Windows Update Will Soon Revert Problematic Drivers Automatically

Windows 11 users are unhappy at the moment for several reasons, but Microsoft is doing something to fix an issue with updates. The company just launched “cloud-initiated driver recovery” (let’s call it CIDR) for Windows Update, a system that will restore faulty drivers found during the company’s evaluation process, without any user intervention required.

Microsoft noted that faulty drivers installed via Windows Update can currently only be addressed by its partners or the end user, which is obviously not ideal. “With [CIDR]Microsoft can now initiate a recovery action directly from the Hardware Dev Center (HDC), rolling back a problematic driver to the correct version previously known through the Windows Update pipeline,” the company said. “Partners are not required to take any action. Microsoft manages end-to-end recovery.”

Driver updates for certain hardware such as GPUs have been causing problems with Windows Updates for years, with the NVIDIA driver error “Nvlddmkm.sys” being one of the most famous examples. Microsoft’s CIDR system is expected to help with this to some extent and is expected to begin rolling out gradually in September. Microsoft also gives users more control over updates, allowing you to pause and skip updates and shut down or restart your PC without needing to install them.

At the same time, Microsoft is trying to ensure that such driver problems don’t happen in the first place with its new Driver Quality Initiative (DQI). At its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC 2026), the company said it was “investing heavily” in hardening kernel-mode drivers for increased security, reliability, and resiliency. This also introduces stricter partner verification for trusted drivers, improving lifecycle management and expanding quality metrics.