Update Drivers in Windows 10. Easily!

Need to update your drivers? It’s probably easier than it sounds.

You can do it manually or automatically.

We’ll walk you through the steps for each.

If you decide to update your drivers manually, you can follow the steps below to install your drivers on Windows 10.

Top Tip: If you’re not overly tech savvy, or you’re short on time and patience, you can upgrade to Driver Fix Pro version, which allows you to update all your drivers with just one-click. It’s the easiest option.

After reaching the DriverFix’s download folder, find the driver you are manually installing and extract its files.

There are two options to extract files:

Option 1 — Extracting using the Driver’s extractor

On this option you need to press on the driver’s extractor and follow the instructions, the extractor will automatically extract your files to the location of your choosing and open the installer for you. After the installer is open, you can skip step 3 and continue to step 4.

If the automatic extractor didn’t open the driver’s installer, follow Step 3

Option 2 — Extract files manually and open installer

On this option you need to extract the files manually.

You can use windows file extractor tool or use other extractor tools.

In any case, just right click on the rar/zip file and choose «Extract all» or «Extract files», depending on the tool you are using.

Next, choose where you want to extract the files and extract the driver’s files.

After extracting your files manually (or if the auto extractor didn’t open the installer for you), you’ll need to open the driver’s installer.

To do that, you need to go to the location which you have extract the files to, find the installer file and click on it.

In case you couldn’t find the installer, you’ll have to install the driver manually, go to the instructions at the Full manual install section

After you opened the installer, just follow the instructions of the installer until you finish installing.

When you are done installing the driver, windows will request you to restart your computer – accept it.

If windows didn’t request you to restart, do it manually.

When windows done restarting, open DriverFix, and you’ll be able to see that the driver is up-to-date at the drivers list

Download the Windows Driver Kit (WDK)

The WDK is used to develop, test, and deploy Windows drivers.

Runtime requirements

You can run the Windows 10, version 2004 WDK on Windows 7 and later, and use it to develop drivers for these operating systems:

Client OS	Server OS
Windows 10	Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016
Windows 8.1	Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 8	Windows Server 2012
Windows 7	Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

WDK for Windows 10, version 2004

Step 1: Install Visual Studio 2019

The WDK requires Visual Studio. For more information about system requirements for Visual Studio, see Visual Studio 2019 System Requirements.

The following editions of Visual Studio 2019 support driver development for this release:

When you install Visual Studio 2019, select the Desktop development with C++ workload. The Windows 10 Software Development Kit (SDK) is automatically included, and is displayed in the right-hand Summary pane. Note that the version of the SDK that is compatible with the WDK for Windows 10, version 2004 may not be the default SDK. To select the correct SDK:

In Visual Studio Installer, on the Individual components tab, search for Windows 10 SDK (10.0.19041.0), select this version and continue with install. Note that Visual Studio will automatically install Windows 10 SDK (10.0.19041.1) on your machine.

If you already have Visual Studio 2019 installed, you can install the Windows 10 SDK (10.0.19041.1) by using the Modify button in Visual Studio install.

WDK has Spectre mitigation enabled by default but requires spectre mitigated libraries to be installed with Visual Studio for each architecture you are developing for. Additionally, developing drivers for ARM/ARM64 require the build tools for these architectures to also be installed with Visual Studio. To locate these items you will need to know the latest version of MSVC installed on your system.

To find the latest version of MSVC installed on your system, in Visual Studio Installer go to workload page, on the right pane under installation details, expand Desktop development with C++ and locate the MSVC v142 — VS 2019 C++ x64/x86 build tools (V14.xx) — note where xx should be the highest version available.

With this information (v14.xx), go to Individual components and search for v14.xx. This will return the tool sets for all architectures, including Spectre mitigated libs. Select the driver architecture you are developing for.

For example, searching for v14.25 returns the following:

Step 1.5 Install Refreshed Windows SDK 10.0.19041.685 for Windows 10, version 2004

This SDK is strongly recommended and will eventually be made available through Visual Studio

Step 2: Install Refreshed WDK for Windows 10, version 2004

The WDK Visual Studio extension is included in the default WDK installation.

