How to Update Drivers in Windows 11 and 10: Every Free Method, and How to Roll Back

To update drivers in Windows 11, start with Windows Update: open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates, expand Driver updates, select what you want and choose Download & install. For the newest graphics drivers, use the NVIDIA app, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition or Intel's driver support assistant. For everything else on a laptop or brand-name PC, use the maker's update tool or support page for your exact model, such as Dell, HP, Lenovo or ASUS. Device Manager is best for installing a specific driver you downloaded, using Update driver, Browse my computer for drivers. All of this is free; you do not need paid driver updater programs, which often install the wrong drivers. If a new driver causes problems, Roll Back Driver in Device Manager returns to the previous one.

Ethan's son wanted the newest graphics driver for a game, and a website offered a "driver updater" that would update everything at once for a small fee. Ethan asked Jake first. Jake showed him that the laptop maker's free update app found three newer drivers, including the chipset and audio drivers the game's support page mentioned, and that NVIDIA's own app had the latest graphics driver, also free. Twenty minutes later everything was current, nothing was paid for, and the game ran smoothly. The paid tool, Jake pointed out, would have scanned the same hardware and pointed at the same free downloads, or worse, at drivers for a different laptop. A week later, when a new audio driver made the headphones crackle, Roll Back Driver put the old one back in one click. This page explains every way to update drivers in Windows 11 and 10, which method to use for which device, how to check what you have, and what to do when a driver will not update or a new one causes trouble.

What drivers are, and when you should update them

A driver is a small piece of software that lets Windows talk to a piece of hardware: the graphics chip, the Wi-Fi adapter, the sound chip, the touchpad, the printer. Windows includes many drivers itself and gets more through Windows Update, and hardware makers publish their own, often newer, versions. When a driver is missing, the hardware does not work; when it is outdated or buggy, the hardware may work poorly, crash, or drain the battery.

The honest rule for most people is: if everything works, you do not need to chase driver updates. Windows keeps important drivers reasonably current through Windows Update, and updating a working driver for its own sake can introduce new problems. Update drivers when something is wrong, such as a device not working, crashes or blue screens that name a driver, poor game performance, Wi-Fi or audio problems; when a game, app or support page tells you a newer driver is needed; when the maker releases a security fix; or after a fresh Windows installation, when generic drivers may be in use.

Graphics drivers are the main exception for gamers, since new versions often improve performance in newly released games, and updating them every few months is reasonable. For everything else, an occasional check through the maker's update tool, a couple of times a year, keeps a PC healthy without risk.

Signs that a driver is the problem

Before updating anything, it helps to know whether a driver is likely to be the cause. Problems tied to one device, such as Wi-Fi that drops, sound that crackles, a touchpad that freezes or a screen that flickers, point to that device's driver. Problems that began right after a driver or Windows update point to whatever changed. Blue screens that name a file ending in .sys name the driver directly; searching the file name tells you which device or program it belongs to.

Device Manager shows obvious cases with warning icons. Reliability Monitor, opened by typing perfmon /rel in the Run box, shows a timeline of crashes and installations, which often lines up a driver installation with the first problem. If a problem happens across many unrelated programs, or at random, a driver is less likely than memory, storage or overheating, and updating drivers may not help. Starting in Safe Mode is a useful test: if the problem disappears there, where only basic drivers load, a driver or startup program is almost certainly involved.

Method 1: update drivers with Windows Update

Windows Update is the safest place to start. It delivers drivers that the hardware makers have submitted and Microsoft has tested for compatibility, and it installs many of them automatically. Others it offers as optional, so you can choose.

1. Open Settings with Windows + I and select Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates and install anything offered.
3. Select Advanced options, then Optional updates.
4. Expand Driver updates. Check the drivers you want, then select Download & install.
5. Restart if asked.

Optional driver updates are offered for a reason, but you do not need to install all of them. Install one when it matches a device you are having trouble with, or when its description mentions a fix you need. If everything works, leaving optional drivers alone is perfectly fine. In Windows 10, the same list is under Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, View optional updates, Driver updates.

The limit of Windows Update is timing: drivers there are usually a little older than the newest version on the maker's site, because they go through extra testing. For most devices that is an advantage. For graphics drivers and brand-new hardware, the maker's own source is often better.

