How do I stop the graphics drivers or Adrenalin from changing/updating?

[Ruined Mind]

I have a Radeon RX 6400 card. One or two years ago, I wanted to play an old game that uses OpenGL, but the current driver of that time caused the game to constantly crash (unavoidable), so I wanted to use an older version of the driver, but Windows automatically switched to a newer version. (I used the "Display Driver Uninstaller" program, in Safe Mode, to uninstall the new driver and installed the old version while my internet connection was disabled.)

(I've heard reports of Nvidia cards not being affected by this problem while a program called "GeForce Experience" is installed, because GeForce Experience gains control of the updating process, so people could stay on an old version of the driver, but I haven't confirmed this, because I haven't ever needed to stay on an old version of an Nvidia driver.)

I will attempt to remember what I did to cause Windows 10 to allow me to stay on the old version. The Radeon control panel might have been different after the process, but my memory of that is unclear. I know the in-game overlay of performance statistics of MSI Afterburner either showed incorrect values or was unable to read some parameters that it usually could (I've forgotten). (Please forgive me if this will produce the same result as your previous attempt, which you said shows version "23.20.30" and may be using 23.11.1 internally. I'll still write it IN CASE the result will be different.)

1.
Disable your internet connection, and use "Display Driver Uninstaller" in Safe Mode again.

2.
Install the old version of the driver again.

3.
Enable your internet connection. Wait until Windows has switched to the new version of the driver again.

4.
Go to the "Device Manager". Click the arrow next to "Display Adapters", then right-click your graphics card, and click "Properties".

5.
A small window will be opened. Click the "Driver" tab, and click "Roll Back Driver". That will cause Windows to switch back to the version that YOU installed, right BEFORE it automatically switched to the new version. When I used this method, a little box opened that asked me to describe the reason I want to use the old version. I mentioned that only an old version of the driver allows an old game to function well. Consider writing a detailed note, in case an engineer from Microsoft or AMD will read it.

6.
After that, I was able to play the game with the old version of the driver, and it didn't ever switch back to the new version again, until I manually CHOSE to install a new version.

I'll say it again:
The Radeon control panel might have been different after the process, and the in-game overlay of MSI Afterburner might have been negatively affected, but I was able to finish the game. It didn't ever crash.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Restore previous driver assumes and usually fails because there is no backup copy.

 

[Ware]

drivers are seemingly being updated on their own. I then find Adrenalin is reporting a different version (23.20.30?)

I had this happen on a couple recent installs of windows 11 that were on 23.12.1. In my case it broke the drivers to the point that the AMD software wouldn't run, and any 3d game would error out. I assumed it was a windows update problem. I reinstalled 23.12.1, and it's been ok, but then metadata is missing from my driver files currently so I'm not super confident. You might try typing "change device installation settings" at the start menu and turn it off if you're still having the problem.

 

[Princess Garnet]

I used to have this issue as well. Adrenalin end up losing various features when Windows decides to upend the driver with whatever it thinks is best - very annoying.
Since then I only install the WHQL version drivers now.

So far Windows 10 hasn't tried to override my drivers yet sticking with WHQL only drivers and these options on a clean Windows install for quite a while now.

The drivers I'm attempting to use are WHQL drivers as far as I can see. I'm getting them from here.

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.11.1 driver download

Download the all-new AMD Software Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.9.3 driver downloads. Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition is intended to provide players with fully immersive gameplay that is inspired by today's social, connected gaming world, according to the company.

www.guru3d.com

Ones sourced from AMD will just serve me with 23.12.1.

I don't think the problem is where they are coming from. I think the problem is the ones I am wanting to use are now older than what Windows finds available through Windows Update.

I had trouble with Windows Update replacing AMD video driver. Like you did, when I tried uninstalling the driver from Windows Update using device manager, Windows Update kept downloading and installing the driver.

At least for me, the fix was to reinstall the version of the driver I wanted onto the system.

I didn't uninstall the old driver or the driver from Windows Update, I just installed the version of the driver I wanted again.

That sounds like a slightly different scenario than the one I'm facing. I'm not facing a problem with Windows slipping a driver of its choosing in when trying to uninstall the driver. I don't have a problem uninstalling a driver nor installing a driver of my choice. Both of those parts go as expected.

