Automatically get recommended drivers and updates for your hardware

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

You can have Windows automatically download recommended drivers and detailed information for your hardware and devices. This is a good way to make sure all your hardware and devices work properly.

Drivers and information

Windows can find and download two kinds of updates for devices connected to your computer:

Drivers. A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware devices. Without drivers, the devices you connect to your computer—for example, a mouse or external hard drive—won’t work properly. Windows can automatically check if there are drivers available for new devices that you connect to your computer.

For hardware that you’ve connected to your computer in the past, updated drivers might become available at a later date; but those drivers aren’t installed automatically. To install these optional updates, go to Windows Update in Control Panel, check for updates, and then view and install driver updates that are available for your computer.

Information. Windows can download high-resolution icons for many hardware devices that you connect to your computer, along with detailed information about them, such as product name, manufacturer, and model number—even detailed information about the sync capabilities of a device. These details can make it easier for you to distinguish between similar devices that are connected to your computer, such as different mobile phones.

You can check Windows Update at any time to see if it found new drivers and icons for your hardware, especially if you recently installed a new device. If you want to have Windows Update automatically check for the latest drivers and icons, here’s how:

Open Devices and Printers by clicking the Start button , and then, on the Start menu, clicking Devices and Printers.

Right-click the name of your computer, and then click Device installation settings.

Click Yes, do this automatically (recommended), and then click Save changes. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

If Yes is already selected, click Cancel to close the dialog box.

To get all important and recommended updates for your computer and your devices, make sure that Windows Update is turned on and configured properly.

Even if you have Windows Update set to automatically download and install all important and recommended updates, you still might not be getting all of the updated drivers available for your devices. For instance, optional updates might include updated drivers that become available for hardware or devices you’ve already installed. Windows doesn’t automatically download and install optional updates, but you will be notified when optional updates are available.

To get all the available updates for your devices, periodically check Windows Update for all available updates, including optional updates. You can review the available updates and then select them from the list of updates that Windows finds for your computer. Here’s how to do this:

Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.

In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.

If there are any available updates, click the link in the box under Windows Update to see more information about each update. Each type of update might include drivers.

On the Select the updates you want to install page, look for updates for your hardware devices, select the check box for each driver that you want to install, and then click OK. There might not be any driver updates available.

On the Windows Update page, click Install updates. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Windows Update tells you if an update is important, recommended, or optional.

Some updates require you to restart your computer.

Windows Update will tell you if the updates were successfully installed.

Установка драйвера через Центр Обновления Windows

В Microsoft содержится огромная база драйверов для устройств, которые прошли проверку на совместимость с операционными системами Windows. Все это встроено в систему или доступно через Центр обновления или Windows Update. Если вы ничего не изменяли в настройках системы и у вас есть подключение к Internet, то драйверы должны автоматически загрузиться и установиться.

Как запустить Windows Update

В Windows 10 необходимо:

После, нужно подождать пока доступные обновления загрузятся и установятся.

Если возникают проблемы с запуском обновлений, то, возможно, отключена служба «Центр обновления Windows». Проверить и включить при необходимости можно следующим образом.

1. В окошке поиска пишем «служб» и открываем классическое приложение «Службы».
2. Внизу находим службу «Центр обновления Windows». Дважды кликаем на ней левой кнопкой мышки.
3. В открывшемся окошке «Свойства» в разделе «Тип запуска» из выпадающего меню выбираем «Вручную».
4. Жмем на кнопку «Запустить» и «OK».

Служба работает, нужно пробовать запускать обновления.

Настройка автоматического обновления драйверов

Чтобы операционная система сама следила за актуальностью драйверов и при появлении новой версии автоматически загружала и устанавливали их (что и рекомендуется), то нужно сделать следующее:

Теперь при появлении нового драйвера для вашего устройства в базе Microsoft, Windows автоматически его загрузит и установит.

Здесь приведена подробная информация по установке драйверов встроенных в систему и из Центра Обновления Windows. И дополнительно — Как сканировать, если у вас МФУ.

Появившиеся вопросы задавайте в комментариях.

здравствуйте. у меня ноутбук msi gp72m 7rdx leopard c лицензионной версией виндовс 10. проблема с установкой nahimic 2+. точнее при установке новой версии программы, старая версия была удалена и теперь ни какая из версий не устанавливается(( при установке всплывает окно »учетная запись уже существует» пожалуйста подскажите как исправить ошибку и установить программу. спасибо

Updating Device Firmware using Windows Update

This topic describes how to update a removable or in-chassis device’s firmware using the Windows Update (WU) service. For information about updating system firmware, see Windows UEFI firmware update platform.

