Manual driver installation in Windows 11 is useful when Windows Update does not provide a required driver and the hardware manufacturer supplies a specific package. Download the driver from the PC or device manufacturer’s official support site before changing anything in Device Manager.
Install a driver package manually
- Confirm the exact computer or hardware model and download the Windows 11 driver from its official support source.
- If the download is an installer such as an EXE or MSI, use the manufacturer’s installer and follow its prompts.
- If the package contains INF driver files instead, extract it to a permanent temporary folder.
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Right-click the relevant device, choose Update driver, and select the option to browse your computer for drivers.
- Point Windows to the extracted driver folder and complete the installation.
Restart if the installer or Windows requests it, then confirm that the device works and that Device Manager no longer shows an error.
Choose the correct driver
Drivers are specific to hardware, operating-system architecture, and sometimes the computer manufacturer’s implementation. A driver for a similarly named device is not necessarily interchangeable.
Avoid generic “driver updater” websites that scan the computer and offer large collections of third-party packages. Windows Update and the hardware manufacturer’s official site are safer sources.
If the new driver causes problems
Open the device’s Properties window in Device Manager and check whether Roll Back Driver is available. You can also uninstall a problematic device driver and reinstall a known-good manufacturer package. For storage, chipset, firmware, or other low-level components, read the vendor’s instructions before forcing a replacement because an incorrect driver can prevent Windows from starting correctly.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.