Download and install drivers in Windows 8.1
Windows comes with drivers for many devices, such as printers, displays, keyboards, and TVs. A driver is software that a device uses to work with your PC. Every device needs a driver to work with your PC. So, in many cases, you can plug in a device, and it’ll work automatically.
Windows can also download device software and info. This might include an app that the device manufacturer created to go with your device or info like the product name, manufacturer, and model number, to help you distinguish between similar devices.
Drivers are updated occasionally. Windows can update them automatically, or you can install the updated drivers yourself. It’s important for you to have confidence in the updated drivers you install. Windows notifies you if it detects a suspicious or unsafe driver you shouldn’t install.
Windows Update checks for updated drivers and software for your devices and install them automatically. Keeping Windows Update on is a good way to make sure your devices continues to work properly and you get the best experience with them.
Note: PCs running Windows RT 8.1 always automatically download and install drivers, apps, and info for your devices.
To check that automatic updating is on
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Windows Update.
Tap or click Choose how updates get installed.
Under Important updates, choose Install updates automatically (recommended).
If your device came with a disc, it might contain software that installs a driver. Before you install a driver from a disc, check the info that comes with it to be sure it supports your current version of Windows.
You can also search for new drivers on the manufacturer’s website. Driver updates are often available in the support section of their website. Download the latest driver for your device, and follow the installation instructions on the website. You can usually double-tap or double-click the downloaded file to install the driver on your PC.
If the driver you got from a disc or downloaded from a website doesn’t install itself, you might need to install manually.
To manually install a driver
You must be signed in as an administrator to follow these steps.
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)
Enter Device Manager in the search box, and tap or click Device Manager.
In the list of hardware categories, double-tap or double-click the category your device is in and then double-tap or double-click the device you want. For example, to see your video card, tap or click Display adapters, and then double-tap or double-click the video card name.
Tap or click the Driver tab, tap or click Update Driver, and then follow the instructions. 
You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.
Occasionally, you might see a notification that a driver is unsigned, has been changed since it was signed, or can’t be installed by Windows. We recommend that you don’t install unsigned or changed drivers.
A digitally signed driver includes a digital signature, which is an electronic security mark that indicates the publisher of software and whether someone has tampered with it since it was signed. If a driver has been signed by a publisher that has verified its identity with a certification authority, you can be confident that the driver comes from that publisher and hasn’t been changed.
If you see any of the following notifications when you’re installing a driver, you should stop the installation and go to your device manufacturer’s website to get a digitally signed driver for your device.
Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software
The driver doesn’t have a digital signature or has been signed with a digital signature that wasn’t verified by a certification authority. You should only install this driver if you got it from the manufacturer’s disc or from your system administrator.
This driver hasn’t been signed
The driver hasn’t been digitally signed by a verified publisher. The driver might have been changed to include malware that could harm your PC or steal info. In rare cases, legitimate publishers do change drivers after they’ve been digitally signed, but you should only install an unsigned driver if you got it from a device manufacturer’s disc.
Unfortunately, there’s no trustworthy source of info that indicates who has published an unsigned driver. Anyone can change the contents of an unsigned driver, and there’s no way to know why it was changed. Most manufacturers now digitally sign the drivers they create before releasing them to the public.
Windows requires a digitally signed driver
A driver that lacks a valid digital signature, or has a signature that was changed after it was signed, can’t be installed on 64-bit versions of Windows. You’ll only see this notification if you have a 64-bit version of Windows and try to install such a driver on it.
INF Manufacturer Section
The Manufacturer section identifies the manufacturer of one or more devices that can be installed by using the INF file.
Entries
manufacturer-identifier
Uniquely identifies a manufacturer and an INF section that contains information that identifies a manufacturer’s device models. Each manufacturer-identifier entry must exist on a separate line and use the following format:
These entries are defined as follows:
manufacturer-name
Identifies the devices’ manufacturer. The INF must also contain a corresponding INF Models section of the same name. The maximum length of a manufacturer’s name, in characters, is LINE_LEN. (An entry specified in this manner cannot be localized.)
strkey
Specifies a token, unique within the INF file that represents the name of a manufacturer. Each such %strkey% token must be defined in an INF Strings section of the INF file.
models-section-name
Specifies an INF-writer-defined name for the per-manufacturer INF Models section within the INF file. This value must be unique within the INF file and must follow the general rules for defining section names. For more information about these rules, see General Syntax Rules for INF Files.
TargetOSVersion
Specifies one or more target operating system versions with which various INF Models sections can be used. Windows chooses the INF Models section that most closely matches the operating system version on which it is executing.
For a description of the TargetOSVersion decoration, see the following Remarks section, and related info in Example 3 below.