The problem is that, sooner or later (maybe the same day, maybe a day later, maybe four days later), and only whenever the system is determined to be idle, Windows will decide that because 23.11.1 is a bit older that its going to replace it with this 23.30.20 AIB version of Adrenalin. And I haven't have been able to stop that.

I have Adrenalin set not to check for updates. I now know this isn't a Adrenalin thing but rather a Windows thing because both Event Viewer and Windows Update history show it as coming through there (that and my nVidia drivers did this once shortly while I was using it, but it seemed far less picky about what versions it wouldn't allow me to keep using).

I've set devices installation settings to no.

I've done the aforementioned registry tweaks to stop Windows update (the group policy method that Professional does apparently sets this same registry value and it is just done through the group policy UI so I'm even doubting that would work even if I could try it, but I can't anyway).

I've never dealt with Windows being so stubborn about something before.

I had this happen on a couple recent installs of windows 11 that were on 23.12.1. In my case it broke the drivers to the point that the AMD software wouldn't run, and any 3d game would error out. I assumed it was a windows update problem. I reinstalled 23.12.1, and it's been ok, but then metadata is missing from my driver files currently so I'm not super confident. You might try typing "change device installation settings" at the start menu and turn it off if you're still having the problem.

Unfortunately, that setting is set that way and it doesn't stop it.

I see the same thing in device manager if I check that. The driver itself oddly does still reflect version numbering of 23.11.1 so it doesn't seem to be updating the core driver stuff; just the Adrenalin control panel like I thought.

I haven't noticed any issues with games not working after the Windows enforced driver, but well... I've only tried to play one (League of Legends) since doing it. Usually once it happens I remove it and go back to the AMD ones... until it puts its own version back.

Why am I having to fight with my own computer, my own operating system, here? This is beyond nonsense.

Edit: I just noticed you were having it happen with 23.12.1 so wow. If it's happening even under the latest drivers then I'd be probably be dealing with this regardless right now.

 

[Zach_01]

Straight from AMD website

https://www.amd.com/en/support

View attachment 328785

View attachment 328786

I have the latest from AMD website and you can see what is available to me...

If you still want previous drivers you can get them from same page.
You put your card... submit and you get to this page...

see the red box

 

[Princess Garnet]

A small window will be opened. Click the "Driver" tab, and click "Roll Back Driver". That will cause Windows to switch back to the version that YOU installed, right BEFORE it automatically switched to the new version. When I used this method, a little box opened that asked me to describe the reason I want to use the old version. I mentioned that only an old version of the driver allows an old game to function well. Consider writing a detailed note, in case an engineer from Microsoft or AMD will read it.

Annnd, thank you! I tried this and it did return me to the standard Adrenalin version I had before. I usually never bothered with Windows driver managing nonsense and just uninstalled things and reinstalled what I wanted, but maybe since I've gone through that process it won't auto update it now? I'll have to see if that prevents it from updating by itself.

Awkward how you have to chose a reason or it doesn't even let you roll back. This is how far we are down the losing control over out own PCs path I guess. I chose the option that the previous one had more features since that's more or less the real reason on the surface level.

I have the latest from AMD website and you can see what is available to me...

If you still want previous drivers you can get them from same page.
You put your card... submit and you get to this page...

Thank you, if this current attempt doesn't work then next time I have to reinstall them, I'll try getting them from AMD and see if that changes things, but I don't think where I got them from was causing it. I skipped trying to get older ones from AMD since I swear I chose that option last time and it still served me 23.12.1 since it detected it as the latest.

 

[Zach_01]

Thank you, if this current attempt doesn't work then next time I have to reinstall them, I'll try getting them from AMD and see if that changes things, but I don't think where I got them from was causing it. I skipped trying to get older ones from AMD since I swear I chose that option last time and it still served me 23.12.1 since it detected it as the latest.

I always get drivers from AMD. I proposed this because I saw some differences in version numbers between your latest and mine (23.12.1)
Just compare this to your first screenshot form your first post

Not only adrenalin version on the left but all versions on the right

 

[Princess Garnet]

Yes, mine were different because that screenshot was of Adrenalin after Windows updated it to that awkward version. I see this now.

But I'm also attempting to use 23.11.1 whereas you're using 23.12.1 so some versions will be different based on that too.

 

[Zach_01]

Yes, mine were different because that screenshot was of Adrenalin after Windows updated it to that awkward version. I see this now.

