How can I stop Windows XP from automatically installing drivers?

[Gregory_WE]

I don't want Windows XP to install drivers automatically without asking for me to or not. I know I got it to somehow before, but I just reformatted a few weeks ago and I want to get that option back. The main reason is that when installing video card drivers I don't want it to install the 29.58 ones automatically when I restart.

[noble2501]

Start - right click on my computer - properties - automatic updates.. uncheck Keep my computer blaa blaa blaa..

[Tebore]

That won't do drivers. That'll just stop you from getting updates.

[turd]

You could try and go to:

Rclick my computer\manage\services and aplications\services and disable the upload manager (it does send driver info to MS)

Or this is a reg tweak (use at your risk)


Export the Device Path value in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr
entVersion for backup purposes.
Now delete the Device Path data (all the locations entered).
XP should not be able to auto-install drivers without you manually pointing to them.

not sure if these work so let me know would you?

[powerme]

stop PLUG and PLAY service

[Gregory_WE]

Disabling upload manager did work. It's not the exact same way it was before (it doesn't even detect that something's installed w/o a driver), where as now I have to actually have it scan for hardware changes, but it works ok now I guess :) Thanks for the help.

[Gregory_WE]

Oh wait, nm, it didn't work.

[Gregory_WE]

Just tried the registry modification and it worked just like it used to :) Thanks again :)

Weird thing is, I don't think I ever did any tweaks to have it do that previously... it seemed like all of a sudden it just did it. Maybe I just don't remember though.