Why do my GPU drivers keep downgrading to 16.6?

[iamnoobplzhelp]

While testing timings, clocks, and voltages, etc, my card inevitably runs into issues, and pretty much every time Windows decides to downgrade my AMD drivers 16.6. I always get worse hash rates with 16.6.

I understand that Windows wants to downgrade to the most recent WHQL drivers, but the drivers I had installed were also WHQL (16.10.1)!

This problem is super annoying because I end up having to use DDU to uninstall the drivers and then reinstall 16.10.1 again.

I'm contemplating moving to Linux.

Is there a way to change the Windows rollback drivers? Is there another workaround? Have other people noticed this problem?

[pikachuy]

Easy solution, disable windows update.

[xxcsu]

follow this guide and disable windows automatic driver update :
http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/stop-automatic-driver-updates-windows-10

[iamnoobplzhelp]

Thank you for your replies.

I have tried this solution, but it does not work for me. Plus, my options are a bit different than what is posted. I'm guessing the latest 'Win 10 Anniversary Update' has changed it.

Now it says "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices?"
Doesn't say anything about drivers, but I checked "No" regardless.
It still downgrades to 16.6.

[alucard20724]

Thank you for your replies.

I have tried this solution, but it does not work for me. Plus, my options are a bit different than what is posted. I'm guessing the latest 'Win 10 Anniversary Update' has changed it.

Now it says "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices?"
Doesn't say anything about drivers, but I checked "No" regardless.
It still downgrades to 16.6.

Run DDU (Safe Mode option... this does an initial reboot into safe mode) and  to uninstall the drivers, after uninstall is complete and computer reboots after uninstall, then install the drivers you want for windows 10.  This has always worked for me.

[iamnoobplzhelp]

Thank you for your replies.

I have tried this solution, but it does not work for me. Plus, my options are a bit different than what is posted. I'm guessing the latest 'Win 10 Anniversary Update' has changed it.

Now it says "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices?"
Doesn't say anything about drivers, but I checked "No" regardless.
It still downgrades to 16.6.

Run DDU (Safe Mode option... this does an initial reboot into safe mode) and  to uninstall the drivers, after uninstall is complete and computer reboots after uninstall, then install the drivers you want for windows 10.  This has always worked for me.

This is always how I uninstall drivers. The new drivers get installed correctly. When I check, it will be 16.10.1. But if I overclock too much and the screen flashes for a second, when the screen comes back it almost always has reverted to 16.6. This isn't just on one PC either. This happens on 4 PCs.

[alucard20724]

Thank you for your replies.

I have tried this solution, but it does not work for me. Plus, my options are a bit different than what is posted. I'm guessing the latest 'Win 10 Anniversary Update' has changed it.

Now it says "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices?"
Doesn't say anything about drivers, but I checked "No" regardless.
It still downgrades to 16.6.

Run DDU (Safe Mode option... this does an initial reboot into safe mode) and  to uninstall the drivers, after uninstall is complete and computer reboots after uninstall, then install the drivers you want for windows 10.  This has always worked for me.

This is always how I uninstall drivers. The new drivers get installed correctly. When I check, it will be 16.10.1. But if I overclock too much and the screen flashes for a second, when the screen comes back it almost always has reverted to 16.6. This isn't just on one PC either. This happens on 4 PCs.

Then it sounds like your overclock is to high creating a driver error and your system reverts to an earlier known good version of the driver. 

[Ambros]

Windows 10 is definitely the best mining operating system, but you should tune a lot of configurations

Here there is a script that does most of them :
- https://mega.nz/#!8gZzjQaa!Dt4wE0WEo8nZkui_-cAAXL4mb4YlO6CJgFZTXKq9pnQ

source: http://1stminingrig.com/best-windows-setup-configuration-tweaks-for-mining/

[iamnoobplzhelp]

Windows 10 is definitely the best mining operating system, but you should tune a lot of configurations

Here there is a script that does most of them :
- https://mega.nz/#!8gZzjQaa!Dt4wE0WEo8nZkui_-cAAXL4mb4YlO6CJgFZTXKq9pnQ

source: http://1stminingrig.com/best-windows-setup-configuration-tweaks-for-mining/

Thanks! I'll try this when I get home from work!

[Rexxxem]

Hey bud, I know how annoying that is. I had a similar issue accept it was slapping windows drivers on there instead.. kept doing it for no reason.. frustrating.
This was my solution:

*Edit: make sure you have the drivers you want installed before doing this*

1. Search for and open your "group policy settings"
2. On the left side, you will see "computer configuration" - click the arrow next to "administrative templates"
3. Click the arrow next to the folder named "system" and then the arrow next to "device installation". Now open the folder "device installation restrictions".
4. Double click the one that says " prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs".
5. Check "enabled" and then click the box that says "show".
6. Now open your device manager and get the hardware ids of the gpus you would like to restrict. Copy and paste them in the box that popped up when you clicked "show" in the previous step.
7. Click "ok" and then make sure you hit "apply" otherwise it wont save what you just pasted..

Make sure you're getting the right HW IDs otherwise it probably wont work.
This will prevent windows and you from changing drivers. If you want to upgrade/downgrade you will have to manually undo what you just did.

Like i said this worked for me. Hope it helps.. funny you have to edit group policy settings on your own computer, huh? Way to go, windows lol

[iamnoobplzhelp]

Hey bud, I know how annoying that is. I had a similar issue accept it was slapping windows drivers on there instead.. kept doing it for no reason.. frustrating.
This was my solution:

*Edit: make sure you have the drivers you want installed before doing this*

1. Search for and open your "group policy settings"
2. On the left side, you will see "computer configuration" - click the arrow next to "administrative templates"
3. Click the arrow next to the folder named "system" and then the arrow next to "device installation". Now open the folder "device installation restrictions".
4. Double click the one that says " prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs".
5. Check "enabled" and then click the box that says "show".
6. Now open your device manager and get the hardware ids of the gpus you would like to restrict. Copy and paste them in the box that popped up when you clicked "show" in the previous step.
7. Click "ok" and then make sure you hit "apply" otherwise it wont save what you just pasted..

Make sure you're getting the right HW IDs otherwise it probably wont work.
This will prevent windows and you from changing drivers. If you want to upgrade/downgrade you will have to manually undo what you just did.

Like i said this worked for me. Hope it helps.. funny you have to edit group policy settings on your own computer, huh? Way to go, windows lol

Awesome! Thanks so much.I recently read a blog post that describes these exact steps. It seems Windows doesn't allow you to do it via the steps described above anymore.