Windows Update also handles drivers for devices you plug in: a new printer, webcam or game controller usually gets its driver within a minute of being connected, downloaded silently in the background. If a new device does not work after a few minutes, open Windows Update and check for updates once, which often finds its driver; if not, the maker's site is the next step.

Reading the names in Optional driver updates

The driver names in Optional updates look cryptic, such as Intel - System - 10.1.19.x, Realtek - Extension - 11.0.x or Dell, Inc. - Firmware - 1.20.0. The pattern is the maker, the device class and the version. System usually means a chipset or motherboard component; Extension means an add-on package that customizes a base driver, often adding the maker's settings or tuning; SoftwareComponent installs a related app or service; Firmware is a firmware update; and names such as Display, Net, MEDIA, Bluetooth or HIDClass point to graphics, network, audio, Bluetooth and input devices.

Extension and SoftwareComponent entries often appear in pairs with a base driver, and installing all of them together keeps the maker's features working. If you are unsure what an entry is for, search the name and version together, or match the device class against the device you are having trouble with. When in doubt, and everything works, it is fine to leave an optional driver uninstalled.

Method 2: graphics drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel

Graphics drivers change more often than any other, and the graphics makers provide their own tools to keep them current. Which one you need depends on the graphics chip, which you can see in Task Manager, Performance, GPU, or Device Manager, Display adapters.

NVIDIA: the NVIDIA app, which replaced GeForce Experience, checks for and installs GeForce drivers, with a choice between Game Ready drivers, released for new games, and Studio drivers, focused on stability for creative apps. You can also download drivers manually from NVIDIA's site by choosing your graphics card model. AMD: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition does the same for Radeon graphics and Ryzen processors with built-in graphics, and AMD's site has an auto-detect tool. Intel: the Intel Driver & Support Assistant checks Intel graphics, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers and offers updates.

One caution for laptops: some laptops, particularly older ones and those with switchable graphics, ship with graphics drivers customized by the laptop maker. The generic driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel usually works, but on a few models it can disable features such as brightness control or switching between graphics chips, or the installer may refuse. If that happens, use the laptop maker's graphics driver instead. Our guide to "display driver stopped responding" covers graphics driver troubleshooting.

Driver tips for gamers

Gamers care most about graphics drivers, and a few habits make updates smoother. New drivers often bring performance improvements for recently released games, so updating before playing a new release is worthwhile. NVIDIA's Game Ready drivers and AMD's regular releases target new games; if you value stability over the newest optimizations, NVIDIA's Studio drivers and AMD's recommended releases change less often. Optional or beta drivers fix specific problems early but are less tested; use them only when they address an issue you have.

Most graphics installers offer a clean installation option that resets driver settings and removes leftover files, which fixes many problems after updates. For stubborn graphics driver issues, enthusiasts use the free Display Driver Uninstaller tool in Safe Mode to remove every trace of the old driver before a fresh installation; it is effective but more drastic, so create a restore point first and use it only when a clean installation does not help. After any graphics driver update, check the game's settings, since a new driver can reset or change options such as frame rate limits.

Do not forget the chipset driver on gaming desktops, especially with AMD Ryzen processors, where the chipset driver includes power plans and scheduling that affect performance. It is easy to update graphics every month and never touch the chipset, which is a missed opportunity.

Method 3: the PC maker's update tool

For laptops and brand-name desktops, the maker's update tool is the best single source for everything other than the newest graphics drivers. It knows your exact model and offers the drivers, firmware and utilities tested for it, including chipset, storage, audio, touchpad and power management drivers that Windows Update may not carry.

Each major maker has one. Dell offers Dell Command Update and SupportAssist; HP has HP Support Assistant; Lenovo has Lenovo Vantage, and Lenovo System Update for business models; ASUS has MyASUS; Acer has Acer Care Center; Microsoft Surface delivers drivers and firmware through Windows Update. Many are preinstalled; if not, download them from the maker's support site. Run the tool, let it scan, and install the recommended updates, restarting when asked.

If you prefer not to install the tool, the maker's support website does the same job manually: enter your model or serial number, choose your Windows version, and download drivers by category. For self-built desktops, the motherboard maker's support page for your exact board provides chipset, audio, network and firmware updates. This was the method that found Ethan's son's chipset and audio updates, which the game's support page had recommended.

This table lists the main makers' tools and what they cover, so you know which to look for on your PC.

