Identify missing or malfunctioning your drivers with Windows Device Manager on Windows 11/10/7
![](/images/site-logo.png)
How to identify missing or malfunctioning drivers with Windows Device Manager
To see which of your devices have a missing or malfunctioning driver:
- 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 (e.g. Display Adapters) to see the devices in that category. If you see a yellow triangle or question mark next to a device, Windows has detected that it has a missing or malfunctioning driver.
- Step4: If you see this yellow mark, you can try to
update
orreinstall
the driver.
Try Driver Easy for free
If you want the certainty of knowing your device drivers are always up to date (and not just sometimes up to date, which is all you get from Windows Device Manager), and you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to continually update them manually, give the free version of Driver Easy a try.
The free version will identify all your outdated drivers, and allow you to download them all.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.)
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.
What happens if a driver is missing or outdated?
Every now and then, Microsoft will change the commands Windows sends to one of your devices (e.g. your network card). When this happens, the manufacturer of that device need to change the device driver too. They need to teach it the new Windows commands. Otherwise the drivers won’t be able to translate those commands for your devices, and your devices won’t work properly.
The same thing needs to happen when your device manufacturer changes the way your device talks, or the things it can do. They need to change the driver too. Otherwise Windows won’t be able to talk to the device, or take advantage of its new functionality, and your device won’t work properly.
Now when we say “your device won’t work properly”, sometimes this means simply that you miss out on new functionality or minor bug fixes. But it’s often a lot more serious than that. Your computer may even hang, crash or stop working completely. Remember, there’s a driver that controls your hard drive, for instance. If Windows can’t talk to your hard drive, it can’t access any of the data on your drive. Similarly, if Windows can’t talk to your network card, you won’t be able to access the internet, and if it can’t talk to your graphics card, you won’t be able to see anything on your monitor. These are just a few of the more serious issues outdated drivers can cause.
How to update all your drivers with just 1 click
The easiest way to automatically update your drivers is with our tool, Driver Easy Pro.
With Driver Easy Pro :
- You can update all your drivers with just one click.
- You don’t have to know anything about computers. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and all your devices, and install the latest correct drivers for you – direct from the manufacturer. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong drivers, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
- You get the latest version of every driver, direct from the manufacturer, certified safe and stable.
- You get all driver updates, even the ones Microsoft considers ‘optional’ and wouldn’t provide.
- You’re not relying on the device manufacturers getting their updated drivers into Windows Update on time (because we proactively source the latest drivers from them).
Here’s how Driver Easy works:
Step-by-step instructions
To automatically update to the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system:
(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.)
- $29.95- Single Computer License / 1 Year
- $29.95 - 3 Computers License / 1 Year
- $59.95 - 5 Computers License / 1 Year
- $99.95 - 10 Computers License / 1 Year
- $269.95 - 30 Computers License / 1 Year
- $399.95 - 50 Computers License / 1 Year
- $795 - 100 Computers License / 1 Year
- Run the downloaded executable file and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Run Driver Easy and click
UPGRADE
.
- Paste or type the software key you were emailed when you bought Driver Easy.
- Click
Scan Now
. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any devices with missing or outdated drivers.
- Click
Update All
to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. - That’s it. You can go grab a coffee, while Driver Easy does all the work for you!
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.)
Also read:
- In 2024, Fake the Location to Get Around the MLB Blackouts on Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Dr.fone
- Recover Lost Photos during Transfer from iPhone X to PC or Mac | Stellar
- How to Fake Snapchat Location without Jailbreak On Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Complete Tutorial to Use GPS Joystick to Fake GPS Location On Sony Xperia 1 V | Dr.fone
- How to Update iPhone 15 Pro to the Latest iOS Version? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Complete Tutorial to Use VPNa to Fake GPS Location On Oppo K11x | Dr.fone
- Edit and Send Fake Location on Telegram For your Infinix Note 30 5G in 3 Ways | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone XS Max To Other iPhone? | Dr.fone
- Recover your pictures after Oppo has been deleted.
- MOV to Xiaomi Redmi K70E converter-convert .mov files for Xiaomi Redmi K70E
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 6s Plus to other iPhone 14 Pro devices? | Dr.fone
- Possible solutions to restore deleted photos from 11 Pro+.