To do this, you’ll provide an update mechanism, implemented as a device driver, that includes the firmware payload. If your device uses a vendor-supplied driver, you have the option of adding the firmware update logic and payload to your existing function driver, or providing a separate firmware update driver package. If your device uses a Microsoft-supplied driver, you must provide a separate firmware update driver package. In both cases, the firmware update driver package must be universal. For more info about universal drivers, see Getting Started with Windows Drivers. The driver binary can use KMDF, UMDF 2 or the Windows Driver Model.

Because WU cannot execute software, the firmware update driver must hand the firmware to Plug and Play (PnP) for installation.

Firmware update driver actions

Typically, the firmware update driver is a lightweight device driver that does the following:

At device start or in the driver’s EVT_WDF_DRIVER_DEVICE_ADD callback function:

1. Identify the device to which it is attached.
2. Determine whether the driver has a firmware version that is more recent than the version on the firmware currently flashed on device hardware.
3. If a firmware update is necessary, set an event timer to schedule the update.
4. Otherwise, do nothing until the driver is started again.

During system runtime:

1. If an update is queued, wait for a set of conditions to be met.
2. When conditions are met, perform the firmware update on the device.

Firmware update driver contents

Typically, the firmware update driver package contains the following:

• Universal Driver INF
• Driver catalog
• Function driver (.sys or .dll)
• Firmware update payload binary

Submit your firmware update package as a separate driver submission.

Adding firmware update logic to a vendor-supplied driver

The existing function driver can implement the firmware update mechanism, as shown in the following diagram:

Alternatively, if you want to update the function driver and the firmware update driver separately, create a second device node, on which you will install the firmware update driver. The following diagram shows how one device can have two separate device nodes:

In this case, the function and firmware device nodes must have different hardware IDs in order to be targeted independently.

There are a couple ways to create a second device node. Certain device types have the ability to expose a second device node on one physical device, such as USB. You can use this functionality to create a device node targetable by WU, and install a firmware update driver on it. Many device types, however, do not allow a single physical device to enumerate more than one device node.

In this case, use an extension INF that specifies the AddComponent directive to create a device node that can be targeted by Windows Update and install the firmware update driver on it. The following snippet from an INF file shows how you can do this:

In the above INF sample, ComponentIDs = ComponentDeviceId indicates that the child device will have a hardware ID of SWC\ComponentDeviceId . When installed, this INF creates the following device hierarchy:

For future firmware updates, update the INF and binary file containing the firmware payload.

Adding firmware update logic to a Microsoft-supplied driver

To update firmware for devices that use a Microsoft-supplied driver, you need to create a second device node, as shown above.

Best practices

In your firmware update driver INF, specify DIRID 13 to cause PnP to leave the files in the driver package in the DriverStore:

PnP resolves this location when it installs the device. The driver can then open this registry key to determine the location of the payload.

Firmware update drivers should specify the following INF entries:

To locate another device node, the firmware driver should walk the device tree relative to itself, not by enumerating all device nodes for a match. A user may have plugged in multiple instances of the device, and the firmware driver should only update the device with which it is associated. Typically, the device node to be located is the parent or sibling of the device node on which the firmware driver is installed. For example, in the diagram above with two device nodes, the firmware update driver can look for a sibling device to find the function driver. In the diagram immediately above, the firmware driver can look for the parent device to find the primary device with which it needs to communicate.

The driver should be robust to multiple instances of the device being on the system, possibly with multiple different firmware versions. For example, there may be one instance of the device that has been connected and updated several times; a brand new device may then be plugged in which is several firmware versions old. This means that state (such as current version) must be stored against the device, and not in a global location.

If there is an existing method to update the firmware (EXE or co-installer, for example), you can largely reuse the update code within a UMDF driver.

Windows Update: FAQ

Note: If you’re looking for Microsoft Office update info, see Install Office updates.

In Windows 10, you decide when and how to get the latest updates to keep your device running smoothly and securely. When you update, you’ll get the latest fixes and security improvements, helping your device run efficiently and stay protected. In most cases, restarting your device completes the update. Make sure your device is plugged in when you know updates will be installed.

If other questions come up when you update Windows 10, here are some other areas that might interest you:

When you only want info about updating Windows 10, you’ll find answers to many of your questions here:

When the Windows 10 May 2020 Update is ready for your device, it will be available to download and install from the Windows Update page in Settings. Choose a time that works best for you to download the update. You’ll then need to restart your device and complete the installation. After that, your device will be running Windows 10, version 2004.

To manually check for the latest recommended updates, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Windows Update .

To get help updating to the latest version of Windows 10, go to the Microsoft software download page and download the Update Assistant.

