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Hardware Errors

NPU Errors

NPU utilization not visible in Windows Task Manager when running on WebNN NPU

Problem

NPU (Neural Processing Unit) utilization does not appear in Windows Task Manager when running WebNN applications on NPU, e.g. Whisper Base on NPU , even after updating to the latest NPU driver.

Cause

Windows may automatically revert NPU and GPU drivers to previous versions through Windows Update, particularly on OEM devices (Lenovo, ASUS, Dell, HP, etc.). This typically occurs when:

  • The newly installed driver is not WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs)  certified
  • Windows determines the driver is incompatible or unstable
  • The driver has not passed the OEM manufacturer’s validation process

This behavior affects both Neural Processor (NPU, Intel AI Boost) and Graphics drivers.

Solution

To maintain your preferred NPU driver version, you need to disable automatic driver updates in Windows and then reinstall the desired driver.

Method 1: Disable via System Settings
  1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter
  2. Navigate to the Hardware tab
  3. Click Device Installation Settings
  4. Select No (your device might not work as expected)
  5. Click Save Changes
Method 2: Use Group Policy Editor

Note: Group Policy Editor is only available in Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

  1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter
  2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update
  3. Double-click Do not include drivers with Windows Updates
  4. Select Enabled
  5. Click Apply, then OK
Reinstalling the NPU driver

After disabling automatic driver updates:

  1. Download the latest Intel Graphics  and NPU  driver from Intel’s official driver download page 
  2. Install the driver manually following Intel’s installation instructions
  3. Verify the installation in Device Manager

Do not choose the clean install option if the issue still occurs

The driver should now persist across system restarts and Windows Updates.

Alternative: Using WebNN with default drivers and launch browser with switch --disable_webnn_for_npu=0

In many cases, WebNN NPU functionality works with the default OEM-provided drivers that come with Windows Update.

If stability is more important than having the absolute latest driver version, consider using the Windows-provided driver instead of manually updating, launch browser with switch --disable_webnn_for_npu=0 to enable WebNN NPU functionality in Chrome or Edge.

"%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome SxS\Application\chrome.exe" --disable_webnn_for_npu=0
"%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge SxS\Application\msedge.exe" --disable_webnn_for_npu=0

See also

GPU Errors

Graphics driver rollbacks affecting WebNN GPU performance

Problem

Windows Update automatically reverts graphics drivers to previous versions, preventing WebNN from achieving optimal GPU performance.

Solution

Refer to NPU solution

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