Does it update drivers?

I’ve got a recurring problem with a USB audio interface. Occasionally the sound will be slightly distorted. So I’ll pull the USB cable and re-insert. About 10% of the time this will fix the issue. But usually, the system will freeze, display a BSOD (Your PC ran into a problem… ), display an error code (DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION) and reboot. After which, the audio will be clean.
I’ve since discovered I can avoid the crash by disabling the device in Device Manager, re-inserting the cable, and then re-enabling it. There is no system-tray thingy.

I’ve been trying to troubleshoot this for a while. And recently I had a catastrophic failure that required reinstalling Windows. Now with a fresh install, the Audio Interface worked fine for quite a while with it’s Vendor-supplied drivers. Until I started updating Windows. As there was a lot of updates, I knew one of the ‘KB546534 etc’ was causing the issue, but don’t know how to find out which one. And there’s loads of them.

One idea I had is that Windows update might be replacing the vendor drivers with its own. Does it do that? Any value in exploring this? I know this is a pretty geeky question but you never know…

Cheers.

Nope, it won’t replace but it might have drivers for it (win 10 just downloaded mine on the last build) also the fix that was causing the issue may have been patched and fixed there. Or there was something else causing it – have the problems come back?
Try putting onto Google the error code and the audio hardware name to see if anyone else has the same problem with it

As mike says. Most of the time my family members ask me to help out with Windows stuff its driver issues. Often not all Microsoft problem but hardware supplier doesn’t keep stuff updated for changes to Windows (ie its possible for windows updates to break things)

Recent update messed up my wireless so had to reinstall the drivers.

One idea I had is that Windows update might be replacing the vendor drivers with its own. Does it do that?

Yes. I had a lot of problems with a graphics driver when Win10 first came out. Solution was to manually reinstall the one from Intel whenever Windows updated it. Problem stopped after MS released the next version of Win10.

Thanks chaps. I’m on W8.1 btw. Which I hate. Would rather have 7 or even XP.

I’ve googled the error code and the interface (focusrite saffire) and there are people who’ve had the same problem. But the solutions always end with identifying that it is the focusrite’s drivers not being compatible with later Windows and to just ‘get a new interface’. I’d rather ‘get a new operating system’ cos I know it can work because it’s fine until an update knocks it out. What’s the procedure for identifying a problem, or at least – specific update?

Or; I wonder what will happen if I uninstall the vendor drivers and let Windows supply its own? If it even has them… might try that.

run gpedit.msc

In computer configuration browse to admin templates – windows components – windows updates. There you will find a setting to not include drivers with updates, enable that setting.

Then re-install the manufacturers driver and it should not be replaced by windows update.

It could mean in future that you miss out on other driver updates that are a good idea, so if it doesn’t make any difference reverse the change.

Cool. Thanks MSP!