Microsoft introduces tighter driver controls - ending years of silent battery drain

Microsoft has acknowledged that faulty third‑party drivers have been silently draining Windows laptop batteries and degrading performance for years. At WinHEC 2026, the company announced a major overhaul of its driver evaluation process, shifting from focusing solely on crash stability to also measuring power consumption, heat output, and real‑world performance impact. Some drivers prevented laptops from entering low‑power standby, causing unexpected battery depletion. Microsoft will now test drivers more aggressively, block problematic versions, and introduce automatic rollback through Windows Update to prevent future issues.

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