How to use Device Manager to reinstall hardware drivers on Windows 10
![](/images/site-logo.png)
How to reinstall a driver with Windows Device manager
To reinstall a device’s driver in Windows Device Manager:
- Step1: On your keyboard, press the
Windows logo key
andR
at the same time to invoke the Run box. - Step2: Type
devmgmt.msc
and clickOK
.
(There are other ways to open Device Manager; it changes depending on your version of Windows. But the above method works for all versions of Windows, including Windows 11, 10 and 7.)
Step3: Expand a category to see the devices in that category. Right-click the device whose driver you’d like to reinstall, and select Uninstall.
Step4: Restart your PC.
Step5: Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.
Download Driver Easy FREE
If you’re having computer issues, the first thing you should do is see if it has outdated drivers. If it does, updating them will very often fix things.
And for this, our tool, Driver Easy FREE, is the ideal solution.
Driver Easy FREE is a driver update tool used by more than 3 million customers around the world. It will automatically identify and download all the drivers you need, so all you have to do is install them.
In other words, it eliminates the need to find and download your drivers the difficult way (via the manufacturer’s website).
You don’t need to know what system your computer is running, you don’t need to scour the web for the right driver download, and you don’t need to risk downloading the wrong driver. Driver Easy does it all for you, automatically. No computer knowledge needed, and it’s completely free.
This page describes how to do this.
The free version will identify all your outdated drivers, and allow you to download them all. But only one at a time and, once they’re downloaded, you have to manually install them using the standard Windows process. (To automatically update all your drivers with 1 click, you’ll need the Pro version of Driver Easy . Don’t worry, it comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money back satisfaction guarantee.)
All our drivers are certified
We use only genuine drivers, straight from your hardware manufacturer. And we employ a strict testing process to ensure they’re safe, stable, robust, up-to-date, and compatible with Windows and all the most popular combinations of hardware and software.
Microsoft WHQL Testing
Most hardware manufacturers put their drivers through Microsoft’s rigorous Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) testing process. If they pass, they’re officially certified stable and compatible with Windows.
If your manufacturer has a ‘Certified for Windows’ driver, that’s the one we’ll use. For Windows 10 and 11, Driver Easy installs only drivers that are ‘Certified for Windows’ through the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) program. For Windows 7, 8 and Vista, Driver Easy installs WHQL drivers by default, if they’re available (which they are for 95.69% of drivers for those versions of Windows), but also gives users the option to install non-WHQL drivers.
But we don’t stop there. We also perform our own tests to ensure the stability of our drivers…
Certified by Driver Easy
We employ a strict testing regime to ensure our drivers are safe, secure and stable.
This is critical because not all manufacturers get their drivers certified by Microsoft – particularly for older hardware. (It’s a very rigorous and time-consuming process, and for manufacturers with a lot of devices and drivers, it can become quite expensive.)
We test on all the most popular combinations of hardware & software
Our tests are a lot more hands-on and practical than Microsoft’s tests. Because drivers behave differently on different computers, different versions of Windows, and even in the presence of different software applications, the only way to really tell if a driver will be stable, compatible and safe for everyone is to physically test it on all the popular hardware / operating system / software combinations. So that’s what we do:
- We test on hundreds of PCs – Our testing facility is strategically located in Shenzhen, China, one of the country’s biggest IT hubs. We specifically selected this estate because we’re surrounded by hundreds of PC distributors, all within walking distance. This means we have unfettered access to an almost limitless supply of hardware, and can physically test our drivers on all the most popular computers – including the latest new models available on the market, as well as second-hand computers that still have a wide user base.
- We test with physical devices attached – For external device drivers (e.g. for printers, external hard drives, mice, keyboards), we physically install the external device to test the driver.
- We test on all current versions of Windows – On each test PC, we install and test thoroughly on Windows 11 32-bit, Windows 11 64-bit, Windows 10 32 bit, Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit.
- We test with popular programs installed – On each installation of Windows, we also install a variety of popular software programs before testing the driver (e.g. various versions of Microsoft Office, antivirus products and video players).
Here’s our full testing process
We subject all new drivers to a battery of tests.
Step 1. Filter out faulty drivers
First, we locate and download any new drivers from nearly 100 manufacturer websites, then scan them all with two proprietary tools that filter out any that:
- are incorrectly formatted;
- are missing files;
- are likely to be flagged by antivirus programs; or
- have failed our previous tests.