If you can’t find driver project templates in Visual Studio, the WDK Visual Studio extension didn’t install properly. To resolve this, run the WDK.vsix file from this location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Vsix\VS2019\WDK.vsix.

Enterprise WDK (EWDK) for Windows 10, version 2004

The EWDK is a standalone, self-contained command-line environment for building drivers. It includes the Visual Studio Build Tools, the SDK, and the WDK. The latest public version of the EWDK contains Visual Studio 2019 Build Tools 16.7.0 and MSVC toolset v14.23. To get started, mount the ISO and run LaunchBuildEnv.

The EWDK also requires the .NET Framework version 4.7.2. For more information about other requirements for the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework system requirements.

EWDK with Visual Studio Build Tools

You can use the Visual Studio interface with the build tools provided in the EWDK.

1. Mount the EWDK ISO.
2. Run LaunchBuildEnv.cmd .
3. In the environment created in step 2, type SetupVSEnv, and then press Enter.
4. Launch devenv.exe from the same environment, using the full file path. Example: «C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\\%Community|Professional|Enterprise%\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe»

Note that the Visual Studio major version should match with the version in the EWDK. For example, Visual Studio 2019 works with the EWDK that contain VS16.X build tools.

Driver samples for Windows 10

To download the driver samples, do one of the following:

• Go to the driver samples page on GitHub, click Clone or download, and then click Download ZIP.
• Download the GitHub Extension for Visual Studio, and then connect to the GitHub repositories.
• Browse the driver samples on the Microsoft Samples portal.

Quick fixes

Applies to

This is a 100 level topic (basic).
See Resolve Windows 10 upgrade errors for a full list of topics in this article.

The following list of fixes can resolve many Windows upgrade problems. You should try these steps before contacting Microsoft support, or attempting a more advanced analysis of a Windows upgrade failure. Also review information at Windows 10 help.

The Microsoft Virtual Agent provided by Microsoft Support can help you to analyze and correct some Windows upgrade errors. To talk to a person about your issue, start the Virtual Agent (click Get started) and enter «Talk to a person» two times.

You might also wish to try a new tool available from Microsoft that helps to diagnose many Windows upgrade errors. For more information and to download this tool, see SetupDiag. The topic is more advanced (300 level) because several advanced options are available for using the tool. However, you can now just download and then double-click the tool to run it. By default when you click Save, the tool is saved in your Downloads folder. Double-click the tool in the folder and wait until it finishes running (it might take a few minutes), then double-click the SetupDiagResults.log file and open it using Notepad to see the results of the analysis.

List of fixes

1. Remove nonessential external hardware, such as docks and USB devices. More information.
2. Check the system drive for errors and attempt repairs. More information.
3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. More information.
4. Attempt to restore and repair system files. More information.
5. Check for unsigned drivers and update or repair them. More information.
6. Update Windows so that all available recommended updates are installed, and ensure the computer is rebooted if this is necessary to complete installation of an update. More information.
7. Temporarily uninstall non-Microsoft antivirus software. More information.
8. Uninstall all nonessential software. More information.
9. Update firmware and drivers. More information
10. Ensure that «Download and install updates (recommended)» is accepted at the start of the upgrade process. More information.
11. Verify at least 16 GB of free space is available to upgrade a 32-bit OS, or 20 GB for a 64-bit OS. More information.

Step by step instructions

Remove external hardware

If the computer is portable and it is currently in a docking station, undock the computer.

Unplug nonessential external hardware devices from the computer, such as:

• Headphones
• Joysticks
• Printers
• Plotters
• Projectors
• Scanners
• Speakers
• USB flash drives
• Portable hard drives
• Portable CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives
• Microphones
• Media card readers
• Cameras/Webcams
• Smart phones
• Secondary monitors, keyboards, mice

For more information about disconnecting external devices, see Safely remove hardware in Windows 10

Repair the system drive

The system drive is the drive that contains the system partition. This is usually the C: drive.

To check and repair errors on the system drive:

Click Start.

Type command.

Right-click Command Prompt and then left-click Run as administrator.

If you are prompted by UAC, click Yes.

Type chkdsk /F and press ENTER.

When you are prompted to schedule a check the next time the system restarts, type Y.

See the following example

Restart the computer. The computer will pause before loading Windows and perform a repair of your hard drive.

