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NVIDIA Driver Updates on Windows Server 2019 Without the NVIDIA App

NVIDIA driver updates On Windows Server 2019 may refuse to install the current NVIDIA App. Even when the NVIDIA display driver itself works correctly. This article documents a practical alternative for a server equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti: manually install NVIDIA drivers, use a PowerShell script to check for updates, and run that check automatically once per week with Windows Task Scheduler.

System Used for This Procedure

  • Operating system: Windows Server 2019
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
  • Installed driver at the start of this procedure: 610.47
  • Windows driver version: 32.0.16.1047
  • Driver model: WDDM
  • VRAM: 6 GB

The installed NVIDIA driver was verified with:

nvidia-smi

and:

wmic path win32_VideoController get Name,DriverVersion

The important observation was that the GTX 1660 Ti driver was operating normally under Windows Server 2019 even though the NVIDIA App itself would not install.

Why the NVIDIA App Is Not Required

For this server, the primary reason for using the NVIDIA App would have been automatic driver update notifications. The display driver itself can be installed independently, so the simplest solution is to bypass the NVIDIA App entirely and manage driver updates manually.

Recording and overlay functions can also be handled separately. For example, OBS Studio can use the GTX 1660 Ti hardware NVENC encoder for efficient video recording without depending on the NVIDIA App.

PowerShell Driver Update Checker

A PowerShell script was created to query NVIDIA for the current GeForce Game Ready Driver for the GTX 1660 Ti and compare it with the locally installed version.

The final checker:

  • Uses nvidia-smi to identify the installed GPU and driver version.
  • Verifies that the detected GPU is a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
  • Queries NVIDIA’s GTX 1660 Ti Windows driver search results.
  • Reads the newest GeForce Game Ready Driver result.
  • Compares the available driver version with the installed version.
  • Does not download or install anything automatically.
  • Can optionally write its result to a log file.

The script was stored as:

D:\ProgramData\Scripts\Check-NvidiaDriver-v2.ps1

A typical result looked like this:

NVIDIA Driver Update Check
--------------------------
GPU:               NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Installed driver:  610.47
Latest NVIDIA GRD: 616.92 (September 9, 2026)

*** NVIDIA DRIVER UPDATE AVAILABLE ***
Installed: 610.47
Available: 616.92 (September 9, 2026)
NVIDIA page: https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/278453/en-us

Driver Checker Exit Codes

The checker uses simple exit codes so that it can be integrated with Task Scheduler:

0 = Driver is current, or installed version is newer
1 = Newer driver is available
2 = Unable to determine installed NVIDIA driver or GPU
3 = Unable to query or parse NVIDIA driver information
4 = Detected GPU is not the expected GTX 1660 Ti

Weekly Notification Script

A wrapper script was added so that the weekly check remains silent when no action is needed but displays a notification when a new driver is available.

The notification script was stored as:

D:\ProgramData\Scripts\Check-NvidiaDriver-Notify.ps1

Its behavior is:

  • If the driver is current, no popup appears.
  • If a newer driver is available, an interactive notification window appears.
  • If the NVIDIA query fails, a warning is displayed.
  • If nvidia-smi fails or the wrong GPU is detected, a warning is displayed.

The improved notification uses a Windows Forms dialog rather than a standard MessageBox. This allows the notification to include a working link labeled:

Open NVIDIA Driver Page

Clicking that link opens the exact NVIDIA driver result page returned by the checker.

Logging

The scheduled checker also writes status information to:

D:\ProgramData\Scripts\nvidia-driver-check.log

Creating the Weekly Scheduled Task

An installation script was created to register the weekly Windows Scheduled Task:

D:\ProgramData\Scripts\Install-NvidiaDriverCheckTask.ps1

The task was configured as:

  • Task name: NVIDIA Driver Update Check
  • Schedule: Every Sunday at 9:00 AM
  • User: Current Administrator account
  • Privilege level: Highest
  • Run only while the user is logged on

The task is intentionally configured to run only while the Administrator user is logged on. This is necessary because Windows cannot display an interactive desktop popup from a normal non-interactive SYSTEM session.

PowerShell Execution Policy

On a system configured to require signed PowerShell scripts, an unsigned local script may fail with an error similar to:

The file cannot be loaded because it is not digitally signed.