Then we add all drivers that pass these filters to our development-only version of Driver Easy.
Step 2. Test on all modern versions of Windows
We then scan a small selection of computers with our development-only Driver Easy. These computers have typical devices attached, like a mouse, keyboard, monitor and printer. On each computer, we test all modern versions of Windows (Windows 11 32-bit, Windows 11 64-bit, Windows 10 32 bit, Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit):
01. We install each driver that Driver Easy recommends, one at a time.
02. After each driver installation, we check that the computer functions normally and all devices work properly. E.g. If it’s a network card driver, we test the internet connection, if it’s a video card driver, we test the screen resolution, if it’s a keyboard driver, we test that the keyboard is functioning properly, and so on.
03. We then check Windows’ Device Manager to ensure no device drivers are flagged as problematic.
04. We then restart the computer to ensure that the driver installation didn’t cause any issues with Windows (e.g. no blue screen of death on startup, no error messages, no unexpected behavior).
05. If all is working as expected, we return to step 1, and install and test the next driver.
06. If there are issues, we check the driver install log to see if any errors were detected during installation.
07. If the log is inconclusive, we do further testing to determine if it was the driver that caused the issue. Usually we test an alternative driver to see if it causes the same issue. If it doesn’t, then it’s likely the first driver is the culprit. If the same issue occurs with the alternative driver too, we test to see if the computer itself is the issue. Often this involves performing a system restore on the test PC.
08. If we can prove that the driver was the cause of the computer or device issue, we remove it from Driver Easy, then return to step 1, and install and test the next driver.
Any drivers that make it through our first two test phases are then added to the live Driver Easy database.
Step 3. Test on many popular computers
We then use Driver Easy to scan dozens of the most popular computer setups (PC, operating system, video card, sound card, network card, printer, default software, etc.):
- We install each driver that Driver Easy recommends, one at a time.
- After each driver installation, we check that the computer functions normally and all devices work properly. E.g. If it’s a network card driver, we test the internet connection, if it’s a video card driver, we test the screen resolution, if it’s a keyboard driver, we test that the keyboard is functioning properly, and so on.
- We then check Windows’ Device Manager to ensure no device drivers are flagged as problematic.
- We then restart the computer to ensure that the driver installation didn’t cause any issues with Windows (e.g. no blue screen of death on startup, no error messages, no unexpected behavior).
- If all is working as expected, we return to step 1, and install and test the next driver.
- If there are issues, we check the driver install log to see if any errors were detected during installation.
- If the log is inconclusive, we do further testing to determine if it was the driver that caused the issue. Usually we test an alternative driver to see if it causes the same issue. If it doesn’t, then it’s likely the first driver is the culprit. If the same issue occurs with the alternative driver too, we test to see if the computer itself is the issue. Often this involves performing a system restore on the test PC.
- If we can prove that the driver was the cause of the computer or device issue, we remove it from Driver Easy, then return to step 1, and install and test the next driver.
Over the course of a year, we test on hundreds of different computers in this way.
If a driver fails our tests…
If we establish that a manufacturer’s driver causes issues on any combination of hardware, operating system and software, we find an alternative version of the driver for that particular combination.
For example, if an audio driver supplied by Dell for a certain laptop causes issues on Windows 10, we’d source a different version of it. Typically from the audio card’s chipset manufacturer (e.g. Realtek). They’d usually have the most up-to-date drivers available because they continue updating their drivers almost indefinitely, whereas Dell would typically stop updating the laptop’s drivers as soon as it’s superseded by a newer model.
Once we’ve located an alternative driver, we start over at step 1 of our testing process with it.
Why you can’t rely on Windows to keep your drivers up-to-date
Windows comes with an inbuilt tool, called ‘Windows Update’, that’s supposed to automatically keep your drivers up to date. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well.
There are two reasons why…
Device manufacturers often take a long time to get their drivers into a Windows Update – It’s a time-consuming and difficult process. Sometimes they just miss the deadline and have to wait ‘til the next Windows Update, and sometimes they just give up altogether. In fact, for older devices, this is the norm.
Windows Update ignores driver updates it considers ‘optional’ – It categorizes driver updates as either ‘critical’, ‘automatic’ or ‘optional’, and it doesn’t usually concern itself with the ‘optional’ ones – even when they’re actually important. You can install them manually by going to the ‘Optional updates’ screen but, even then, as described above, you’re unlikely to get all the latest drivers.
