Windows 10 Updates Start Causing Problems

Windows 10 Updates Start Causing Problems
Last week Microsoft confirmed every Windows 10 updates will mandatory and installed automatically. This was met with a hostile reception from Forbes readers with over 100 comments on my news article voicing their concern. And now some of those fears have been realized…

With just four days left before launch, Windows 10’s policy of automatic updates has run into its first major problem and it is causing many PCs to stop working correctly.

Dreadful Drivers

The flaw revolves around Nvidia graphics cards with users taking to Nvidia’s forums to report Windows Update is automatically installing new drivers which break multi monitor setups, SLI (dual card) configurations and can even stop PCs booting entirely which pushes Windows 10 into its emergency recovery mode.

“Please pull these off Windows update!!!” writes Nvidia forum poster slycoder. “It makes my second monitor not work and lots of flickering! Please. I roll back and Windows Update reinstalls them :/”

“I second this,” agrees ZabaZu. “For multi screen users, that driver is flat out broken and it is beyond annoying that windows auto updates to it.”

Update Clashes

And here lies the crux of the problem: many PC components and peripherals come with bundled software that automatically manages driver updates already. PC makers also often bolt on driver update management software onto their PCs (Lenovo  is a notable example) which then has the potential to conflict with driver updates delivered by Windows Update.

Read more – Microsoft Confirms Windows 10 Updates Cannot Be Stopped

Consequently unless Windows Update and third party driver management software receive updates at exactly the same time an ongoing battle of upgrading and downgrading can ensue between them. Third party software can be told to stop, but if the driver problem lies with Windows Update (as it does in this case) there’s no way to stop Windows 10 reinstalling it once removed, which causes the problem to come back again and again.