Windows 8: Enable "Automatically get device drivers, apps, and info for new devices"?

[T0bias]

Hi,

When installing Windows 8 Pro it asks at some point if "Automatically get device drivers, apps, and info for new devices" should be enabled or disabled.

Do you recommend enabling this? What exactly will it do?

On my other computer with Windows 7 I have noticed in Windows Update that it lists various optional updates with some drivers, for example some stuff for a Benq monitor I have and some other Logitech driver - stuff that I don't want or need to install.

Is this the same in Windows 8 Pro, or will it go ahead and install this kind of stuff automatically? Or is it possible to choose what you want to install or not?

I just want to avoid that Windows accidentally installs unnecessary software packages for mice or other devices I may plug in, if the default driver is working fine (I refer to the drivers installed in Windows 7 when plugging in a mouse for example).

I would appreciate some advice on this topic - thank you 🙂

 

[G73S]

it should always be disabled otherwise the drivers will be silently installed without you knowing it. A lot of the times, the drivers provided by your computer manufacturer are better and offer more performance. Those drivers are generic drivers and are a good way to start if you don't have any drivers. But I prefer to install all my drivers from the manufacturer directly on a clean install not over the previously installed Windows drivers

 

[T0bias]

Thank you for replying 🙂

I guess some default drivers will still be installed if I disable this in Windows 8 though? Else it wouldn't work at all?

I'm wondering what the default behaviour is in Windows 7 in comparison?

Apart from chipset, LAN and graphics card drivers I usually don't install much else - for the rest just default stuff.

I have never thought or known about automatic driver installation before seeing it in the setup of Windows 8. At least for Windows 7 I haven't had any issues with unwanted drivers being installed without me knowing it. I guess I just want the same setup as I have on my PC with Windows 7, though I'm not sure if that means disabling that automatic stuff in Windows 8 or not.. 🙂

 

[Mem]

You can tell Windows Update which updates to install and you can even hide drivers from the Windows Update.


I have mine set to "download updates but let me choose whether to install them".

 

[mechBgon]

It's a mixed bag. Windows Update got my Bluetooth adapter working after Asus's setup utility turned out to be a big FAIL.

But I used to use a quad-monitor setup with two monitors mounted upside-down (for bezel reasons) and boy, was it ever fun when Windows Update decided that Now It Is Time To Update mechBgon's Video Drivers For Him. Try using your mouse pointer upside-down and backwards with four monitors whose relative mapping has been randomized 😵

Bonus: the driver would fail to install correctly, and then it would try it again the next day. EXCELLENT.

So I avoid video drivers from Windows Update in particular. What I do recommend, is switching from Windows Update to Microsoft Update, so it provides updates for Microsoft software components that didn't come built into Windows. There's a link in your Windows Update panel that can switch you to Microsoft Update mode.

 

[T0bias]

You can tell Windows Update which updates to install and you can even hide drivers from the Windows Update.


I have mine set to "download updates but let me choose whether to install them".

This goes also for the driver updates? So enabling this "Automatically get device drivers, apps, etc.", means they will just be showing up as available updates in Windows?

Are they be marked optional though?

I know I could just check everytime which updates I will be installing - but on my current PC with Windows 7 the updates marked "important" has never been something I didn't want - other drivers like video drivers, mouse, monitor drivers are marked "optional", so they are not installed secretly 🙂

It's a mixed bag. Windows Update got my Bluetooth adapter working after Asus's setup utility turned out to be a big FAIL.

But I used to use a quad-monitor setup with two monitors mounted upside-down (for bezel reasons) and boy, was it ever fun when Windows Update decided that Now It Is Time To Update mechBgon's Video Drivers For Him. Try using your mouse pointer upside-down and backwards with four monitors whose relative mapping has been randomized 😵

Bonus: the driver would fail to install correctly, and then it would try it again the next day. EXCELLENT.

So I avoid video drivers from Windows Update in particular. What I do recommend, is switching from Windows Update to Microsoft Update, so it provides updates for Microsoft software components that didn't come built into Windows. There's a link in your Windows Update panel that can switch you to Microsoft Update mode.

Lol 😀 That doesn't sound nice 🙂

The reason I am worried is that I have seen other posts where people complain that Windows keep installing video drivers by itself, and I also saw someone complaining about suddenly having some mouse software installed..

I would be fine if Windows Update found driver updates, but marked them as optional 🙂

Isn't "Microsoft Update" the same as just checking that check box in the Windows Update settings saying "Get updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows"? Isn't it just an addition to regular Windows Update?

 

[ImDonly1]

The key words here are "for new devices."

So it only installs drivers for new things you plug in (a printer, mouse, etc). I am OK with MS installing drivers automatically from the internet for those.

Installing video card, motherboard drivers from the manufacturer is best though. And once you install those, MS won't override them and install different ones, hence the "new devices."

I set it to yes.

 

[mechBgon]

Isn't "Microsoft Update" the same as just checking that check box in the Windows Update settings saying "Get updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows"? Isn't it just an addition to regular Windows Update?

Yeah, that's right. It'll update various stuff that may end up on your system as part of another software install. Like right now I've got a couple variants of Microsft Visual C++ Redistributable that wouldn't get updates via Windows Update, but will be updated with the "Get updates for other Microsoft products etc" enabled.