What are drivers?
Drivers are like interpreters between Windows and your devices. For example, when Windows needs to display something on your monitor, it sends a command to your graphics card, and your graphics card then displays what Windows wants on your monitor.
But Windows and your graphics card don’t actually speak the same language. To understand each other, they need a translator. That translator is called a driver. It takes the Windows command and translates it into something your graphics card can understand. Your graphics card can then do as it’s told, and display the right thing on your monitor.
Similarly, if your graphics card needs to send some sort of response back to Windows, the driver translates the response into something Windows can understand.
In this example, what we’re talking about is a video driver, but your computer has many other drivers on it too – one for each device. Your speakers, your printer, your mouse, your USB hard drives, your network card, your keyboard and so on – they each have an associated driver.
And without all these drivers, none of your devices will work.
Also read:
- How To Upgrade or Downgrade iPhone 14 Pro Without iTunes? | Dr.fone
- Recover your messages after Nord N30 SE has been deleted
- How to Update iPhone 12 Pro Max without Losing Anything? | Dr.fone
- How To Leave a Life360 Group On Tecno Phantom V Flip Without Anyone Knowing? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Full Guide to Fix iToolab AnyGO Not Working On Vivo Y55s 5G (2023) | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How Can I Use a Fake GPS Without Mock Location On Apple iPhone XR? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How to Change Netflix Location to Get More Country Version On Honor 90 | Dr.fone
- Possible ways to recover deleted files from Nokia XR21
- How To Update or Downgrade iPhone 13 Without Losing Data? | Dr.fone
- Does Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G Have Find My Friends? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Does Life360 Notify When You Log Out On Poco X5? | Dr.fone
- MP4 Video Repair Tool - Repair corrupt, damaged, unplayable video files of Vivo Y78+
- How to Change Xiaomi Redmi K70E Location on Skout | Dr.fone
- Quickly Repair Damaged PDF v1.7 Files | Stellar
- How to Fake Snapchat Location without Jailbreak On Tecno Spark 20 | Dr.fone
- Recover Deleted iPhone 14 Plus WhatsApp Attachments on Mac and Windows | Stellar
- Possible solutions to restore deleted contacts from Moto G Stylus (2023).
- Identify missing or malfunctioning hardware drivers with Windows Device Manager on Windows 11/10
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone 8 To Other iPhone devices? | Dr.fone
- Recover lost data from Xiaomi 14 Pro
- Quickly Remove Google FRP Lock on Xiaomi Redmi 12 5G
- In 2024, Does Life360 Notify When You Log Out On Honor X7b? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Fake the Location to Get Around the MLB Blackouts on Motorola G54 5G | Dr.fone
- Realme C51 Video Recovery - Recover Deleted Videos from Realme C51
- Possible solutions to restore deleted pictures from GT Neo 5 SE.
- MP4 won't play on my Xiaomi Redmi A2+
- How to Unlock Xiaomi Phone Forgot Password
- How to Update iPhone 6s Plus without Data Loss? | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone 14 Plus To Other iPhone 11 devices? | Dr.fone
- Possible solutions to restore deleted photos from Oppo F23 5G.
- In 2024, Does Airplane Mode Turn off GPS Location On Nubia Z50 Ultra? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Dose Life360 Notify Me When Someone Checks My Location On Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro+? | Dr.fone
- How to Update iPhone SE (2020) to the Latest iOS Version? | Dr.fone
- How to Upgrade iPhone 14 without Losing Any Data? | Dr.fone
- MOV playback issues on Huawei
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone XS To Other iPhone 13 devices? | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 11 to other iPhone 15 Pro Max devices? | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 13 mini to Android? | Dr.fone
- Possible solutions to restore deleted contacts from Motorola Moto G34 5G.
- Recover your photos after Oppo K11 5G has been deleted.
