Windows Driver Update Automation

Problem Overview

Keeping Windows drivers up to date can be tedious if you’re doing it manually or relying on native Windows Update’s limited driver catalog. Outdated drivers can cause performance issues and security vulnerabilities, especially for core components like network adapters and graphics cards. This Automation simplifies the process by letting you manage driver updates on your own schedule—complete with a configurable delay period for testing and stability assurance.

Description

Windows Driver Update Automation taps into Windows Update to discover and install available driver updates, ensuring your devices remain in peak condition. You can run it manually or set it to execute monthly, weekly, or at any frequency you choose. Built-in delay days let you postpone driver installations for a set period—giving you time to test new drivers on a pilot group before applying them across the board. If an update fails, the Automation retries. Should it fail multiple times, you’ll get an alert labeled “Driver Update Failed,” allowing you to quickly identify and troubleshoot problematic drivers.

Use Cases

• Monthly or Quarterly Driver Maintenance
• Staggered Rollouts for Testing (e.g., update a pilot device group first)
• Preventing Compatibility Issues by postponing updates until you’re confident in driver stability
• Automatic Retry for occasional transient network or system errors
• Alert-Driven Oversight if updates fail after multiple attempts

Recommendations

• Set Up Scheduling: Review your existing maintenance windows and decide on a weekly or monthly update schedule that minimizes user disruption.
• Adjust Delay for Stability: Use the built-in delay feature to avoid immediate patch deployment, giving you time to confirm stability in test environments.
• Pilot New Drivers: Use the delay feature to test critical driver updates (e.g., GPU drivers) on a small group of endpoints first.
• Pair with Reboot Automation: Some drivers require a reboot. Consider using our “Ask User to Reboot” Automation to coordinate restarts.
• Stay Current with Hardware Vendor Info: Monitor vendor advisories or release notes for known issues or important updates.
• Monitor Alerts: Keep an eye on notifications for any patch failures—so you can address issues promptly.

FAQ

• Is coding required to set up or modify the Automation?No. This Automation relies on Level’s built-in actions, eliminating the need for custom scripts.
• How do I schedule it?You can adjust the schedule within Level—e.g., monthly on the last Sunday at midnight, or any time that fits your environment’s maintenance window.
• What happens if a driver update fails?The Automation retries multiple times. If it fails, an alert notifies you with “Driver Update Failed” so you can investigate.
• Why use delay days for drivers?Delaying gives you time to test specific drivers before rolling them out broadly, reducing the risk of system instability or performance issues.
• Does the Automation handle reboots?It doesn’t automatically reboot endpoints. To manage restarts, pair this with the “Ask User to Reboot” Automation or your own reboot policy.