I've been dutifully updating the Controller Editor, just to make the notifications go away in the SC. I don't need the software, but figured what the heck. Can't do any harm, right?
Then I noticed that it installs a Windows service (NIHardwareService) that starts up by default. I don't like unnecessary services, so I killed it and set it to Manual. But on the next CE update, durned if it didn't go behind my back and start that sucker up again, putting it back to Automatic.