But I'm also attempting to use 23.11.1 whereas you're using 23.12.1 so some versions will be different based on that too.

Of course, now there are going to be some differences.
Had those until like a week ago and I hit the red "Download" button on the screen you're showing.

 

[DaemonForce]

Is all of this auto-update drama primarily a Win11 thing? The only Win11 device in my home is a Surface 3 that got yeet'd to refurb status more than a year before I got it. It was interesting to test Win10 in its completly broken state and as there's no feature rich hardware on that system, my hare brained idea of installing Win11 proves it even more unusable as all four 1.6GHz Cherry Trail cores ramp up to 100% and boost to 2.4GHz whenever anything. Worse, it grabs every feature update that I never want.

Every other device has full manual updates.

Servers: Non-domain
Remoting: Enabled
Updates: Manual
Telemetry: Security

My workstation is also configured to make use of sconfig for the same purpose but you won't have it and that's fine. I use Explorer here anyway. Do your update settings look like this?

How about this?

Maybe my RX 580 drivers have been updated one too many times or I tend to pick the worse drivers but I remember streaming features being here last year and now they're not. So that's just one more thing to worry about.

Isn't that fun?

 

[Princess Garnet]

I'm using Windows 10, so I'm afraid it's not a Windows 11 only thing. Windows 10 was famous for this long before, it seems. For whatever reason I avoided ever dealing with it (at least for the video drivers) until recently.

I used the driver rollback feature so maybe in doing that, Windows will have flagged it to stay with that for now. Only time will tell.

 

[Launcestonian]

I'm using Windows 10, so I'm afraid it's not a Windows 11 only thing. Windows 10 was famous for this long before, it seems. For whatever reason I avoided ever dealing with it (at least for the video drivers) until recently.

I used the driver rollback feature so maybe in doing that, Windows will have flagged it to stay with that for now. Only time will tell.

I can only offer advice for win 11 pro & my experience with an RX 6800 XT card.

Never had the problem your describing in your OP with any version of Adrenalin & had the card now for over 18 months. There are versions of Adrenalin package that work well with my usage so I stuck with them despite WHQL releasing updated versions - like the old saying goes "it if ain't broke, why fix it" works here like a treat!

Sure, I get the prompt inside the Adrenalin UI to upgrade the driver package, but if all is working well with my usage model on the computer, then I ignore the prompt & go about my business.
So perhaps, & this only a suggestion, is to upgrade your OS to win 11 pro, you can get a cheap key for it from one of the sponsored advertisers here at TPU. This way if you want to stick to particular version of Adrenalin you can easily do it without hacking the registry or using 3rd party tools.

 

[67Elco]

I can only offer advice for win 11 pro & my experience with an RX 6800 XT card.

Never had the problem your describing in your OP with any version of Adrenalin & had the card now for over 18 months. There are versions of Adrenalin package that work well with my usage so I stuck with them despite WHQL releasing updated versions - like the old saying goes "it if ain't broke, why fix it" works here like a treat!

Sure, I get the prompt inside the Adrenalin UI to upgrade the driver package, but if all is working well with my usage model on the computer, then I ignore the prompt & go about my business.
So perhaps, & this only a suggestion, is to upgrade your OS to win 11 pro, you can get a cheap key for it from one of the sponsored advertisers here at TPU. This way if you want to stick to particular version of Adrenalin you can easily do it without hacking the registry or using 3rd party tools.

I have the same card. Do you by any chance leave the "zero fan" checked or have you viewed the settings lately? Don't know why, but the settings would never stick for me.

 

[Beginner Macro Device]

Check Reliability Monitor in Windows if there are any "Windows was not properly shut down" errors

There is none and there could be none because I didn't shut this PC down.

 

[Princess Garnet]

Go to the "Device Manager". Click the arrow next to "Display Adapters", then right-click your graphics card, and click "Properties".

A small window will be opened. Click the "Driver" tab, and click "Roll Back Driver". That will cause Windows to switch back to the version that YOU installed, right BEFORE it automatically switched to the new version.

I think enough time has passed since I tried this to claim this was a workaround, since Windows hasn't updated Adrenalin on me since then.

So for now I have a solution. I don't know how long it will stay this way, but hopefully it doesn't need to be a long term solution because hopefully AMD's future drivers don't have the issues I had while trying 23.12.1. I think 24.1.1 comes out later this month and I might try that.