Important:В В Starting with Windows Server 2003 SP1, INF files must decorate models-section-name entries in the INF Manufacturer section, as well as the associated INF Models section names, with .ntia64 or .ntamd64 platform extensions to specify non-x86 target operating system versions. These platform extensions are not required in INF files for x86-based target operating system versions or non-PnP driver INF files, such as file system driver INF files for x64-based architectures.
Remarks
Any INF file that installs one or more devices must have a Manufacturer section. An IHV/OEM-supplied INF file typically specifies only a single entry in this section. If multiple entries are specified, each entry must be on a separate line of the INF.
Using a %strkey%=models-section-name entry simplifies the localization of the INF file for the international market, as described in Creating International INF Files and the reference page for the INF Strings section.
If an INF file specifies one or more entries in the manufacturer-name format, each such entry implicitly specifies the name of the corresponding Models section elsewhere in the INF.
You can think of each system-supplied INF file’s Manufacturer section as a table of contents, because this section sets up the installation of every manufacturer’s device models for a device setup class. Each entry in an INF file’s Manufacturer section specifies both an easily localizable %strkey% token for the name of a manufacturer and a unique-to-the-INF per-manufacturer Models section name.
The models-section-name entries in the Manufacturer section can be decorated to specify target operating system versions. Different INF Models sections can be specified for different versions of the operating system. The specified versions indicate operating system versions with which the INF Models sections is used. If no versions are specified, Windows uses a specified Models section for all versions of all operating systems.
For Windows XP to Windows 10, version 1511, the format of TargetOSVersion decoration is as follows:
Starting with Windows 10, version 1607 (Build 14310 and later), the format of the TargetOSVersion decoration is as follows:
Each field is defined as follows:
nt
Specifies the target operating system is NT-based. Windows 2000 and later versions of Windows are all NT-based.
Architecture
Identifies the hardware platform. If specified, this must be x86, ia64, amd64, arm, or arm64.
Prior to Windows Server 2003 SP1, if Architecture is not specified, the associated INF Models section can be used with any hardware platform.
Starting with Windows Server 2003 SP1, Architecture must be specified in INF Models sections names for non-x86 target operating system versions. Architecture is optional in INF Models section names for x86-based target operating system versions.
OSMajorVersion
A number that represents the operating system’s major version number. The following table defines the major version for the Windows operating system.
| Windows version | Major version |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 | 10 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | 6 |
| Windows 8.1 | 6 |
| Windows Server 2012 | 6 |
| Windows 8 | 6 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | 6 |
| Windows 7 | 6 |
| Windows Server 2008 | 6 |
| Windows Vista | 6 |
| Windows Server 2003 R2 | 5 |
| Windows Server 2003 | 5 |
| Windows XP | 5 |
| Windows 2000 | 5 |
OSMinorVersion
A number that represents the operating system’s minor version number. The following table defines the minor version for the Windows operating system.
| Windows version | Minor version |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 | 0 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | 3 |
| Windows 8.1 | 3 |
| Windows Server 2012 | 2 |
| Windows 8 | 2 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | 1 |
| Windows 7 | 1 |
| Windows Server 2008 | 0 |
| Windows Vista | 0 |
| Windows Server 2003 R2 | 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 | 2 |
| Windows XP | 1 |
| Windows 2000 | 0 |
ProductType
A number that represents one of the VER_NT_xxxx flags defined in Winnt.h, such as the following:
0x0000001 (VER_NT_WORKSTATION)
0x0000002 (VER_NT_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER)
0x0000003 (VER_NT_SERVER)
If a product type is specified, the INF file is used only if the operating system matches the specified product type. If the INF supports multiple product types for a single operating system version, multiple TargetOSVersion entries are required.
SuiteMask
A number representing a combination of one or more of the VER_SUITE_xxxx flags defined in Winnt.h. These flags include the following:
0x00000001 (VER_SUITE_SMALLBUSINESS)
0x00000002 (VER_SUITE_ENTERPRISE)
0x00000004 (VER_SUITE_BACKOFFICE)
0x00000008 (VER_SUITE_COMMUNICATIONS)
0x00000010 (VER_SUITE_TERMINAL)
0x00000020 (VER_SUITE_SMALLBUSINESS_RESTRICTED)
0x00000040 (VER_SUITE_EMBEDDEDNT)
0x00000080 (VER_SUITE_DATACENTER)
0x00000100 (VER_SUITE_SINGLEUSERTS)
0x00000200 (VER_SUITE_PERSONAL)
0x00000400 (VER_SUITE_SERVERAPPLIANCE)
If one or more suite mask values are specified, the INF is used only if the operating system matches all the specified product suites. If the INF supports multiple product suite combinations for a single operating system version, multiple TargetOSVersion entries are required.
