Start with Windows Update: on Windows 11 it installs recommended drivers automatically, while optional driver packages are listed under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. Restart when Windows asks. If a motherboard-connected device still has no driver or malfunctions, use Device Manager and then the motherboard maker’s official support page, matching the exact board model, revision, Windows edition and system architecture.
This guide covers chipset, network, audio, Bluetooth, storage and other motherboard drivers, explains when a BIOS/UEFI update is a separate job, and gives an offline method for a fresh Windows installation with no network access.
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What “motherboard drivers” means
A motherboard is a collection of controllers rather than one device with one universal driver. Windows may need separate packages for the chipset, Ethernet or Wi-Fi controller, Bluetooth, audio codec, storage or RAID controller and, on some boards, management-engine components. A vendor’s download page can also list utilities, firmware and monitoring tools beside drivers; those are not interchangeable.
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A Windows driver is software that lets Windows communicate with a hardware device after the operating system has started. BIOS or UEFI is firmware that runs before Windows and initializes the platform. Updating one does not automatically update the other.
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Check your Windows edition and board identity first
Confirm the Windows version and architecture
Open Settings > System > About and note the Windows edition and system type (for example, 64-bit). Select that exact edition and architecture on the support page. Microsoft records that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; a supported Windows 11 installation is the current target for new driver packages, although a board page may still list Windows 10 files for compatible hardware.
Find the exact motherboard model and revision
Read the model name printed on the board or its box, or use the system-information utility supplied with Windows. Many manufacturers publish separate downloads for a revision such as “1.0” or “rev. 1.x.” Do not substitute a similarly named board: a chipset package for the wrong revision can fail to install or leave devices unrecognized.
Before changing several devices, record which hardware is actually present. A desktop may have a separate graphics card, network adapter or sound card, so installing every item listed under a motherboard page is unnecessary. Use the board’s readme and any stated installation order when available.
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Prepare a safe driver update
- Write down the board model, printed revision, Windows edition and system type before downloading anything.
- Identify the device that needs attention in Device Manager. This prevents installing an audio, wireless or RAID package for hardware your computer does not contain.
- Read the package description, version, release date and installation notes. Some downloads are complete installers; others are compressed folders intended for Device Manager.
- Keep the downloaded file and its extracted folder until the device has been tested. The previous package or a retained installer can be useful if a new version causes a regression.
- If the installation is new and the network may be unavailable, prepare a USB flash drive with the LAN or Wi-Fi package before wiping or setting up Windows.
These checks also make it easier to explain a problem to support: you can identify the exact board, the package selected and the device category showing an error instead of guessing from a similar product name.
Choose an update route
| Route | Source trust | Scope | Control | Offline use | Matching and recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Update | Microsoft’s update service, including drivers supplied by hardware providers certified for Windows Update | Detects supported hardware across the system | Mostly automatic; optional drivers require a selection | Requires an Internet connection to obtain updates | Windows selects a compatible package; restart if requested |
| Device Manager | Windows Update or a package you already downloaded | One selected device at a time | Automatic search or a folder you choose | Yes, when the package is already on the PC or removable media | Device-specific uninstall and, when available, rollback |
| Motherboard manufacturer | Official board support page | Packages for that board’s controllers | Highest control over model, revision and package version | Yes, download on another computer and transfer the files | Follow the vendor readme and keep the previous package for reinstall |
Microsoft’s guidance is: “The best way to get driver updates in Windows is automatically using Windows Update.” Use the manufacturer route when Windows Update does not offer a needed package, a device is unidentified, or you are preparing a clean installation.
Method 1: Install recommended and optional drivers with Windows Update
- Connect the PC to the Internet and sign in to Windows.
- Open Settings > Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates. Install the offered updates and restart if Windows requests it.
- For packages that are not installed automatically, open Advanced options > Optional updates.
- Expand the driver section, select the driver updates that correspond to your hardware, choose Download and install, and restart afterward.
Optional drivers are not installed automatically. If the list is empty, Windows has no optional package currently offered for the detected hardware; that does not prove that the board maker has no newer file.
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When to stop with Windows Update
After the restart, check the device that prompted the update and look for warning icons in Device Manager. If Ethernet, Wi-Fi, audio, Bluetooth or storage still does not work, or Windows labels the hardware as unknown, move to the device-specific method rather than repeatedly checking the same update screen. Windows Update is broad and convenient, but it does not expose every vendor package or every revision-specific download.
