How to update drivers on Windows
Start with Windows Update: open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates and install the driver updates listed there. For anything still missing, use your PC maker's support page or app, and get graphics drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
The short version
What to install and where it comes from. Every link goes to the manufacturer or Microsoft, never to a copy.
Official files only, nothing bundled
Step by step
Install optional driver updates
Open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates. Expand Driver updates, tick the ones listed and install them. Windows 10 has the same option under Update and Security, Windows Update, View optional updates.
Use your PC maker's tool
On a laptop or prebuilt PC, run the maker's app or support site: Lenovo Vantage, Dell SupportAssist, HP Support Assistant or MyASUS. They list the drivers tested for your exact model.
Update the graphics driver from the chip maker
Graphics drivers change most often. Use the NVIDIA app for GeForce cards, AMD's driver page for Radeon, and Intel Driver & Support Assistant for Intel graphics.
Update one device in Device Manager
Right-click Start, Device Manager, right-click the device, Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers. If you downloaded a driver yourself, choose Browse my computer for drivers instead.
Restart and check the result
Restart, open Device Manager again and confirm the device has no warning triangle. Under Properties, Driver you can see the new version and date.
The order that saves the most time
Windows Update covers most drivers on most PCs. The PC maker fills the gaps for laptops, where special keys, power settings and audio depend on its own versions. The chip maker matters most for graphics cards, where new versions arrive every few weeks. Following that order avoids installing a generic driver over a tuned one.
What Microsoft says
Microsoft’s own guidance is that the best way to get driver updates is automatically through Windows Update, and that drivers should not be downloaded from websites other than the manufacturer’s official site. Every link on this site follows that rule.
Doing it automatically
Driver updater programs scan the PC and install missing or outdated drivers in one pass. They save time on older PCs with many devices. Choose one from a known publisher, read what it will install before you confirm, and create a restore point first.
Questions
Should I update every driver?
No. If a device works well, there is no need to chase every new version. Update graphics drivers for games and new software, and update other drivers when something breaks or the maker publishes a fix.
Search automatically found nothing. Is my driver current?
Not always. That search only looks at drivers already on your PC and those Microsoft has. Your PC maker or the chip maker can have a newer one.
Is it safe to download drivers from other sites?
Microsoft advises against it: get drivers from Windows Update or the manufacturer's official site. Copies on third-party sites can be outdated or bundled with other software.
A new driver made things worse. How do I go back?
In Device Manager, open the device's Properties, Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver. The button is available when a previous version is still stored.