BuildNumber
A number that represents the minimum OS build number of the Windows 10 release to which the section is applicable, starting with build 14310 or later.
The build number is assumed to be relative to some specific OS major/minor version only, and may be reset for some future OS major/minor version.В Any build number specified by the TargetOSVersion decoration is evaluated only when the OS major/minor version of the TargetOSVersion matches the current OS (or AltPlatformInfo) version exactly.В If the current OS version is greater than the OS version specified by the TargetOSVersion decoration (OSMajorVersion,OSMinorVersion), the section is considered applicable regardless of the build number specified. Likewise, if the current OS version is less than the OS version specified by TargetOSVersion decoration, the section is not applicable.
If build number is supplied, the OS version and BuildNumber of the TargetOSVersion decoration must both be greater than the OS version and build number of the Windows 10 build 14310 where this decoration was first introduced. Earlier versions of the operating system without these changes (for example, Windows 10 build 10240) will not parse unknown decorations, so an attempt to target these earlier builds will actually prevent that OS from considering the decoration valid at all.
ImportantВ В We highly recommend that you always decorate models-section-name entries in the Manufacturer and Models sections with platform extensions for target operating systems of Windows XP or later versions of Windows. For x86-based hardware platforms, you should avoid the use of the .nt platform extension and use .ntx86 instead.
If your INF contains Manufacturer section entries with decorations, it must also include INF Models sections with names that match the operating system decorations. For example, if an INF contains the following Manufacturer section:
%FooCorp%=FooMfg, NTx86. 0x80, NTamd64
Then the INF must also contain INF Models sections with the following names:
[FooMfg.NTx86. 0x80]
This name applies to the Data Center suite of Windows XP and later versions of Windows on x86-based hardware platforms.
[FooMfg.NTamd64]
This name applies to all product types and suites of Windows XP and later versions of Windows on x64-based hardware platforms.
During installation, Windows selects an INF Models section in the following way:
- If Windows is running in an x86-based version of the operating system (Windows XP or later versions) that includes the Data Center product suite, Windows selects the [FooMfg.NTx86. 0x80]Models section.
- If Windows is running in an x64-based version of the operating system (Windows XP or later versions) for any product suite, Windows selects the [FooMfg.NTamd64]Models section.
If the INF is intended for use with operating system versions earlier than Windows XP, it must also contain an undecorated Models section named [FooMfg].
If an INF supports multiple manufacturers, these rules must be followed for each manufacturer.
The following are additional examples of TargetOSVersion decorations:
%FooCorp% = FooMfg, NTx86
In this example, the resultant INF Models section name is [FooMfg.NTx86], and is applicable for any x86 version of the operating system (Windows XP or later).
%FooCorp% = FooMfg, NT.7.8
In this example, for version 7.8 and later of the operating system, the resultant INF Models section name is [FooMfg.NT.7.8]. For earlier versions of the operating system such as Windows XP, [FooMfg.NT] is used.
Setup’s selection of which INF Models section to use is based on the following rules:
- If the INF contains INF Models sections for several major or minor operating system version numbers, Windows uses the section with the highest version numbers that are not higher than the operating system version on which the installation is taking place.
- If the INF Models sections that match the operating system version also include product type and/or product suite decorations, Windows selects the section that most closely matches the running operating system.
Suppose, for example, Windows is executing on Windows XP (version 5.1), without the Data Center product suite, and it finds the following entry in a Manufacturer section:
%FooCorp%=FooMfg, NT, NT.5, NT.5.5, NT. 0x80
In this case, Windows looks for an INF Models section named [FooMfg.NT.5]. Windows also uses the [FooMfg.NT.5] section if it is executing on a Datacenter version of Windows XP, because a specific version number takes precedence over the product type and suite mask.
If you want an INF to explicitly exclude a specific operating system version, product type, or suite, create an empty INF Models section. For example, an empty section named [FooMfg.NTx86.6.0] prohibits installation on x86-based operating system versions 6.0 and higher.
Examples
This example shows a Manufacturer section typical to an INF for a single IHV.
The next example shows part of a Manufacturer section typical to an INF for a device-class-specific installer:
The following example shows a Manufacturer section that is specific to x86 platforms, Windows XP and later:
The following example shows a Manufacturer section that is specific to x64 platforms, Windows 10 build 14393 and later:
The following two examples show skeletal INF files with a variety of OS-specific INF Models sections:
Note: When specifying multiple TargetOSVersions, string them together in one entry as seen in this example. Do not represent each target as a separate entry.
