How we check drivers

Last updated October 30, 2026

Every guide on this site follows the same route before it is published, and again whenever we update it. The date at the top of each guide shows the last time its facts and links were checked.

We follow Microsoft's guidance

Microsoft recommends getting driver updates through Windows Update, and advises against downloading drivers from any website other than the manufacturer's official site. Every guide starts with Windows Update or the manufacturer, and every download link goes to the manufacturer or to Microsoft.

We identify the exact chip

Windows names every device with a hardware ID, such as PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168. The part after VEN_ is the chip maker and the part after DEV_ is the chip. We match these against the public PCI ID database maintained by the PCI ID Project, the same data Linux and many hardware tools use.

PC maker first, chip maker second

On laptops and prebuilt PCs, makers ship drivers tested with their own hardware, power settings and special keys. Our guides send you there first. For self-built desktops and for graphics cards, the chip maker's driver is usually the right one.

We confirm Windows support and the source

We only list a download page after opening it and confirming it belongs to the manufacturer and covers the Windows version in question. We never host driver files and never link to copies on download sites.

We do not invent facts

We do not publish version numbers, dates or test results we have not checked. When a manufacturer changes its pages, we update the guide and its date.