Whenever you plug a new piece of hardware into a Windows 11 PC—like a printer, a gaming mouse, or a graphics card—Windows doesn’t just download the basic driver required to make it work. By default, it also automatically downloads and installs massive “companion apps” provided by the manufacturer. This is why plugging in an HP printer often results in the sudden, silent installation of a 300MB “HP Smart” control center.
If you prefer a clean, bloat-free operating system and only want the bare-minimum drivers necessary to use your hardware, these automatic background installations are incredibly frustrating. You can dive into the legacy Windows settings to block Microsoft from automatically downloading these manufacturer applications.
How to Turn Off Automatic Manufacturer App Downloads
You must change your Device Installation Settings using the classic Control Panel architecture.
- Click the Start button, type Change device installation settings, and press Enter. (Alternatively, open the classic Control Panel, go to System and Security > System > Advanced system settings > Hardware tab > Device Installation Settings).
- A small dialogue box will appear asking, “Do you want to automatically download manufacturers’ apps and custom icons available for your devices?”
- By default, “Yes (recommended)” is selected. Click the radio button next to No (your device might not work as expected).
- Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the window.
- If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to confirm the change.
Windows 11 will still automatically download basic driver files so your mouse, keyboard, and printer function correctly, but it will no longer pull down massive, bloated control panel suites. If you ever need the manufacturer’s software to configure RGB lighting or check ink levels, you will have to manually download it from their website.