Update drivers in Windows 10

Before you begin

Driver updates for Windows 10, along with many devices, such as network adapters, monitors, printers, and video cards, are automatically downloaded and installed through Windows Update. You probably already have the most recent drivers, but if you’d like to manually update or reinstall a driver, here’s how:

Update the device driver

In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, then select Device Manager.

Select a category to see names of devices, then right-click (or press and hold) the one you’d like to update.

Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

Select Update Driver.

If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, you can try looking for one on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions.

Reinstall the device driver

In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, then select Device Manager.

Right-click (or press and hold) the name of the device, and select Uninstall.

Restart your PC.

Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.

More help

If you can’t see the desktop and instead see a blue, black, or blank screen, see Troubleshoot blue screen errors or Troubleshoot black or blank screen errors.

How to properly update device drivers on Windows 10

Source: Windows Central

On Windows 10, a device driver is an essential piece of code, which allows the system to interact with a specific hardware (such as graphics card, storage driver, network adapter, Bluetooth, etc.), as well as peripherals, including mice, keyboards, printers, monitors, and many others.

Usually, the detection and installation of device drivers happen automatically using the built-in driver library and the Windows Update service. However, sometimes, you may still need to update some devices manually for a number of reasons. For example, when Windows 10 cannot recognize a component. The device stops working after an upgrade. Windows Update installs a generic package, or you have to apply a critical fix or access a new feature quickly.

Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 10 comes with several options to manually update a device driver, including using Windows Update, Device Manager, and auto-update assistants from device manufacturers.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through three different methods to properly update hardware drivers on your computer. Also, we outline the steps to determine if the driver was updated successfully.

How to update drivers on Windows 10 using Windows Update

Usually, it takes time for manufacturers to make newer drivers available through Windows Update. However, it’s still the best option to download and install drivers manually. The reason is that only the packages compatible with your system configuration will be listed on this page, minimizing the chances of adding the wrong update. Also, the drivers in this channel have been tested, verified, and signed by Microsoft.

To quickly update device drivers using Windows Update, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.
4. Click the Check for updates button (if applicable).

Click the View optional updates option.

Source: Windows Central

Select the driver you want to update.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Download and install button.

Once you complete the steps, the newer driver will download and install automatically on your device.

If the «View optional updates» link is not available after checking for updates, then Windows Update doesn’t have any new drivers or any update for other products at that particular time.

How to update drivers on Windows 10 using Device Manager

Alternatively, you can also update drivers for a printer, wireless adapter, monitor, and other components using Device Manager.

If the driver isn’t available on Windows Update because it’s too recent or available only in beta, you will have to download and install the package from the manufacturer’s support website manually.

Usually, when downloading an update from the manufacturer, you should always use their instructions first. If the support website doesn’t offer any assistance, then double-click the installer and continue with the on-screen directions to complete the update.

In the case that you’re dealing with a self-extracting package, double-click the file to extract its content. Or use this guide to extract the content of the «.zip» compressed file, and then continue with these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Double-click the branch with the hardware you want to update.

Right-click the hardware and select the Update driver option.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Browse my computer for driver software option.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Browse button.

Source: Windows Central

Select the folder with the extracted driver files.

Click the OK button.

Check the Include subfolders option to allow the wizard to find the correct «.inf» file that includes the instructions to update the driver.

Click the Next button.

After you complete the steps, the wizard will scan, detect, and install the newer driver on your device to improve the overall experience and support with fixes and new features.

While you can manually update a component using this method, typically, you would use these steps to update the controllers for an older piece of hardware. In the case that you want to install an old printer, you can use these steps.

Historically, you could also use Device Manager to download drivers directly from the Windows Update service. However, it’s no longer possible since Microsoft has removed the option from Device Manager during a quality update released for the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. As a result, moving forward, when a new driver update is detected on your computer, it’ll appear automatically in the Windows Update settings, more specifically, inside the optional updates page.

How to update graphics drivers on Windows 10

Typically, if the graphics card is working, it’s never a good idea to update its driver. However, graphics card manufacturers are known to rollout updates periodically to improve the experience, support, fix bugs, and add more functionalities, especially for games.

If you have to be on the most recent version of the graphics driver, instead of waiting for it to arrive through Windows Update, you can use the graphics control panel available from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel to download and install the latest updates.

You can use the links below to download the software for the brand you’re using:

After you download the app, installing it should be as easy as double-clicking the installers and going through the usual next, next, next wizard. Once you’re in the control panel, you can click the check for updates button from the driver’s section to download and install the latest driver.

Source: Windows Central

Download graphics driver manually

In the case that you don’t want to install another piece of software, you should be able to download the latest graphics driver directly from the manufacturer’s support website.

The list below includes the links to download the latest update for your graphics card directly from your manufacturer support website:

Once you downloaded the package, use the manufacturer instructions to complete the update installation. If no instructions are available, usually, you only need to launch the installer, go trough a couple of clicks, and the wizard will remove the old driver and replace it with the new version automatically.

In the case that you’re dealing with .zip or a self-extracting package, you can refer to our previous steps to complete the driver installation using Device Manager.

Download graphics driver automatically

Alternatively, if you don’t know the brand and model of the video card, some manufacturers often provide a tool to detect the driver you need automatically.

You can use the links below to download and run the auto-detect and install driver assistant for your computer:

While on the website, download the assistant, then double-click the executable, and continue with the on-screen directions to complete the driver update.

