4 Posts
0
1750
September 21st, 2021 15:00
Dell Downgrade's Drivers Through Windows Updates
I been updating my drivers manually to the latest version using official websites of the makers of the parts, like I downloaded the latest AMD Radeon Software that downloads latest Drivers with it but the next day it will queue up the so could "update" through Windows Update, and that is not the only drivers that got downgraded that way. I have to manually fight it by re-downloading the drivers. Tried going through local services to disable Dell from pushing driver updates through Windows but seems like I cant find any thing related any service that could be causing the issue.
I have deleted every pre-installed dell software (apart from Maxxaudio Pro). I think it might be something with the driver DellRbtn.sys or that Windows 10 key was supplied by Dell so I think some system files might be the issue maker.
Laptop: Dell 14 5415
This the first time I bought Dell, this issue is literally the only issue that will stop me from getting Dell in future.
Why so much software control let me do things I want to do, I don't mind the Dell Support (Volume) on the disc or Dell Update downloader but it doesn't do its job well so let me do my thing.
Its a pain in the knowing your Dell Windows Update will make your experience worse.
lmacri
3 Apprentice
•
1.7K Posts
1
September 23rd, 2021 07:00
Hi Average PC user:
Do you have a Home or Professional edition of Windows 10, and what is the version and build shown at Settings | System | About | Windows Specifications?
If you are certain that older drivers are being delivered through Windows Update then I doubt those those updates have anything to do with Dell software like Dell Update v5.x or SupportAssist v3.x. Managing driver updates offered by Windows Update has been much simpler in Windows 10 since August 2020 when Windows Update began delivering driver updates as Optional updates (Settings | Update & Security | Windows Update | View Optional Updates) - see the ghacks.net article Should You Install Windows 10's Optional Driver Updates? for more information. However, I have a Win 10 Professional OS so I am able to completely disable driver updates by Windows Update using the Local Group Policy Editor (GPEdit) - see Option 1 of the TenForums tutorial Enable or Disable Driver Updates in Windows Update in Windows 10. As a general rule I find that my Inspiron 5584 works better (i.e., fewer freezes, black screens when trying to wake from sleep mode, etc.) if I only use BIOS and driver updates recommended by Dell Update v5.x or SupportAssist v3.x that Dell has certified for the hardware components of my Inspiron 5584.
You can also use a free third-party app like WuMgr (Update Manager for Windows) to manage all your Windows Updates, regardless of whether you have a Home or Pro edition of Win 10. I suggest watching the 10-Jul-2021 video titled "Controlling Updates" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRa3kxQaeeU, which is part of the "Tasks for the Weekend" series of videos posted by Susan Bradley, publisher of the AskWoody.com newsletter. At ~ 1:35 of that video there is a section on using the WUMgr utility, and geekdom has also posted a tutorial on the AskWoody.com site at Guide to Using WuMgr for Windows 10 Updates that explains how preview, install and/or hide updates using this utility.
I use both Dell Update v5.x and SupportAssist v3.x to check for driver updates that match the hardware components of my Inspiron 5584 (i.e., my unique Service Tag). I have disabled all automatic update checks and system scans in SupportAssist at Options (gear icon) Settings | Automate Scans and Optimizations | Scan Your System and Drivers as shown in the first image below, and run the occasional manual check for updates or hardware scan from the Home tab. This way both Dell Update v5.x and SupportAssist v3.x will only suggest recommended updates for my system when I run a manual update check with these Dell utilities, and I can preview this list of available updates and uncheck any that I don't want before I proceed with the installation. The second image below shows me declining (unchecking) all available updates except for a critical BIOS update before I started the download and installation.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H1 build 19043.1237 * Firefox v92.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2108.7 * MB Premium v4.4.6.132-1.0.1453 * Dell SupportAssist v3.10.3.3 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v 5.4.3.15135 * Dell Update for Windows 10 v4.3.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620