- Recover iPhone 14 Data From iOS iCloud | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Fake the Location to Get Around the MLB Blackouts on Vivo S17t | Dr.fone
- Remove Google FRP Lock on Itel A60s
- In 2024, Dose Life360 Notify Me When Someone Checks My Location On Vivo Y02T? | Dr.fone
- How to Update iPhone XS without Data Loss? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How Can I Use a Fake GPS Without Mock Location On Oppo Find N3 Flip? | Dr.fone
- Recover your music after Google Pixel 8 has been deleted
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 6s Plus to other iPhone? | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 14 Pro to other iPhone 11 Pro devices? | Dr.fone
- Remove FRP Lock on Itel
- About Nokia G310 FRP Bypass
- How to Turn Off Google Location to Stop Tracking You on Meizu 21 | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Top 9 Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Monitoring Apps for Parental Controls | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How to Hide/Fake Snapchat Location on Your Huawei Nova Y71 | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Great Ways to Make Claymation Videos
- Updated In 2024, Unbranded Video Editing 10 Top Free Android Apps
- Solutions to restore deleted files from Nokia C12
- How To Install the Latest iOS/iPadOS Beta Version on iPhone 8 Plus? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Additional Tips About Sinnoh Stone For Poco X6 Pro | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Amazon Live for Beginners Features, Pro Tips & Future Trends
- How to Simulate GPS Movement in AR games On Infinix Hot 30 5G? | Dr.fone
- Can I use iTools gpx file to catch the rare Pokemon On Tecno Pova 5 | Dr.fone
- Updated 2024 Approved 15 Iconic Cartoon Characters of All Time
- In 2024, How to Show Wi-Fi Password on Nokia C32
- In 2024, How to Bypass Android Lock Screen Using Emergency Call On Itel P55T?
- How to Change GPS Location on Realme 11 Pro+ Easily & Safely | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Universal Unlock Pattern for Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
- How to Fix Tecno Pop 8 Find My Friends No Location Found? | Dr.fone
- How To Restore Missing Music Files from Motorola Edge 2023
- In 2024, 3 Effective Methods to Fake GPS location on Android For your Vivo V29 Pro | Dr.fone
- Updated 2024 Approved Green Screen Like a Pro FCP X Chroma Keying Essentials
- How to Find iSpoofer Pro Activation Key On Xiaomi 14 Pro? | Dr.fone
- How to Flash Dead Infinix Smart 7 HD Safely | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How Do I SIM Unlock My Apple iPhone 15?
- In 2024, Preparation to Beat Giovani in Pokemon Go For Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- How Do You Get Sun Stone Evolutions in Pokémon For Xiaomi Redmi A2? | Dr.fone
- How do I reset my Honor Play 8T Phone without technical knowledge? | Dr.fone
- The Ultimate Guide to Bypassing iCloud Activation Lock on Apple iPhone 6s
- Things You Dont Know About OnePlus 12R Reset Code | Dr.fone
- Guide to Mirror Your Meizu 21 Pro to Other Android devices | Dr.fone
- How to Get the Most Out of KineMaster Video Templates
- New In 2024, 3 Best Motion Blur Plugins for Adobe After Effects
- A Comprehensive Guide to iCloud Unlock On iPhone 11 Pro Max Online
- New Video Editing Mastery Top Effects to Elevate Your Videos for 2024
- How to Delete iCloud Account with or without Password from your iPhone 8 Plus/Windows/Mac
- In 2024, How To Unlock SIM Cards Of Vivo Y100t Without PUK Codes
- Apply These Techniques to Improve How to Detect Fake GPS Location On Tecno Pop 8 | Dr.fone
- 4 Ways to Transfer Contacts from Apple iPhone 8 to iPhone Quickly | Dr.fone
- How to Unlock Oppo A2 PIN Code/Pattern Lock/Password
- In 2024, Is pgsharp legal when you are playing pokemon On Oppo Reno 11 Pro 5G? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How to Sign Out of Apple ID From iPhone 15 Plus without Password?
- In 2024, Hassle-Free Ways to Remove FRP Lock on Oppo Find X7 Ultra Phones with/without a PC
- In 2024, How to Mirror Your Infinix Hot 40i Screen to PC with Chromecast | Dr.fone
- How to recover deleted photos from Android Gallery without backup on Samsung Galaxy S24
- What to Do if Google Play Services Keeps Stopping on Infinix Smart 8 Plus | Dr.fone
- How to Recover Deleted Screenshots on iPhone 15 Plus? | Stellar
- How To Transfer Data From Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max To Other iPhone 15 Pro devices? | Dr.fone
- Title: How to use Device Manager to reinstall hardware drivers on Windows 10
- Author: Vivienne
- Created at : 2024-05-19 18:09:42
- Updated at : 2024-05-21 02:11:53
- Link: https://review-topics.techidaily.com/how-to-use-device-manager-to-reinstall-hardware-drivers-on-windows-10-by-drivereasy-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.