How to Update Device Drivers in Windows 11 the Right Way

Outdated or corrupted drivers are one of the most common reasons your Windows 11 PC starts behaving unpredictably. You might notice stuttering audio, a display that refuses to change resolution, or a peripheral that suddenly disappears from your system. Instead of guessing which file to download from an unverified website, you can follow a proven, safe workflow to keep every component running exactly as Microsoft and your hardware maker intended.

This guide walks you through the correct order of operations for updating device drivers in Windows 11. We will start with the safest built-in methods, move to manufacturer sources, and finish with recovery steps you can use when an update causes more problems than it solves.

Before You Start: Make sure you are signed into Windows 11 with a Microsoft account that has administrator privileges. You will also want to create a system restore point before making driver changes. Open the Start menu, type create a restore point, and select the top result. Click Create, name it Pre-Driver-Update, and finish the wizard. This safety net lets you revert your entire system state if something goes wrong.

Step 1: Check Windows Update for Automatic Driver Updates

Open Settings and navigate to Windows Update. Click the Start button, select Settings (the gear icon), and choose Windows Update from the left sidebar. This is Microsoft’s primary delivery channel for certified drivers, and it is almost always the safest starting point. Windows will automatically scan your hardware against its catalog and queue any missing or outdated drivers for installation.

Click Check for updates and wait for the scan to complete. You will see a progress spinner followed by a list of available updates. If Windows finds driver updates, they will appear under Driver updates or within the main update list. Click Download and install and let the process finish. Your PC may restart one or two times, which is completely normal.

If the screen shows No updates available, it does not mean your drivers are perfectly current. It only means Windows has not detected anything newer than what is already installed. You will move to the next method in that case.

Step 2: Update Drivers Through Device Manager

Open Device Manager by pressing Win + X and selecting it from the menu. This built-in utility gives you direct access to every hardware component your system recognizes. You will see a categorized list of devices, each with a small icon that indicates its current status.

Right-click the specific device and choose Update driver. For example, if your Wi-Fi keeps dropping, expand Network adapters, right-click your wireless card, and select Update driver. A small window will pop up with two options. Choose Search automatically for drivers. Windows will query its local database and Windows Update servers in the background.

Wait for the search to finish and review the result. You will either see a confirmation that the best drivers are already installed, or Windows will download and apply a newer version. If the update fails with an error code like 0x80070005, it usually indicates a permissions issue or a corrupted Windows Update component. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter before proceeding to manual downloads.

Step 3: Download Drivers Directly from the Manufacturer

Visit your hardware maker’s official support page. If you own a Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, or custom-built PC, the manufacturer maintains a dedicated drivers section on their website. Go to support.dell.com, support.hp.com, or your specific vendor’s portal. Enter your exact model number or service tag, which you can find on a sticker on your device or by typing wmic csproduct get name in Command Prompt.

Download the latest driver package for your exact Windows 11 version. Look for drivers labeled 64-bit or Windows 11. Avoid 32-bit or Windows 10 listings unless the manufacturer explicitly states they are compatible. Save the installer to your Downloads folder.

Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts. Most manufacturer packages will extract files, present a license agreement, and ask you to confirm the installation. Allow the process to complete, then restart your PC. This method is especially important for GPU drivers, chipset firmware, and peripheral software that Windows Update does not always prioritize.

Step 4: Install Optional Driver Updates

Return to Settings > Windows Update and expand Advanced options. Microsoft separates routine updates from optional driver releases. Click Advanced options in the left panel, then select Optional updates.

Check the boxes next to the drivers you actually need. You will see a list of available updates grouped by category. Do not blindly check every box. Only select drivers for hardware you currently own and recognize. Click Download and install when you are ready.

Restart your PC to finalize the installation. Some drivers require a fresh session to load properly into the kernel. If you notice a new device appearing in Device Manager after the restart, the update was successful.

Step 5: Roll Back or Uninstall a Problematic Driver

Open Device Manager and locate the device that stopped working. Look for yellow warning icons or devices listed under Other devices with unknown hardware names. Right-click the problematic component and choose Properties.

Click the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver. If the button is grayed out, it means Windows does not keep a previous version for that specific driver. In that case, click Uninstall device, check the box that says Attempt to remove the driver for this device, and confirm. Windows will revert to its built-in generic driver after a restart.

Restart your PC and verify system stability. If the issue disappears, you confirmed the recent update was the culprit. You can then wait for a newer fix from the manufacturer or stick with the older, stable version.

Troubleshooting: Common Driver Update Failures

Error code 0x80070005 or 0x800F0954 during Windows Update. These codes typically point to a corrupted Windows Update cache or a blocked update service. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run net stop wuauserv, then net stop cryptSvc. Navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and delete the contents of the Download folder. Restart the services with net start wuauserv and net start cryptSvc, then try the update again.

Device Manager shows the driver is installed but the hardware still fails. This usually means the driver loaded but failed to initialize the hardware. Open Services (Win + R, type services.msc), locate Plug and Play, right-click it, and choose Restart. This forces Windows to rescan all hardware buses without a full reboot.

Manufacturer installer refuses to run or shows a compatibility warning. Right-click the installer file, select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and check Run this program in compatibility mode for:. Select Windows 10 from the dropdown, apply the change, and run the installer again. This bypasses false version checks without breaking the installation.

Pro Tip: Keep a folder named DriverBackup on an external drive. After every successful major driver update, open Command Prompt as administrator and run pnputil /export-driver * "C:\DriverBackup". This exports every third-party driver to a single folder, giving you a one-click recovery option if Windows Update breaks something in the future.

Updating device drivers does not have to feel like navigating a minefield. By following this exact sequence, you protect your system from third-party driver packs, avoid registry corruption, and keep your hardware running at its intended performance level. Stick to Microsoft’s update channel for everyday components, use manufacturer sites for GPUs and chipsets, and always keep a restore point ready before you begin.

What driver update method has saved your PC from a hardware glitch in the past few months?

Over to you: What driver update method has saved your PC from a hardware glitch in the past few months?