Microsoft extends Graphics Driver evaluations (to improve driver quality)

Martin Brinkmann
May 28, 2020
Windows, Windows 10
|
4

Graphics drivers are a common cause for crashes and other issues on Windows systems. Microsoft uses a system that evaluates graphics drivers, e.g. by measuring crashes and hangs in games, to determine whether the driver should be rejected or pulled.

Microsoft uses the data to determine whether a system should be offered a new feature update version of Windows 10, among other things. The issues list of the recently released Windows 10 version 2004 version of Windows 10 has two driver related issues, one of which blocks the update from being offered on the device.

nvidia driver 430.64

Microsoft's Windows graphics team has developed three new measures that will be integrated in the evaluation of graphics drivers from June 29, 2020 on. Two of the measures look at crashes in hangs in applications, and the third one at rollbacks of drivers,

The first one analyses the number of user mode crashes in the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser. It measures how often Microsoft Edge crashes because of the graphics driver and puts this in relation to all devices with that particular driver.

Microsoft looks at seven day periods and a minimum population of 30,000 hours of Microsoft Edge Chromium runtime. The calculation is: Crashes in Edge Chromium Normalized by Usage=Total Edge Chromium Crashes / Runtime in Years. The driver fails the test if that result exceeds 1.

The second measure uses a similar method as the first but instead of looking at Microsoft Edge crashes, it is looking at crashes in communication and collaboration applications.

Microsoft uses the following applications for the measure:

  • MICROSOFT.SKYPEAPP
  • DISCORD.EXE
  • SKYPE.EXE
  • TEAMVIEWER.EXE
  • LYNC.EXE
  • WECHAT.EXE
  • QQ.EXE
  • SLACK.EXE
  • KAKAOTALK.EXE
  • ZOOM.EXE
  • ZOOM
  • WHATSAPP.EXE
  • LINE.EXE
  • YOUCAMSERVICE.EXE
  • TELEGRAM.EXE
  • VIBER.EXE
  • MICROSOFT.SKYPEROOMSYSTEM

Minimum population is set to 10,000 hours of Communication and Collaboration Application runtime and the period is set to seven days again. The final calculation is Crashes in Communication and Collaboration Applications normalized by usage in years=Total Crashes in Communication and Collaboration Applications / Runtime in Years. The driver fails the test if the result exceeds 1.

The third and final measure analyzes driver rollbacks or re-installation in the first two days of installation. The minimum population is set to 5,000 devices and a seven day period. The driver fails the test if there are more than 10 rollbacks per 10,000 devices with the driver.

Closing Words

Microsoft started to work on improving drivers on the company's Windows operating system in recent time and the new graphics drivers measures extend that further (it claimed in 2018 that graphics driver quality was better than ever). The company introduced an option for its hardware partners recently that allows them to request Windows Update blocks for certain drivers.

Now You: How is your recent experience with drivers on Windows?

Summary
Microsoft extends Graphics Driver evaluations (to improve driver quality)
Article Name
Microsoft extends Graphics Driver evaluations (to improve driver quality)
Description
Microsoft's Windows graphics team has developed three new measures that will be integrated in the evaluation of graphics drivers from June 29, 2020 on.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Dan Donx said on January 15, 2023 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?

    Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.

    If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.

  2. Dexter said on January 15, 2023 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    5. Rufus
    6. Ventoy

    PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.

    1. cdr said on January 15, 2023 at 3:32 pm
      Reply

      I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.

  3. sv said on January 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm
    Reply

    bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.

    ps…. time travelling?
    written. Jan 15, 2023
    Updated • Jan 13, 2023

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2023 at 5:49 am
      Reply

      This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.

  4. Anonymous said on January 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.

  5. basingstoke said on January 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:

    1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)

    2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)

    3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””

    4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows

    5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss

    Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:

    6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now

    Have I missed any group off this list?

    1. Heinz Strunk said on September 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm
      Reply

      You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.

      Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.

  6. ilev said on August 24, 2023 at 7:34 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update

    1. EP said on August 24, 2023 at 9:21 pm
      Reply

      only from windows update though
      KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site

  7. Anonymous said on August 24, 2023 at 11:05 pm
    Reply

    1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.

    2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.

    3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.

    This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
    Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.

    Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.

  8. john said on August 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.

    1. John G. said on August 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.

  9. EP said on August 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215

  10. EP said on August 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    check out the following recent articles:

    Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
    https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/

    BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/

  11. Leonard Britvolli said on August 30, 2023 at 10:33 pm
    Reply

    While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.

  12. sembrador said on September 5, 2023 at 9:32 pm
    Reply

    My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.

  13. EP said on September 6, 2023 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):

    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277

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