Identify missing your drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 10
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.
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.
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.
Why update your drivers in Windows 11, 10 & Windows 7?
Many computer issues are caused by outdated device drivers. Particularly in Windows 10/11.
So if your computer has slowed down, you should update your drivers. If it’s crashing or hanging, update your drivers. If you can’t connect to the internet, update your drivers. If your mouse, keyboard, monitor or speakers are acting up, update your drivers. In fact, no matter what your issue, there’s a good chance updating your drivers will fix it.
To understand why, you first have to understand what drivers actually are…
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, Complete Tutorial to Use VPNa to Fake GPS Location On Tecno Spark 10 Pro | Dr.fone
- How to use Device Manager to reinstall drivers on Windows 11
- In 2024, How to Change Google Play Location On Xiaomi Redmi 12 | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Complete Tutorial to Use GPS Joystick to Fake GPS Location On Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 6s Plus to other iPhone 15 devices? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Can Life360 Track You When Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G is off? | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 15 Plus to other iPhone 13 Pro Max devices? | Dr.fone
- Remove Google FRP Lock on Itel P40
- Recover Lost Photos during Transfer from iPhone 12 Pro Max to PC or Mac | Stellar
- Possible ways to recover deleted files from ZTE Nubia Flip 5G
- In 2024, Complete Tutorial to Use VPNa to Fake GPS Location On Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Dose Life360 Notify Me When Someone Checks My Location On Oppo A59 5G? | Dr.fone
- New iPhone 6s Restore from iCloud Stuck on Time Remaining Estimating | Stellar
- In 2024, Full Guide to Fix iToolab AnyGO Not Working On Vivo V27 Pro | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 7 Plus to other iPhone 14 devices? | Dr.fone
- Recover iPhone 14 Pro Data From iTunes Backup | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Fixing Foneazy MockGo Not Working On Honor X8b | Dr.fone
- Nokia Data Recovery – recover lost data from Nokia 105 Classic
- In 2024, Does Airplane Mode Turn off GPS Location On Motorola Moto G14? | Dr.fone
- Oppo Data Recovery – recover lost data from Oppo A18
- Possible solutions to restore deleted call logs from HTC U23
- Identify some outdated your hardware drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 11 & 10
- How to Unlock Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Without Password?
- Quickly Remove Google FRP Lock on Poco X6
- In 2024, Full Guide to Fix iToolab AnyGO Not Working On Samsung Galaxy A34 5G | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone 6 Plus to Android/iOS? | Dr.fone
- Recover your pictures after Samsung has been deleted.
- Possible solutions to restore deleted music from Honor X50i
- Oppo Data Recovery – recover lost data from Oppo Find X6
- HTC U23 Pro Messages Recovery - Recover Deleted Messages from HTC U23 Pro
- How to turn off the screen lock on my Motorola Moto G 5G (2023)
- In 2024, Fixing Foneazy MockGo Not Working On Motorola Moto E13 | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone SE (2020) To Other iPhone 11 Pro Max devices? | Dr.fone
- How to turn off the screen lock on my Infinix Note 30 Pro
- In 2024, Does Airplane Mode Turn off GPS Location On Xiaomi Redmi K70E? | Dr.fone
- Online signatures for Word 2023
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone XS to other iPhone 12 Pro Max devices? | Dr.fone
- Quickly Remove Google FRP Lock on Motorola Edge 40
- How to Upgrade iPhone 14 Pro Max without iTunes? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Full Guide to Fix iToolab AnyGO Not Working On Tecno Camon 30 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- Possible solutions to restore deleted call logs from Oppo Find X7 Ultra
- In 2024, Fixing Foneazy MockGo Not Working On Realme 12+ 5G | Dr.fone
- Remove FRP Lock on Google Pixel 7a
- How to Upgrade iPhone 15 Pro Max to the Latest iOS/iPadOS Version? | Dr.fone
- MOV files are unwatchable on P60
- Play MOV movies on Galaxy A05, is it possible?
- In 2024, Does Life360 Notify When You Log Out On Google Pixel 8 Pro? | Dr.fone
- Possible solutions to restore deleted pictures from Realme GT 5 (240W).