Windows Update Troubleshooter

The Windows Update troubleshooter tool will automatically analyze and fix problems with Windows Update, such as a corrupted download. It will also tell you if there is a pending reboot that is preventing Windows from updating.

For Windows 7 and 8.1, the tool is here.

For Windows 10, the tool is here.

To run the tool, click the appropriate link above. Your web browser will prompt you to save or open the file. Select open and the tool will automatically start. The tool will walk you through analyzing and fixing some common problems.

You can also download the Windows Update Troubleshooter by starting the Microsoft Virtual Agent, typing update Windows, selecting the version of Windows you are running, and then answering Yes when asked «Do you need help troubleshooting Windows Update?»

If any errors are displayed in the Windows Update Troubleshooter, use the Microsoft Virtual Agent to ask about these errors. The Virtual Agent will perform a search and provide a list of helpful links.

Repair system files

This fix is also described in detail at answers.microsoft.com.

To check and repair system files:

Click Start.

Type command.

Right-click Command Prompt and then left-click Run as administrator.

If you are prompted by UAC, click Yes.

Type sfc /scannow and press ENTER. See the following example:

If you are running Windows 8.1 or later, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press ENTER (the DISM command options are not available for Windows 7). See the following example:

It may take several minutes for the command operations to be completed. For more information, see Repair a Windows Image and Use the System File Checker tool.

Repair unsigned drivers

Drivers are files ending in *.dll or *.sys that are used to communicate with hardware components. Because drivers are so important, they are cryptographically signed to ensure they are genuine. Drivers with a *.sys extension that are not properly signed frequently block the upgrade process. Drivers might not be properly signed if you:

• Disabled driver signature verification (highly not recommended).
• A catalog file used to sign a driver is corrupt or missing.

Catalog files (files with a *.cat extension) are used to sign drivers. If a catalog file is corrupt or missing, the driver will appear to be unsigned, even though it should be signed. To restore the catalog file, reinstall the driver or copy the catalog file from another device. You might need to analyze another device to determine the catalog file that is associated with the unsigned driver. All drivers should be signed to ensure the upgrade process works.

To check your system for unsigned drivers:

Click Start.

Type command.

Right-click Command Prompt and then left-click Run as administrator.

If you are prompted by UAC, click Yes.

Type sigverif and press ENTER.

The File Signature Verification tool will open. Click Start.

After the scanning process is complete, if you see Your files have been scanned and verified as digitally signed then you have no unsigned drivers. Otherwise, you will see The following files have not been digitally signed and a list will be provided with name, location, and version of all unsigned drivers.

To view and save a log file, click Advanced, and then click View Log. Save the log file if desired.

Locate drivers in the log file that are unsigned, write down the location and file names. Also write down the catalog that is associated to the driver if it is provided. If the name of a catalog file is not provided you might need to analyze another device that has the same driver with sigverif and sigcheck (described below).

The next step is to check that the driver reported as unsigned by sigverif.exe has a problem. In some cases, sigverif.exe might not be successful at locating the catalog file used to sign a driver, even though the catalog file exists. To perform a detailed driver check, download sigcheck.zip and extract the tool to a directory on your computer, for example: C:\sigcheck.

Sigcheck is a tool that you can download and use to review digital signature details of a file. To use sigcheck:

In the command window, use the cd command to switch to the directory where you extracted sigcheck, for example cd c:\sigcheck.

Using the list of unsigned drivers and their associated paths that you obtained from the File Signature Verification tool, run sigcheck to obtain details about the driver, including the catalog file used for signing. Type sigcheck64 -i and press ENTER (or sigcheck -i for a 32 bit OS). See the following example:

In the example above, the afd.sys driver is properly signed by the catalog file Package_163_for_KB4054518

Optionally, you can generate a list of drivers using driverquery.exe, which is included with Windows. To save a list of signed and unsigned drivers with driverquery, type driverquery /si > c:\drivers.txt and press ENTER. See the following example:

For more information about using driverquery, see Two Minute Drill: DriverQuery.exe and driverquery.

Update Windows

You should ensure that all important updates are installed before attempting to upgrade. This includes updates to hardware drivers on your computer.

The Microsoft Virtual Agent can walk you through the process of making sure that Windows is updated.