Method 2: Update one device in Device Manager
Let Windows search automatically
- Right-click Start and choose Device Manager.
- Expand the relevant category, such as Network adapters, Sound, video and game controllers, System devices or Bluetooth.
- Right-click the device and select Update driver.
- Choose Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the prompts.
- Restart Windows if the installer or Windows requests it, then check the device again.
Point Device Manager to a downloaded package
- Download the package from the board manufacturer’s official support page and extract it if it is a ZIP archive. Keep the extracted folder intact.
- In Device Manager, right-click the target device, select Update driver, then choose Browse my computer for drivers.
- Use Browse to select the extracted folder. Leave the option to include subfolders enabled when the package has a nested driver directory.
- Select Next and let Windows install the matching driver. Restart when prompted.
If the package contains its own setup program or a readme with a required order, follow that instruction instead of pointing Device Manager at a random subfolder. A driver installer may also include several related components that Device Manager would not select individually.
Recognize the device category
Chipset-related entries commonly appear under System devices, while a LAN or Wi-Fi controller appears under Network adapters. Onboard sound is usually listed under Sound, video and game controllers; Bluetooth has its own category when Windows recognizes the radio. Storage or RAID controllers may appear under storage-controller categories. A yellow warning symbol or an Unknown device narrows the search, but the motherboard support page remains the authority for the matching package.
Method 3: Download from the motherboard manufacturer
Find the correct support page
- Open the manufacturer’s official support site, search the exact motherboard model, and select the support or downloads page for that model.
- Choose the board revision when the site offers a revision selector.
- Select the installed Windows version and architecture.
- Read the description, release date, package version and any notes before downloading.
- Install only the packages for hardware that is present on your system.
MSI documents three possible installation routes in its November 20, 2024 guide: MSI Driver Utility Installer, a package downloaded from the MSI website, and MSI Center Live Update. Availability and names can differ by model, so use the route shown for your board.
Gigabyte’s support listings illustrate why revision matching matters: the same board family can show revision-specific AMD chipset packages with separate Windows 10/11 compatibility labels, versions, file sizes and dates. Select the entry that matches both your printed revision and your Windows installation.
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There is no universal order for every board, but the categories commonly encountered are:
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- Chipset: platform drivers that identify and configure motherboard controllers.
- LAN or Wi-Fi: the wired or wireless network controller.
- Bluetooth: the Bluetooth radio, which may be separate from Wi-Fi even when both are built into one module.
- Audio: the motherboard’s onboard sound device and its codec support.
- Storage or RAID: controller drivers needed by certain SATA, NVMe or RAID configurations.
- Management-engine components: present on some platforms and listed separately by the manufacturer.
Start with the vendor’s stated order, often chipset before the other platform devices, and restart whenever the installer requires it. Do not treat utilities, lighting software, overclocking tools or monitoring applications as drivers simply because they appear in the same download list.
Installer versus folder package
An executable installer may detect several related components and place them correctly. A ZIP archive may contain only the driver files, in which case Device Manager’s Browse my computer for drivers path is appropriate. Do not rename files, remove subfolders or select a BIOS file from the same download page. If the installer says the hardware is not present, cancel it and verify the model, revision and device rather than forcing installation.
Install a network driver without Internet access
A fresh Windows installation can lack native support for the motherboard’s network chipset. MSI warns that some newer network chipsets are not natively supported by Windows 10 or Windows 11, so the new installation may have no Internet connection.
- On another computer or a phone-connected computer, open the motherboard maker’s official support page.
- Locate the exact board model and revision, select the Windows edition and architecture, and download the LAN or Wi-Fi driver. Download Bluetooth too if it is needed for your connection method.
- Copy the downloaded installer or compressed archive to a USB flash drive.
- Connect the USB drive to the fresh Windows installation and copy the files to the local drive.
- Extract the archive if necessary, run the vendor installer, or use Device Manager’s Browse my computer for drivers option to select the extracted folder.
- Restart, connect to the network, and then run Windows Update to obtain the remaining recommended and optional drivers.
Keep the USB drive available until the network connection is confirmed. If the installer reports that the package does not match the device, recheck the board model, revision and Windows architecture rather than forcing it.
Motherboard drivers are not BIOS or UEFI updates
BIOS/UEFI is pre-boot firmware. It can add processor or platform support and alter firmware behavior, but it is a separate procedure with board-specific files and recovery risks. Microsoft directs users to the PC or motherboard manufacturer for firmware-setting instructions.