The safest temporary workaround is to bypass the policy only for that one invocation:

powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Install-NvidiaDriverCheckTask.ps1

Alternatively, the bypass can be limited to the current PowerShell process:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass

If the scripts were downloaded through a browser, Windows may also attach a Mark-of-the-Web zone identifier. It can be removed with:

Unblock-File .\Check-NvidiaDriver-v2.ps1
Unblock-File .\Check-NvidiaDriver-Notify.ps1
Unblock-File .\Install-NvidiaDriverCheckTask.ps1

The effective PowerShell policies can be reviewed with:

Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

Testing the Scheduled Task

The weekly task can be tested immediately with:

Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName "NVIDIA Driver Update Check"

The last task status can be inspected with:

Get-ScheduledTaskInfo -TaskName "NVIDIA Driver Update Check"

Because exit code 1 intentionally means that a driver update is available, Task Scheduler may display a non-zero last result even though the checker itself is functioning correctly.

Recommended Manual NVIDIA Driver Installation

For Windows Server 2019 with a GTX 1660 Ti, the recommended method is to install the standalone NVIDIA driver package manually rather than attempting to install the NVIDIA App.

Before beginning:

  • Keep a copy of the currently working driver installer for rollback.
  • Do not uninstall the existing driver first for a routine upgrade.
  • Do not use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) unless the normal installation or rollback process fails.
  • If possible, have local console access available rather than relying exclusively on RDP during the update.

Installation Procedure

  1. Download the new driver directly from the NVIDIA driver page reported by the checker.
  2. Right-click the downloaded NVIDIA installer and choose Run as administrator.
  3. Select the option to install the NVIDIA graphics driver.
  4. Choose Custom (Advanced) installation.
  5. Select only the NVIDIA components actually required.

A sensible component selection for this server is:

Graphics Driver          YES
HD Audio Driver          YES, if HDMI or DisplayPort audio is used
PhysX System Software    YES, if offered
NVIDIA App               NO
USB-C Driver             NO, unless required by the hardware

For the first upgrade from a known-good driver, leave:

Perform a clean installation

unchecked.

A clean installation resets NVIDIA profiles and removes previous driver configuration. That is unnecessary when the existing driver is already stable and functioning correctly.

Antivirus Consideration

If endpoint security software interferes with the driver installation, temporarily pause its real-time protection only for the duration of the driver setup, then immediately re-enable protection afterward.

On systems using Bitdefender, this may help prevent the security software from blocking temporary installer activity.

Reboot and Verification

After the NVIDIA driver installation completes, reboot Windows Server 2019.

Then verify the installed driver with:

nvidia-smi

For a successful upgrade to version 616.92, the output should report:

Driver Version: 616.92

Also verify:

  • The GTX 1660 Ti appears normally in Device Manager.
  • There are no warning symbols on the display adapter.
  • The NVIDIA driver is running in WDDM mode.
  • Normal display acceleration works.
  • RDP and local console sessions behave normally.

Rollback Procedure

If the new driver causes problems, the first rollback method should be:

Device Manager
  → Display adapters
    → NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
      → Properties
        → Driver
          → Roll Back Driver

If the Roll Back Driver option is not available, manually reinstall the previously saved NVIDIA driver package.

Only move to a full clean-install or DDU procedure if the normal installer becomes corrupted or refuses to downgrade.

Recommended Final Configuration

For this Windows Server 2019 system, the cleanest NVIDIA maintenance configuration is:

GTX 1660 Ti
    ↓
Standalone NVIDIA graphics driver
    ↓
NVIDIA Control Panel
    ↓
Weekly PowerShell driver check
    ↓
Windows Task Scheduler notification
    ↓
Manual driver installation when desired

For screen or game recording, OBS Studio with NVIDIA NVENC can be used independently of the NVIDIA App.

NVIDIA Driver Updates Conclusion

Windows Server 2019 does not need the NVIDIA App in order to operate a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti successfully. The display driver can continue to be managed manually, while a small PowerShell-based monitoring system restores the useful driver-notification function that would otherwise be provided by the NVIDIA App.

This approach has several advantages: the server remains under administrator control, no driver is installed automatically, only relevant updates generate notifications, and rollback remains straightforward if a new NVIDIA release causes problems.