Start the Virtual Agent and then type «update windows.»

Answer questions that the agent asks, and follow instructions to ensure that Windows is up to date. You can also run the Windows Update Troubleshooter described above.

Click Start, click power options, and then restart the computer.

Uninstall non-Microsoft antivirus software

Use Windows Defender for protection during the upgrade.

Verify compatibility information, and if desired re-install antivirus applications after the upgrade. If you plan to re-install the application after upgrading, be sure that you have the installation media and all required activation information before removing the program.

To remove the application, go to Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features and click the antivirus application, then click Uninstall. Choose Yes when you are asked to confirm program removal.

Uninstall non-essential software

Outdated applications can cause problems with a Windows upgrade. Removing old or non-essential applications from the computer can therefore help.

If you plan to reinstall the application later, be sure that you have the installation media and all required activation information before removing it.

To remove programs, use the same steps as are provided above for uninstalling non-Microsoft antivirus software, but instead of removing the antivirus application repeat the steps for all your non-essential, unused, or out-of-date software.

Update firmware and drivers

Updating firmware (such as the BIOS) and installing hardware drivers is a somewhat advanced task. Do not attempt to update BIOS if you aren’t familiar with BIOS settings or are not sure how to restore the previous BIOS version if there are problems. Most BIOS updates are provided as a «flash» update. Your manufacturer might provide a tool to perform the update, or you might be required to enter the BIOS and update it manually. Be sure to save your working BIOS settings, since some updates can reset your configuration and make the computer fail to boot if (for example) a RAID configuration is changed.

Most BIOS and other hardware updates can be obtained from a website maintained by your computer manufacturer. For example, Microsoft Surface device drivers can be obtained at: Download the latest firmware and drivers for Surface devices.

To obtain the proper firmware drivers, search for the most updated driver version provided by your computer manufacturer. Install these updates and reboot the computer after installation. Request assistance from the manufacturer if you have any questions.

Ensure that «Download and install updates» is selected

When you begin a Windows Update, the setup process will ask you to Get important updates. Answer Yes if the computer you are updating is connected to the Internet. See the following example:

Verify disk space

You can see a list of requirements for Windows 10 at Windows 10 Specifications & System Requirements. One of the requirements is that enough hard drive space be available for the installation to take place. At least 16 GB of free space must be available on the system drive to upgrade a 32-bit OS, or 20 GB for a 64-bit OS.

To view how much hard drive space is available on your computer, open File Explorer. In Windows 7, this was called Windows Explorer.

In File Explorer, click on Computer or This PC on the left, then look under Hard Disk Drives or under Devices and drives. If there are multiple drives listed, the system drive is the drive that includes a Microsoft Windows logo above the drive icon.

The amount of space available on the system drive will be displayed under the drive. See the following example:

In the previous example, there is 703 GB of available free space on the system drive (C:).

To free up additional space on the system drive, begin by running Disk Cleanup. You can access Disk Cleanup by right-clicking the hard drive icon and then clicking Properties. See the following example:

For instructions to run Disk Cleanup and other suggestions to free up hard drive space, see Tips to free up drive space on your PC.

When you run Disk Cleanup and enable the option to Clean up system files, you can remove previous Windows installations which can free a large amount of space. You should only do this if you do not plan to restore the old OS version.

Open an elevated command prompt

It is no longer necessary to open an elevated command prompt to run the SetupDiag tool. However, this is still the optimal way to run the tool.

To launch an elevated command prompt, press the Windows key on your keyboard, type cmd, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter, and then Alt+C to confirm the elevation prompt. Screenshots and other steps to open an administrator (aka elevated) command prompt are here.

Note: When you open an elevated command prompt, you will usually start in the C:\WINDOWS\system32 directory. To run a program that you recently downloaded, you must change to the directory where the program is located. Alternatively, you can move or copy the program to a location on the computer that is automatically searched. These directories are listed in the PATH variable.

If this is too complicated for you, then use File Explorer to create a new folder under C: with a short name such as «new» then copy or move the programs you want to run (like SetupDiag) to this folder using File Explorer. When you open an elevated command prompt, change to this directory by typing «cd c:\new» and now you can run the programs in that folder.