Do not open a BIOS image with a Windows driver installer or copy a BIOS file into a driver folder. If you decide a firmware update is needed, read the exact board manual, use the named firmware file and update method for that model and revision, and follow every power and recovery requirement. A driver update can be completed from Windows; a BIOS update may require entering the firmware utility and has different failure consequences.
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Diagnose a failed or incomplete update
Use Device Manager indicators
In Device Manager, a yellow warning icon identifies a device that needs attention. Open the device’s Properties to read its status and error code. Microsoft’s Code 10 guidance means that “This device cannot start”; updating the driver is the recommended first action. An Unknown device usually requires identifying its hardware and installing the matching package from the board maker.
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- Open Device Manager and right-click the affected device.
- Select Uninstall device and confirm the removal. Do not select an option to delete a driver package unless you have a replacement ready and understand that it may remove the only local copy.
- Restart Windows. Microsoft documents that Windows can reinstall the device during startup.
- If Windows does not reinstall it, use Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers and select the correct downloaded folder.
Roll back after a regression
If the device worked before an update and fails afterward, open the device’s Properties > Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver when that control is available. The button can be unavailable when Windows has no previous package to restore. In that case, uninstall the device, restart, and install the earlier package retained from the manufacturer.
Interpret dates and versions carefully
Microsoft explains that driver dates displayed in Windows are provider-supplied metadata. An older-looking date does not by itself show that Windows selected the wrong driver. Compare the package version, supported operating system, hardware ID and the manufacturer’s release notes instead of choosing a file solely because its date appears newer.
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- Download drivers from Windows Update or the device and motherboard manufacturer’s official site. Microsoft advises against third-party driver-download sites.
- Match the exact model, board revision, Windows edition and architecture before installing.
- Install only packages for hardware actually present; more drivers are not automatically better.
- Keep the downloaded package so you can reinstall or roll back if a new version causes a regression.
- Do not interrupt a firmware update, and never substitute a BIOS/UEFI image for a Windows driver.
- Restart after installation when prompted; some controller changes do not become active until startup.
Final verification checklist
- Windows Update shows no pending driver restart.
- Device Manager has no yellow warning icons under the relevant categories.
- Ethernet or Wi-Fi connects, Bluetooth discovers a test device, audio output works, and storage volumes appear as expected.
- The device’s Properties page shows the intended provider and package version.
- You have recorded the board model, revision and the driver packages that were installed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which motherboard drivers should I install after Windows?
Install packages for hardware actually present: usually chipset, LAN or Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, storage or RAID, and any management-engine component listed for the board. Utilities, lighting controls and monitoring tools are separate applications, not required drivers.
Should I use Windows Update or the motherboard manufacturer’s site?
Use Windows Update first, including Optional updates. Use the official motherboard support page when a device is missing, unidentified, malfunctioning, absent from Windows Update, or when you need a revision-specific package for a clean installation.
Do optional driver updates install automatically?
No. In Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates, select the driver entries that match your hardware, choose Download and install, and restart when prompted.
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How do I install a network driver when a new Windows installation has no Internet?
On another computer, download the exact LAN or Wi-Fi package from the board maker, copy it to a USB flash drive, transfer it to the new installation, then run the installer or point Device Manager to the extracted folder. Restart and run Windows Update after networking works.
Do motherboard drivers include BIOS updates?
No. Drivers run after Windows starts; BIOS/UEFI is pre-boot firmware. A firmware update uses a separate, model- and revision-specific file and procedure, so follow the motherboard manual rather than treating a BIOS image as a driver.
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Use Device Manager’s Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver when available. Otherwise uninstall the affected device, restart so Windows can reinstall it, or install the earlier package you retained from the manufacturer.
Why does the driver date look older than the one I expected?
Windows displays provider-supplied date metadata. Date alone does not prove that the wrong package was selected; compare the package version, supported Windows release, hardware ID and the manufacturer’s notes.
Can I install every download listed for my motherboard?
No. Select only packages for hardware in your system and follow the vendor’s readme or required order. Installing unrelated drivers or utilities adds complexity and does not improve a device that is not present.
The Bottom Line
Run Windows Update first, then use Device Manager or the exact motherboard support page for any missing controller. Match the board revision and Windows architecture, keep a USB copy of network drivers for offline installs, and handle BIOS/UEFI updates as a separate firmware task.
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