Computer Configuration , Administrative Templates , System , Driver Installation , Turn off Windows Update device driver search prompt applies. That policy determines whether you are prompted for consent before searching Windows Update. If that policy is enabled, then Windows Update is searched silently without asking for consent first.

The following table shows the effect of different combinations of the two policy settings. The results show whether or not a prompt is displayed, and whether or not the search of Windows Update occurs.

Additional references

Installing Devices and their Drivers

Stage a Device Driver in the Driver Store

Configure Computer Policy to Allow Non-Administrators to Install Specific Devices

Configure Windows to Search Additional Folders for Device Drivers