Windows 10 updates have a bad reputation And today's story of a Windows Update failure is a reminder of how this reputation has undoubtedly been earned

The latest from Windows reports that the Windows Update app was pushing incorrect drivers This includes drivers that date from 1968, including one named "INTEL - System" Fortunately, if you have already installed this update, you are not out of luck

Drivers are what allow the operating system to communicate properly with all of its components Using the wrong driver can result in poor system performance, glitches, and other potentially dangerous situations

The drivers we will cover today are delivered to your system through the "Optional Updates" section, which was reinstated in August 2020 This new section of Windows Update is a critical update to your system that Microsoft considers necessary to install immediately It separates between programs and updates that are not essential

The report does not say what the problem is with installing these updates, but it is hard to imagine that there is any good that can come from applying software updates in the last century and downgrading parts of the system in the process

Redditor pjetr2020 posted the following screenshot as an example:

All this gives a valuable lesson: always look twice before installing system updates Microsoft is a reputable source, but mistakes like this happen and should not ruin your computing experience

This is part of the reason I tell my relatives to avoid unnecessary new system updates Unless it's a security or privacy update, it's better to let others test it than to risk the stability of your own system

To check if you have installed these bad drivers, open "Settings", click "Update and Security", tap "Windows Update" and select "View Update History" 1968 Intel - Uninstalling System Drivers You will not be able to

The good news is that Microsoft has removed the "Intel - System" driver Nevertheless, this is a lesson for all users, and we recommend that you inspect the updates you accept before clicking download

Annoyingly, those who tend to download every update available will be downgraded to an older version and Windows Update will give you no way out

Instead, the easiest option is to find the device manufacturer's website and find the correct new drivers

Our sister site TechRadar has a solution for slightly more experienced users with administrator privileges on the system in question In Device Manager, find the device associated with the driver in question, select the Properties menu, select Driver Taps, and click Rollback Driver