Eight Ways To Update Drivers On Windows 10: PC Drivers Guide

Device Drivers are a quintessential part of every Windows ecosystem. Without these small packages, you certainly can’t run your hardware as intended. So, keeping drivers up-to-date is inevitable if you want to overcome common system issues such as display problems, BSOD errors, sound lags, printer not responding and many more.

Since many of our readers have a common query on “How to update drivers conveniently & easily?” we thought of listing all the possible methods to update drivers on Windows 10 safely, so, let’s begin!

Eight Methods: How To Update Drivers On Windows 10 Conveniently (2020)

Well, if you are suffering from unexplained computer issues, the best bet to resolve them is by finding and replacing outdated, missing, damaged & faulty drivers. For your ease, we have listed the best solutions to update drivers on Windows 10.

 1. Update Drivers Using Driver Update Software

Using a dedicated driver updater utility is one of the easiest, quickest & safest ways to find and install most compatible and latest device drivers. While several utilities claim to update drivers automatically, only a few of them manage to complete the task as per users’ requirements. After researching more than 30 Driver Update Software, we’ve concluded Smart Driver Care to be an apt choice to find faulty drivers and replace them with the correct ones. Here’s a complete guide for you to follow what features & advantages it brings over other popular driver updater utilities.

To learn how to use Smart Driver Care to update drivers, follow the instructions below:

Step 1- Download & Install Smart Driver Care. It is compatible with almost all popular Windows versions.

Step 2- On the main dashboard, click on Start Scan Now option. This will initiate a thorough scan on your system. Within a few minutes, all the faulty, missing & damaged drivers would be listed in a neat & clean format.

Step 3- Go through the list & see drivers you want to update, or you can click on Update All button to let the software install and replace the right drivers automatically in a single click.

Looking for any other alternative to find & install compatible drivers? Check out our list of Top 10+ Reviewed & Compared Best Driver Updater Software for Windows 10 & other vision’s!

2. Update Drivers Via Windows Update

If you do not want to install any third-party software to update drivers automatically, you can go with the manual workaround through Microsoft built-in tool – Windows Update. Though the built-in utility is responsible for keeping most of your device drivers up-to-date in the background, however for niche devices, it doesn’t offer an update through Microsoft’s built-in tool.

To check and install new updates for your PC, follow the steps below:

Step 1- Click on the Start menu & go to Settings. (Click on the gear-like icon).

Step 2- Head toward Updates & Security.

Step 3- Now click on the option “Check for Updates”.

Once you complete the steps above, you can view and install driver updates that are available for your computer. If any missing driver is found, then after the upgrade or clean installation, the new driver will be installed automatically to improve overall PC performance.

3. Update Drivers Via Device Manager

Using a Device Manager is undoubtedly an excellent way to keep a general check on your drivers without getting deep into your PC’s settings. If you want to update specific device drivers, Device Manager is the quickest way to achieve the task. To update drivers on Windows 10 manually using Device Manager, here’s what you need to do.

Learn how to update drivers manually on Windows 10, here we are updating Network Drivers:

Step 1- Open Start Menu & search for Device Manager.

Step 2- Click on the very first result & open the Device Manager window.

Step 3- Now scroll down & look for Network Adapters > Double-click to expand the category.

Step 4- Simply right-click on the Wireless Adapter you would like to install new drivers for & choose the option ‘Update Driver’.

If new driver versions are available, the wizard will automatically install it. This is one of the most convenient ways to update drivers when you don’t receive any driver update notifications via Windows Update. Note, this method would take a lot of your time as compared to updating drivers automatically.

4. Update Drivers Through Manufacturer’s Update Software

Another better way to update drivers on Windows 10 is through using the Update Utility that your device manufacturer has installed on your computer. Depending on the orientation of your PC, it might have come with a dedicated utility that lets you know when any driver updates are available for you to install. For instance, I own an HP computer & it came with an HP Support Assistant (looks like a round blue icon with a question mark on Task Bar). Similarly, Dell computers come with Dell Update Application.

Here we are learning how to update drivers through Manufacturer’s Update Software:

Step 1- Click on the HP Support Assistant icon, located on the Taskbar.

Step 2- Once you open it, the window will display all the necessary details about your PC.

Step 3- Locate & click on the Updates icon to see if any driver versions are available for your system.