Method 4: Device Manager

Device Manager lists every piece of hardware in the PC and lets you update, roll back, disable or uninstall each driver. It is the right tool for installing a specific driver you have already downloaded, and for checking problems, but its automatic search is limited.

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand the category, such as Display adapters, Network adapters or Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click the device and choose Update driver.
4. Choose Search automatically for drivers to let Windows look on the PC and through Windows Update, or Browse my computer for drivers to point it at a folder containing a driver you downloaded.
5. Follow the prompts and restart if asked.

When Search automatically says The best drivers for your device are already installed, it only means Windows found nothing newer in its own sources; the maker's site may still have a newer version. That message confuses many people into thinking their drivers are current when they are not. For a downloaded driver package that is an installer program, simply run it; use Browse my computer only for driver files without an installer, usually folders containing .inf files.

Device Manager also flags problems: a yellow exclamation mark means a driver issue, a down arrow means the device is disabled, and devices under Other devices have no driver at all. Those are the devices to fix first after a fresh Windows installation.

Check which driver version you have

Before updating, it helps to know what you have, especially when a support page asks for a minimum version. In Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties, and open the Driver tab, which shows the driver provider, date and version. Compare the version with the one on the maker's site to see whether an update is newer.

For a full list, open Command Prompt and run driverquery, or driverquery /v for more detail, which lists every installed driver with its date. In PowerShell, Get-CimInstance Win32_PnPSignedDriver | Select-Object DeviceName, DriverVersion, DriverDate gives a sortable list of devices with their driver versions and dates. Graphics apps such as the NVIDIA app and AMD Adrenalin also show the installed graphics driver version on their main page.

Driver dates can be misleading: Windows' own generic drivers often show old dates, such as 2006, even when current, because Microsoft uses a fixed date for in-box drivers. An old date on a Microsoft driver is not a sign it needs updating.

When comparing versions, check the driver provider as well as the number. A device using a Microsoft generic driver may have a maker's driver available with a completely different version numbering, so a lower-looking number from the maker can still be the better driver for that device. The provider field on the Driver tab tells you whose driver is in use, which is often more useful than the version itself.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and audio drivers

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth often share one chip and come from the same maker: Intel, Realtek, MediaTek, Qualcomm or others. When Wi-Fi drops after sleep, will not see 5 GHz networks, or Bluetooth headphones stutter, a driver update is often the fix. The PC maker's version is the safest; Intel also publishes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers for its chips directly, which are often newer and work on most laptops with Intel wireless. Update both drivers together when the maker offers them as a pair.

Audio drivers come in two flavors. Windows includes a generic High Definition Audio Device driver that works with most sound chips for basic playback, and makers provide their own drivers, often from Realtek, that add features such as microphone enhancements, headphone detection and speaker tuning. If sound works but the microphone or headphone jack does not, or speaker tuning disappeared after an update, the maker's audio driver is usually missing; installing it from the PC maker for your model restores those features. On many recent laptops, audio also depends on an Intel or AMD audio coprocessor driver, which the maker's chipset or audio package includes.

Chipset, storage and USB drivers

Chipset drivers are the least glamorous and among the most important. They tell Windows how to use the motherboard's components efficiently, including power management, USB controllers and the connections other devices depend on. Storage drivers, such as Intel Rapid Storage Technology or AMD's storage drivers, control how the drive is accessed and can matter for performance and for features like RAID. Serial IO drivers, on many laptops, are what the touchpad and some sensors connect through.

Windows' generic drivers cover these well enough for most PCs to work, which is why their absence is easy to miss. But if a laptop's touchpad, sensors or USB ports misbehave, or sleep and battery life are poor after a clean installation, the chipset and serial IO drivers from the maker are the first thing to install. They rarely need updating once installed, except when the maker releases a fix or a new Windows version needs one.

Printers, scanners, webcams and other devices

External devices follow the same principles, with a few twists. Many printers and scanners now work with drivers built into Windows, so plugging them in is enough; the maker's full software adds features such as ink levels or scanning to folders. Our guide to installing printer drivers covers when the built-in driver is enough and when the maker's is better. Webcams generally use a standard Windows driver and rarely need updates, though some include software for features such as autofocus or background effects.