- In 2024, How to Change Google Play Location On Itel P55 | Dr.fone
- Recover iPhone 7 Data From iOS iCloud | Dr.fone
- Recover your music after Motorola Edge 40 has been deleted
- Identify missing hardware drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 11/10/7
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone 8 Plus To Android devices? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Does Airplane Mode Turn off GPS Location On Lava Blaze 2 5G? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Fake the Location to Get Around the MLB Blackouts on Poco M6 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- How To Pause Life360 Location Sharing For Tecno Phantom V Fold | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone SE To Android? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Does Airplane Mode Turn off GPS Location On Vivo Y100A? | Dr.fone
- How to Change Honor 80 Pro Straight Screen Edition Location on Skout | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone 15 To Other iPhone devices? | Dr.fone
- How to Use Face ID to Pay for Apple TV+ on iPhone 15 Plus
- Recover Permanently Deleted or Erased Excel Files for Free | Stellar
- MKV playback issues on Xiaomi 13T
- Motorola Moto G34 5G won't play MOV videos, how to fix ?
- Possible solutions to restore deleted messages from Oppo
- Recover lost data from Infinix Note 30 Pro
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 14 to other iPhone 15 Pro Max devices? | Dr.fone
- Identify missing your hardware drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 11 & 10 & 7
- MOV files are unwatchable on Galaxy XCover 7
- Play HEVC H.265 on Samsung Galaxy XCover 7, is it possible?
- In 2024, Dose Life360 Notify Me When Someone Checks My Location On Nokia C32? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How to Change Google Play Location On Infinix Smart 7 HD | Dr.fone
- How to use Device Manager to reinstall your drivers in Windows 11 and 7
- In 2024, What Is an AI Text Generator? | Wondershare Virbo Glossary
- In 2024, How to Unlock Oppo F25 Pro 5G Phone without PIN
- In 2024, Change Location on Yik Yak For your Oppo A18 to Enjoy More Fun | Dr.fone
- In 2024, For People Wanting to Mock GPS on Honor Magic 6 Pro Devices | Dr.fone
- 11 Proven Solutions to Fix Google Play Store Not Working Issue on Vivo Y100 5G | Dr.fone
- A Working Guide For Pachirisu Pokemon Go Map On Vivo Y27s | Dr.fone
- In 2024, The Ultimate Guide to Bypassing iCloud Activation Lock on iPhone 12
- About Infinix Smart 7 HD FRP Bypass
- Latest way to get Shiny Meltan Box in Pokémon Go Mystery Box On Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 | Dr.fone
- Best Free 3GP Video Rotation Software Top Picks
- Updated 2024 Approved If You Are a Free Video Editor Being a Windows User, VSDC Free Video Editor Is a Great Choice. But Is It the Best Video Editor You Should Use? Find Out From Our VSDC Free Video Editor Review
- How To Unlock Any Poco X5 Phone Password Using Emergency Call
- How to Remove an AirTag from Your Apple ID Account From Apple iPhone XR?
- In 2024, How Windows Movie Maker Save MP4 File
- How To Fix Apple ID Verification Code Not Working From iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Top 6 Celebrity Text to Speech AI Voice Generators You May Like
- Updated 2024 Approved How to Enable the Text to Speech Function on iPhone
- In 2024, Step-by-Step Tutorial How To Bypass Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition FRP
- Updated In 2024, What Is an AI Avatar?
- How to Transfer Data from Samsung Galaxy S24 to Other Android Devices? | Dr.fone
- Bypassing Google Account With vnROM Bypass For Realme 12 Pro+ 5G
- Unlock Apple ID without Phone Number From Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- New The Audio Converter Roundup 12 Top Picks for Every Music Lover for 2024
- In 2024, 2 Ways to Monitor Motorola Moto G34 5G Activity | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Guide to Mirror Your Samsung Galaxy S23 FE to Other Android devices | Dr.fone
- 10 Top Suggestions for AI Video Interviews for 2024
- How to Unlock a Network Locked Samsung Galaxy F34 5G Phone?
- In 2024, Why is iPogo not working On Oppo Reno 10 5G? Fixed | Dr.fone
- 6 Proven Ways to Unlock Xiaomi Redmi K70 Phone When You Forget the Password
- In 2024, How to get the dragon scale and evolution-enabled pokemon On Apple iPhone 14 Pro? | Dr.fone
- 10 Best Free Video Rotation Software for Flipping Clips
- How to Mirror Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G Screen to PC with Chromecast | Dr.fone
- In 2024, A Guide Realme GT 5 (240W) Wireless and Wired Screen Mirroring | Dr.fone
- In 2024, The Cinematic Look A Comprehensive Guide to FCPX Video Editing
- Tutorial to Change Vivo S18 Pro IMEI without Root A Comprehensive Guide
- Debunking Myths 5 Little-Known Truths About the 16X9 Ratio Calculator
- Title: Identify missing or malfunctioning your drivers with Windows Device Manager on Windows 11/10/7
- Author: Vivienne
- Created at : 2024-05-19 18:09:42
- Updated at : 2024-05-21 02:11:54
- Link: https://review-topics.techidaily.com/identify-missing-or-malfunctioning-your-drivers-with-windows-device-manager-on-windows-11107-by-drivereasy-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.