Some updates may not be available on all devices at the same time—we’re making sure updates are ready and compatible.

To stay up to date, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Windows Update , and then select Check for updates.

If a feature update is available for your device, it will appear separately on the Windows Update page. To install it, select Download and install now.

Here are a few things you can try if you’re having trouble installing updates:

Make sure that your device is connected to the internet. Downloading updates requires an internet connection.

If you’re connected the internet, try to install the updates manually. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Windows Update , and then view available updates.
Check for updates

Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot . Under Get up and running, select Windows Update.

The time required to download updates primarily depends on internet connection speed, network settings, and update size. Make sure your device is plugged in and connected to the internet to download updates faster.

You can’t stop updates entirely—because they help keep your device safe and secure, updates will eventually need to be installed and downloaded, regardless of your update settings. Here’s how to temporarily pause updates from being downloaded and installed. Note that after the pause limit is reached, you’ll need to install the latest updates before you can pause updates again.

In the Windows 10 November 2019 Update (version 1909) or later, or in Windows version 1809 for Pro or Enterprise, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update . Then choose one of the following options:

Select Pause updates for 7 days.

Select Advanced options. Then, in the Pause updates section, select the drop-down menu and specify a date for updates to resume.

To finish installing an update, your device will need to restart. Windows will try to restart your device when you’re not using it. If it can’t, you’ll be asked to schedule the restart for a more convenient time. Or, you can schedule anytime by following these steps:

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Windows Update .

Select Schedule the restart and choose a time that’s convenient for you.

You can set active hours to make sure automatic restarts for updates only happen when you’re not using your device. Learn about active hours for Windows 10.

Try deleting files you don’t need, uninstalling apps you don’t use, or moving files to another drive like an external USB drive or OneDrive. For more tips on freeing up disk space, see Free up drive space in Windows 10.

We recommend keeping devices like laptops and tablets plugged in when you’re not using them. This way, if updates are installed outside active hours, your device will have enough power to complete the installation. Windows updates don’t consume more battery than other typical system processes.

An update history is available so you can see which updates were installed, and when. You can also use this list to remove specific updates, although we don’t recommend this unless it’s necessary.

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Windows Update > View update history .

For more info about what’s included in updates for Windows 10, see Windows 10 update history.

We don’t recommend that you remove any installed updates. However, if you must remove an update, you can do so in update history.

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates.

Select the update you want to remove, then select Uninstall.

Feature updates are typically released twice per year and include new functionality and capabilities as well as potential fixes and security updates. Quality updates are more frequent and mainly include small fixes and security updates. Windows is designed to deliver both kinds of updates to devices through Windows Update.

To double check that your device is up to date, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and see your update status and available updates.

To find which version of Windows you’re running, see Which version of Windows operating system am I running?

Reserved storage is not automatically turned on by Windows in any update scenarios. It is only turned on for new devices with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903) or later preinstalled, or devices on which a clean install was performed.

Note: If you’re looking for Microsoft Office update info, see Install Office updates.

The best way to keep Windows 8.1 up to date is to turn on automatic updates. With automatic updates, you don’t have to search for updates online or worry about missing critical fixes or device drivers for your PC. Instead, Windows Update automatically installs important updates as they become available.

To turn on automatic updates:

Open Windows Update by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you’re using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), select Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery > Windows Update. If you want to check for updates manually, select Check now.

Select Choose how updates get installed, and then, under Important updates, select Install updates automatically (recommended).

Under Recommended updates, select Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates.

Under Microsoft Update, select Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows, and then select Apply.

Click the questions below to see answers about how Windows Update keeps your device up to date.

Note: If your PC is connected to a network where updates are managed by Group Policy, you might not be able to change settings related to Windows Update. For more info, contact your organization’s technical support.

Open Windows Update by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you’re using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), select Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery > Windows Update. To check for updates manually, select Check now.

An update history is available so you can see which updates were installed, and when. You can also use this list to remove specific updates, although we don’t recommend this unless it’s necessary.

To see your PC’s update history, open Windows Update by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you’re using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), select Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery > Windows Update > View your update history.

We don’t recommend that you remove any installed updates. However, if you must remove an update, you can do so in update history.

Open Windows Update by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you’re using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), select Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery > Windows Update > View your update history.

Select the update you want to remove, then select Uninstall.

Here are a few things to try if you’re having problems installing updates:

Make sure that your PC is connected to the internet. Some updates can’t be installed if you’re using a metered internet connection.

If you’re connected the internet and updates aren’t installed automatically, wait a few minutes and then try to install the updates manually.

See the Fix Windows Update errors guided walkthrough to try to fix the problem.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

Click the questions below to see answers about how Windows Update keeps your device up to date.