For most Windows PCs, start with Windows Update. If it does not offer a driver you need to fix a specific device problem, download the driver from the official support site for your computer or the device maker. A scanner’s “outdated” warning—and Device Manager’s “working properly” status—does not by itself tell you whether you should update.
Do you need to update a driver?
Usually, not just because a program says a newer version exists. A driver is software that helps Windows communicate with particular hardware. An update can fix a bug or address a security issue, but installing a newer version without a reason can also introduce problems. If a device works and you are not troubleshooting an issue you suspect is driver-related, Ask Leo author Leo A. Notenboom recommends leaving its driver alone.
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Device Manager is useful for checking whether Windows detects a device and for troubleshooting, but its “working properly” status is not a statement that the installed driver is the newest available. Conversely, a third-party scanner calling a driver “outdated” does not prove that installing another version will solve anything.
Where to get a driver, in order
- Check Windows Update. Microsoft says Windows 11 installs recommended drivers through Windows Update and may offer optional driver updates. In Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and look for driver updates. Labels and paths can vary by Windows version. Microsoft’s guidance is at Automatically get recommended and updated hardware drivers.
- Check the computer maker’s official support site. For a laptop or branded desktop, search by the exact model or service identifier, then choose a driver listed for your Windows version. The computer maker is often the best starting point for integrated hardware and model-specific packages.
- Check the device maker’s official support site. If the problem concerns a separate peripheral or component and the PC maker does not supply its driver, look up the exact device model on its manufacturer’s support site. Confirm the driver is compatible with your Windows version before downloading it.
Microsoft advises checking the hardware manufacturer’s website if Windows Update cannot find a driver or updated driver for a device. That does not mean Windows Update contains every driver or always has the newest vendor release.
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Why Device Manager and driver scanners can disagree
They answer different questions. Device Manager can show whether a device is installed and report a basic status; that status does not certify that the driver is current. In Windows 10 version 2004 and later, Microsoft documents that Device Manager’s Update driver action searches the local computer. Windows Update’s optional driver updates are a separate route. See Microsoft Learn’s Understanding Windows Update rules for driver distribution.
A third-party scanner may compare installed driver versions against its own catalog, but a version difference alone does not establish that an update is necessary, compatible, or preferable to the version supplied for your PC. Notenboom cautions that a scanner’s source and the currency of its driver listings can be unclear, and recommends avoiding driver-updater utilities. That is a reason to be cautious about the category, not proof that every such utility is fraudulent. You do not need to buy one simply because it reports old drivers.
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Use Device Manager for troubleshooting, not as a freshness verdict
When a particular device is malfunctioning, Device Manager can help identify it and investigate its status. Microsoft’s instructions cover updating through Device Manager, Windows Update, or the manufacturer; the available options depend on the Windows version and driver. See Update drivers through Device Manager in Windows. If you are on Windows 10 version 2004 or later, do not assume that selecting Update driver there checks the latest online vendor release; use Windows Update’s driver options or the manufacturer’s support page as appropriate.
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