If they found any updates are available, it will install them automatically on your Windows 10. This is undoubtedly more reliable then Device Manager as it brings the latest & most compatible versions directly from the Manufacturer’s website.

Also Read: How To Update Dell D6000 Drivers On Windows 10?

5. Update Drivers Through Computer Manufacturer’s Website

At certain times, it perfectly makes sense to directly navigate to the Manufacturer’s websites to get the latest driver versions, as soon as they are available. If you have several components from the same company, updating drivers through the site is one of the best bets to do so.

To download & update drivers through the Manufacturer’s website, all you have to do is:

(For this, we are going to HP’s website)

Step 1- Search for hp.com.

Step 2- Navigate to the Support section of the company’s website.

Step 3- Now look for Drivers & Updates section.

Step 4- Now make sure you know the right model of your computer so that you get to install the most compatible & correct driver versions.

Step 5- For me, there was an option to Let HP detect your product, after choosing the device I am operating.

Once the correct model is detected, the website shows a complete list of drivers available for the PC. Now simply, search the driver you wish to install updates for. Here we are updating graphics drivers. Click on the Download button & follow the on-screen instructions to update drivers for Windows 10.

Also Read: How To Download Or Update Drivers For HP Printer?

 6. Update Drivers Through Device Manufacturer’s Website

In case you are unable to find the dedicated driver, you are looking for on the website of the computer manufacturer. You might need to look for it on the Device Manufacturer’s website instead.  For instance, I am looking for a driver for the Intel HD Graphics which I tried installing from the computer manufacturer’s site, but now I am facing certain driver issues. So, the next place to look for a compatible driver version is on the Intel website itself.

Learn how to update drivers through the device manufacturer’s website:

Step 1- Go to the Intel website or whoever makes your device.

Step 2- Search for the device name.

Step 3- On Intel’s website, you can see multiple options for drivers. So, go through the list carefully and click on the Download button.

Follow the on-screen instructions to update the Windows 10 drivers carefully & safely. Though the website even suggests users download the new driver versions from the computer manufacturer’s site. So, it is entirely on to you how & from where you want to update drivers.

Also Read: How Do I Know Which Intel Graphics Driver Do I Have?

7. Update Drivers Via Microsoft Update Catalog

This is another convenient yet unknown method to install drivers on your Windows 10 PC. You can install compatible device drivers through Microsoft’s website. It stores all the drivers that go into Windows Update. Here’s the link you can click on and follow the method to get the right drivers for your Windows PC.

It’s an excellent website to update Windows drivers when you are stuck with any of the methods mentioned above.

Step 1- Once you reach to the Microsoft Update Catalog website, the next step is to search for the driver you need for your PC.

Step 2- You’ll be displayed with plenty of results in a classified format. Many of them will be repeated entries. But the trick here is to look for the recent version and date of release so, that you have all the latest versions of your Windows 10 drivers.

Step 3- Once you’ve found your desired device driver, simply click on the Download button.

Step 4- A file would be downloaded in a .cab format. Make sure you copy & paste all the associated files a separate folder.

Step 5- Now navigate to the Device Manager and look for the device that you are installing the driver.

Right-click on it and choose option Update Driver. From the next pop-up window, you have to choose ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ option. Now simply find & add the folder you’ve just created & Device Manager will do the rest.

 8. Update Drivers Offline

In certain rare situations, users may not be able to connect to the Internet to find and install drivers for Windows 10. In such cases, the only method left to update drivers is through a downloaded file.

Follow the steps one by one to update drivers offline:

Step 1- Download the correct & compatible drivers using any of the aforementioned methods on another PC.

Step 2- Now copy them to a Pen drive and connect it to your PC.

Step 3- At this stage, you can install the update from the pen drive like the usual way.

Keeping your device drives up-to-date is an excellent way to ensure smooth PC performance without any hiccups. You can use any of the shared methods mentioned above to achieve the task.

Which Method Is Best For You To Install Windows 10 Drivers?

Well, all the listed workarounds work effectively to install and replace correct device drivers on your Windows 10 PC. All of them have their own set of merits & if you know any other method to update drivers, do share it with us in the comments section below!

So, did that help you to update Windows 10 Drivers? Please let us know your opinions on our Facebook page, or you can write to us at [email protected] for any troubleshooting queries.