How to Download Drivers

How to Download Device Drivers Manually to Your PC Laptop

When setting up a computer from scratch or troubleshooting performance or a Device Driver issue, manually downloading individual device drivers offers unmatched control and customization. There are automated driver download and update software like GetMyDrivers. But still, manually downloading drivers ensure that each component runs on the most compatible and up-to-date driver, straight from the source. Here’s a step-by-step guide to manually downloading device drivers for your system, component by component.

🖥️ Step 1: Identify Your PC Hardware Components

Before downloading drivers, you need a full inventory of your system's hardware. To do this:

• Open Device Manager (Press "Windows" + "X" > choose Device Manager)

• Expand each category (like Display adapters, Network adapters, Sound, video and game controllers, etc.)

• Note down exact device names, for example, Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620, Realtek High Definition Audio, or Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter

This list is your blueprint for manually download drivers individually from each manufacturer website for the correct model number.

🌐 Step 2: Visit the Official Manufacturer Websites

Drivers should always be sourced from official manufacturer websites to ensure authenticity and compatibility.

• Motherboard Driver: Visit the motherboard manufacturer's support page (e.g., ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI).

• Graphics card Driver: Go to NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel’s official driver portals.

• Audio Drivers and Network Drivers: Realtek, Intel, Killer Networking, Broadcom, etc.

• Laptop Drivers: Your safest place to download driver is often the laptop's brand support site (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo), which packages drivers specifically for your laptop model.

🔍 Step 3: Match the Right Version

Once on the site:

• Search for the correct driver using your device model number or service tag (for laptops)

• Select your Operating System Version (e.g., Windows 11 64-bit)

• Download the latest stable driver version for each component. Avoid beta releases unless you're testing.

Double-check hardware compatibility in the driver's release notes.

💾 Step 4: Download and Store the Drivers

Save each downloaded .exe or .inf file in a clearly labeled folder structure like:

Drivers/
├── Audio/
├── Bluetooth/
├── Chipset/
├── Display/
├── LAN/
├── Touchpad/
├── USB/

This organization makes driver reinstallation or driver backup much easier.

⚙️ Step 5: Install Each Driver Individually

To install drivers:

• For .exe files, just double-click and follow the installer prompts

• For .inf files, right-click > Install

• Alternatively, in Device Manager: Right-Click a device > Update Driver > Browse my computer > point to your driver folder and Reboot the system after major installs like chipset or graphics drivers.

🔁 Step 6: Repeat and Verify

Manually check for missing drivers:

• In Device Manager, any item with a yellow warning symbol needs attention

• Use Hardware IDs (right-click > Properties > Details tab > Hardware Ids) to search online if you’re unsure about unknown devices

🧠 Pro Tips for a Smooth Manual Driver Install

• Create a Restore Point before beginning installing any driver files.

• Avoid Third-Party Driver Websites because they often host outdated driver files and sometimes Malware infected driver files which can cause harm to your PC Laptop hardware and financial losses.

• Keep a USB Ethernet or Wi-Fi Adapter handy in case network drivers are missing during OS installation.

• Always prefer WHQL-Certified drivers for best stability.

Manually downloading each driver may seem tedious at first, but it gives you full confidence and control over your system’s hardware-software harmony. Especially for professionals managing multiple machines or power users like you, it’s a rewarding way to ensure everything runs exactly as intended.

If Device Driver Fails to Install

If a driver fails to install, don’t worry—there’s usually a fix! Here’s a breakdown of smart steps to troubleshoot and get drivers working again:

🛠️ 1. Run the Driver Installer as Administrator

Right-click the driver file and choose "Run as administrator." Some drivers need elevated permissions to install properly.

🔁 2. Uninstall Previous or Conflicting Drivers

• Open Device Manager

• Right-click the device > Uninstall device (Check “Delete the driver software for this device” if prompted)

• Reboot your PC

• Try reinstalling the new driver

⚙️ 3. Use Driver in Compatibility Mode

If the driver is old or designed for a different version of Windows:

• Right-click the installer > Properties

• Go to the Compatibility tab

• Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select an earlier version (like Windows 10 or 8)

🌐 4. Check for Windows Updates

Sometimes installing Windows updates resolves hardware compatibility or installs needed components:

• Go to Settings > Windows Update

• Click Check for updates

🧩 5. Install Driver via Device Manager

• Open Device Manager

• Right-click the device > Update driver > Browse my computer...

• Point it to the folder containing the driver files (make sure it includes the .INF file)

🔍 6. Check for Required Dependencies

Some drivers depend on updates like .NET Framework or Visual C++ Redistributables. Install those packages if prompted or look for them in the driver documentation.

🧼 7. Use a Clean Boot

Temporarily disable third-party services that may interfere:

• Press Windows + R > type msconfig

• Go to the Services tab > check Hide all Microsoft services > click Disable all

• Reboot and try installing again

📩 8. Contact Manufacturer Support

If all else fails, go to the manufacturer’s support site. Some offer chat, community forums, or direct help tools that can diagnose driver issues specific to your hardware model.