If you’re using an OEM device (such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, etc.), consider that many manufacturers (especially Intel) modify their drivers to limit, expand, or optimize the functionalities of the integrated graphics card. This means that if you have a branded device, it’s always recommended to download the latest updates from the computer manufacturer support website instead of Intel. Otherwise, your device might experience unexpected behaviors, missing configurations, or you may not be able to access all the features.

You may also be able to check the device model and brand using Device Manager with these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Expand the Display adapters branch.

Confirm the brand and model of the graphics card.

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, you can use the information to download the correct driver update for your computer. If the information isn’t available, then you may have to use one of the available tools from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel to detect the driver you need. Or you could also consult your device manual to determine the hardware configuration to find the correct driver update.

How to determine if a driver updated successfully on Windows 10

Once the update has been applied, you may want to confirm that the latest version was installed correctly using Device Manager.

To see the current driver version details on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Expand the branch with the hardware you updated.

Right-click the hardware and select the Properties option.

Source: Windows Central

Confirm the «Driver Date» and «Driver Version» information.

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, if these details match the manufacturer’s support website’s information, then the device has the latest version of the driver on Windows 10.

If the driver didn’t update correctly, repeat the steps one more time. If you continue with the same problem, make sure to ask for help in the Windows Central forums.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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How to update drivers in Windows 10 [Full Guide]

• Drivers are an essential part of every Windows ecosystem and you need to keep them updated.
• Doing so isn’t a complicated task. Quite the opposite, just refer to our below tips in that regard.
• Driver updates are important for your PC’s safety. So, go to our Update & Security section for a plethora of articles on this subject.
• Moreover, bookmark this Tech Tutorials Hub for those times when help will be required again.

1. Download DriverFix now for free (secured download)
2. Launch the program and press the Scan icon
3. Wait for the scan to finish and start installing the needed drivers

• DriverFix has been successfuly downloaded by 0 readers this month.

Drivers are an essential part of every Windows ecosystem. Without these invisible software packages, you basically can’t run your hardware as intended.

Thus, keeping them up to date is of essential value for all Windows users, both home users and professionals.

Every piece of hardware requires a proper driver to work correctly because drivers are the soul of every computer.

If a particular component of your computer is missing or has an outdated driver, various problems may occur.

For example, if your graphics card is missing a driver, you’ll have display problems, if your sound card is missing a driver, you won’t hear any sound on your computer, and so on.

Keeping all your drivers up to date is essential for your computer to work properly. But in Windows 10, keeping your drivers updated is slightly harder than it used to be in previous versions of the OS.

You probably know that Microsoft imagined Windows 10 as a service. This means we won’t get a new version of Windows in the future, but just bigger updates for the current version.

The problem with these updates is that some of them can make your drivers outdated or even incompatible.

In that manner, it is highly recommended to check all your drivers after installing a major update for Windows 10.

Because, as we said, if an update makes your drivers outdated or incompatible, you may face some major problems.

There are a couple of ways to check for drivers update, and each method is quite simple. So, if you still haven’t, do your computer a favor, and update all your drivers to the latest versions.

How can I update drivers in Windows 10?

1. Install dedicated driver downloading software

There are various third-party tools that you can use to automatically install the latest drivers on your Windows 10 computer. DriverFix is one of the most efficient options to take into consideration.

You need to know from the start that it makes updating drivers simple even for newbies. More precisely, the tool runs automatically to find outdated drivers.

When new updates appear, easily grab them from inside the program’s database and skip the trouble of downloading them manually.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

Plus, backups of your computer’s system files and settings are always created before important changes are made. If something happens to go wrong, rest assured that you’ve got no reasons to worry about.

DriverFix

2. Use Windows Update

Microsoft has some sort of partnership with bigger hardware manufacturers like Intel, Nvidia, AMD, etc. Therefore, these companies regularly release driver updates for their components via Windows Update.

So, if you’re rocking a newer NVidia or ATI graphics card, all you need to do to keep your drivers up to date is to regularly check for Windows updates.

You probably already know how to check for updates in Windows 10, but it won’t hurt if we remind you once again.

To check for updates, go to the Settings app > Updates & security, and just check for updates. This way, you’ll keep all your drivers updated, and install all the other Windows 10 updates available too.

3. Use Device Manager

1. Go to Search, type devicemng, and open Device Manager.
2. You’ll now see the list of all your hardware listed in Device Manager.
3. To check for driver updates for any component, just right-click on it, and choose to Update driver software.
4. If a driver update is available, the wizard will automatically install it, if not, your driver is already up to date.

As we said, this is the most popular method of checking for driver updates in Windows 10.

In case you don’t receive your driver updates via Windows Update, the most common way to check for driver updates is with the Device Manager.

It might take some time to check every single driver manually, but you can solve a lot of problems by doing that. To check for driver updates in Device Manager, do as described above.

4. Update your drivers from the manufacturer’s website

You can also download drivers manually from the manufacturer’s website, in case the Device Manager fails to find any updates for your drivers.

Here are the official driver download links for the most common drivers used on Windows PCs:

There are a few more ways to update your computer’s drivers, but those we listed above are the best.

You’ll also stumble upon a few more programs that offer you scanning for driver changes, and automatically installing updates.

However, we don’t recommend using all these programs, because not all of them guarantee the most accurate results.

Do not hesitate to refer to our above tips and update drivers in Windows 10 in no time. Let us know how the procedure went for you in the comments area below.