Game controllers, drawing tablets, audio interfaces and similar devices often need the maker's driver for full functionality. A drawing tablet without its driver works only as a basic mouse, without pressure sensitivity; an audio interface may need the maker's driver for low-latency recording. For these, the device maker's support page is the only source, and it is worth checking it after major Windows updates, since such drivers occasionally need updating to keep working.

Do you need a driver updater program?

No. Third-party driver updater programs promise to scan your PC and update every driver in one click, often for a subscription. They are not necessary, since every method above is free, and they carry real risks. They sometimes match drivers by device ID alone and install versions meant for different models, which can break features such as brightness control, sleep, or touchpads. Some bundle unwanted software or advertising, and some exaggerate how many drivers are out of date to sell the paid version.

The free sources are better because they know your exact hardware: Windows Update for tested drivers, the graphics maker for graphics, and the PC maker for everything specific to your model. If a site or pop-up tells you your drivers are dangerously out of date and offers to fix them for a fee, close it. That was the offer Ethan's son found, and the free tools did everything it promised, correctly.

Automatic driver installation: keep it on or turn it off?

Windows installs drivers automatically when it detects new hardware, and through Windows Update. For almost everyone, leaving that on is right: it is how a new mouse, printer or monitor works the moment you plug it in, and how security fixes for drivers arrive. The setting that controls whether Windows downloads manufacturers' apps and custom icons for devices is in the old Device Installation Settings, found by searching for change device installation settings, and can be left at its default.

Turning automatic driver installation off makes sense only in specific cases: when Windows keeps replacing a driver you deliberately installed with a version that causes problems, or on managed or specialist PCs where drivers are controlled centrally. Even then, blocking the one problem driver is usually better than turning off all driver updates; our guide to stopping Windows reinstalling a driver covers that, and the related guide to turning automatic driver installation off covers the broader switch. If you do turn it off, remember to check for driver updates yourself occasionally, especially security fixes.

When a new driver causes problems: roll back

Sometimes a new driver makes things worse: a screen that flickers, sound that crackles, Wi-Fi that drops, or crashes. Windows keeps the previous driver so you can go back. In Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties, open the Driver tab, and select Roll Back Driver. Choose a reason, confirm, and restart. If the button is grayed out, there is no previous driver to return to; uninstall the device and install the older driver from the maker's site instead.

Windows Update may reinstall the newer driver later. To stop that for a driver you rolled back, our guide to stopping Windows reinstalling a driver explains the options. If a driver change stops the PC starting, start in Safe Mode, which loads only basic drivers, and roll back or uninstall it from there; our guide to Safe Mode covers getting there.

Ethan's son's headphones crackled after an audio driver update; Roll Back Driver fixed it in a minute, and the maker's next release a few weeks later worked properly. Creating a restore point before driver updates, which some maker tools do automatically, gives another way back if several things change at once.

Drivers and memory integrity

Windows 11 includes a security feature called memory integrity, part of Core isolation in Windows Security, which protects the core of Windows from malicious code. It requires drivers that are compatible with it. If an old or poorly written driver is installed, memory integrity cannot be turned on, and the Core isolation page lists the incompatible drivers by file name. To find it, open Windows Security, Device security, Core isolation details.

The fix is usually to update or remove the old driver: look up the file name to identify the device or program it belongs to, update that device's driver from its maker, or uninstall the old software that installed it, such as a long-forgotten utility or an old peripheral's software. Once the incompatible driver is gone, memory integrity can be turned on. Windows also maintains a blocklist of known vulnerable drivers, which it blocks from loading when these protections are on; a device that stops working because its driver is on that list needs an updated driver from its maker. Our guide to uninstalling drivers shows how to remove driver packages that no device uses anymore.

Driver signing and safety

64-bit Windows only loads drivers that carry a valid digital signature, which identifies who published them and shows they have not been altered. This is one of the main protections against malicious drivers, and it is why drivers from the PC maker, the chip maker or Windows Update install smoothly, while modified or unofficial drivers may be refused. Guides that tell you to disable driver signature enforcement permanently to install a driver are asking you to remove a significant security protection; avoid them unless you are a developer testing your own driver on a test machine.

Download drivers only from the hardware maker, the PC maker or Windows Update, and be wary of search results that look official but are not. Driver download sites that collect drivers from everywhere may offer outdated, mismatched or tampered files. If a driver installer comes bundled with extra software you do not want, many makers offer a driver-only download, or let you clear the extra components during installation.