- Recover your messages after Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G has been deleted
- In 2024, The Best Android SIM Unlock Code Generators Unlock Your Vivo S17 Phone Hassle-Free
- How to Fix when Apple Account Locked From Apple iPhone 7 Plus?
- Resolve Your iPhone X Keeps Asking for Outlook Password
- Top 6 Apps/Services to Trace Any Realme 12 Pro 5G Location By Mobile Number | Dr.fone
- Top 7 Skype Hacker to Hack Any Skype Account On your Motorola Moto G84 5G | Dr.fone
- 2024 Approved Reviewing Efectum App For Smartphone Users Create Slow Motion Videos
- How To Leave a Life360 Group On Xiaomi Redmi A2 Without Anyone Knowing? | Dr.fone
- For People Wanting to Mock GPS on Motorola Razr 40 Ultra Devices | Dr.fone
- In 2024, 3 Easy Methods to Unlock iCloud Locked Apple iPhone 15 Pro/iPad/iPod
- 2 Ways to Monitor Xiaomi Redmi A2+ Activity | Dr.fone
- How To Use Special Features - Virtual Location On Lava Yuva 2? | Dr.fone
- Best Android Data Recovery - Retrieve Lost Photos from Honor 100.
- How to Share/Fake Location on WhatsApp for Vivo S17 Pro | Dr.fone
- Hassle-Free Ways to Remove FRP Lock on Xiaomi Redmi Note 12T Pro Phones with/without a PC
- Unova Stone Pokémon Go Evolution List and How Catch Them For Realme Narzo 60x 5G | Dr.fone
- Strategies for Apps That Wont Download From Play Store On Nokia C300 | Dr.fone
- How to Fake Snapchat Location without Jailbreak On Nokia 130 Music | Dr.fone
- New In 2024, The Ultimate List of Lyric Video Makers Free, Paid, and Everything in Between
- New Multiple Ways How To Remove iCloud Activation Lock On your iPhone 11
- Fixes for Apps Keep Crashing on Samsung Galaxy F34 5G | Dr.fone
- New How to Create a DIY Green Screen Video Effect?
- Updated Android Video Editing Essentials 10 Must-Have Apps
- In 2024, A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Apple ID On Your iPhone XS
- In 2024, How Can Nokia C210Mirror Share to PC? | Dr.fone
- How to Unlock Nubia Z50 Ultra Phone without Any Data Loss
- Updated 2024 Approved Best Tools To Create Blend Image Collage
- In 2024, Delete Gmail Account With/Without Password On Oppo A2
- In 2024, How and Where to Find a Shiny Stone Pokémon For Vivo S17 Pro? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Full Guide to Unlock iPhone 6 Plus with iTunes | Dr.fone
- Lenovo ThinkPhone Not Connecting to Wi-Fi? 12 Quick Ways to Fix | Dr.fone
- Top 10 Best Spy Watches For your Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- Updated A Vlog Has Many Elements to Answer. While Setting up Ideas for It, There Are Several Things Into Which You Should Look. This Article Presents a Picture of How a Vlog Video Is Made Perfectly
- New In 2024, Smooth Operator Top Free Video Stabilization Tools
- How Can We Bypass Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G FRP?
- How to Screen Mirroring Tecno Spark 20 Pro? | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Complete Review & Guide to Techeligible FRP Bypass and More For Realme GT Neo 5
- In 2024, 3 Facts You Need to Know about Screen Mirroring Poco M6 5G | Dr.fone
- 7 Ways to Lock Apps on Apple iPhone 7 and iPad Securely | Dr.fone
- The Best iSpoofer Alternative to Try On Samsung Galaxy A23 5G | Dr.fone
- 11 Best Location Changers for Apple iPhone SE (2020) | Dr.fone
- A Perfect Guide To Remove or Disable Google Smart Lock On Oppo Reno 11F 5G
- In 2024, Top 10 Vivo Y78t Android SIM Unlock APK
- How to Unlock Apple iPhone 14 Pro Passcode without iTunes without Knowing Passcode? | Dr.fone
- Updated 2024 Approved Top 10 Animated Photo Collage Apps You Should Know
- Title: Identify missing your drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 10
- 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-your-drivers-with-windows-device-manager-in-windows-10-by-drivereasy-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.