Drivers will not update: fixes

When a driver update fails or will not install, the cause is usually one of a few things. The driver may be for a different model or Windows version: check that the download matches your exact model and Windows 11 or 10, 64-bit. An installer may refuse because a newer version is already installed; check the version on the Driver tab. A security product or a pending Windows update may block installation; restart, install pending updates, and try again.

If Windows Update fails to install a driver repeatedly, hide that update if it is optional, and install the maker's version instead. If a graphics driver install fails, uninstall the current graphics driver first, which the graphics maker's installer can do with a clean installation option, then install the new one. For stubborn cases, our guide to uninstalling drivers in Device Manager shows how to remove a driver completely, including deleting the driver software from the PC, before reinstalling.

On work PCs, drivers are often managed by IT, and installation may be blocked by policy. If you cannot install a driver on a work laptop, ask IT, who may push it through their management tools.

Install drivers from the command line

For IT staff and advanced users, Windows includes pnputil for managing drivers from an administrator Command Prompt. pnputil /enum-drivers lists the third-party drivers in the driver store. pnputil /add-driver C:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install adds every driver in a folder and its subfolders and installs them on matching devices, useful after a clean installation when you have a folder of drivers from the maker. pnputil /delete-driver oem12.inf /uninstall removes a specific driver package, using the published name from the enumerate list.

Windows Update can also be checked for drivers by script in managed environments, but for most people the graphical methods are simpler. Our guide to running Command Prompt as administrator covers opening the right kind of window for these commands.

Firmware and BIOS updates

Firmware, often called the BIOS or UEFI, is the software built into the motherboard that starts the PC before Windows. It is updated less often than drivers, but updates can fix stability problems, add support for new hardware, improve battery life, and patch security issues. Some makers deliver firmware updates through Windows Update, appearing under driver or firmware updates; others deliver them through their update tool or support site.

Firmware updates are more delicate than driver updates: if one is interrupted, the PC may not start. Install them only from the PC or motherboard maker, for your exact model, with a laptop plugged in to power, and do not turn the PC off during the update, even if it restarts several times or the screen stays dark for a while. Our guide to finding your BIOS version shows how to check what you have first. If the PC works well and the maker does not list a security or stability fix you need, there is no rush to update firmware.

Windows 10: where the driver options are

Windows 10 offers the same methods with slightly different menus. Optional driver updates are under Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, View optional updates. Device Manager is identical. The graphics makers' apps and PC makers' tools work the same on both versions, and most makers still publish Windows 10 drivers for models sold with it.

Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025, and home PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates receive security updates until October 2027. Driver support on Windows 10 will thin out over time as makers focus on Windows 11, particularly for new hardware and graphics features. If you are buying new hardware, such as a graphics card or Wi-Fi adapter, for a Windows 10 PC, check that its maker still provides Windows 10 drivers.

After a clean installation of Windows

A fresh Windows installation uses Microsoft's generic drivers for many devices and may have none for some. The order matters when installing drivers afterward. Connect to the internet, by Ethernet or USB phone tethering if Wi-Fi does not work yet, and run Windows Update several times until it finds nothing new, which installs many drivers. Then install the chipset driver from the PC maker, followed by storage and serial IO drivers, then network, audio, touchpad and graphics, and finally the maker's utilities.

Check Device Manager at the end: nothing should remain under Other devices, and no device should show a warning. Keeping a folder of the maker's drivers for your model on a USB drive makes the next reinstallation much faster, and pnputil can install a whole folder at once, as described above. Many makers also offer a single driver pack for business models that installs everything in one go, which is worth looking for on their support pages.

Updating drivers is simpler than driver updater ads suggest. Windows Update handles the tested basics, the graphics maker handles graphics, the PC maker handles everything specific to your model, and Device Manager installs and rolls back individual drivers. Update when something needs it, keep a way back, and skip the paid tools. Ethan's son got his game running smoothly for free, and when one update misbehaved, the old driver was one click away. He now checks the graphics app before each big game release, and leaves everything else to Windows Update and the maker's tool.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, expanding our 2016 guide to updating drivers in Windows 10 into a complete guide for Windows 11 and 10. It covers when to update, Windows Update, graphics makers' apps, PC makers' tools, Device Manager, checking versions, why to avoid driver updaters, rolling back, fixing failed updates, the command line, firmware and installing drivers after a clean install. May your hardware and Windows always speak the same language.