Install & Update Drivers Safely ⚡ Windows Update, Device Manager & Tools

Create a Restore Point First

Safety comes before any driver change. Click Start, type Create a restore point and open it — System Properties opens on the System Protection tab. Select your system drive (usually C:), click Create, give the restore point a name like "Before driver update" and click Create again. If the Create button is greyed out, click Configure first and turn on system protection for the drive.

With a restore point in place, even a driver update that breaks something can be undone — that safety net is what makes the rest of this guide low-risk.

Method 1 — Update Drivers Through Windows Update

The safest everyday route: open Settings → Windows Update and click Check for updates. Windows downloads and installs the updates it has verified for your hardware, including driver updates that Microsoft delivers through Windows Update. Install what is offered and restart the PC if Windows asks for it.

This is the method to try first for most devices — the drivers here are tested and signed for your exact system.

Method 2 — Pick Optional Driver Updates

Some driver updates sit in an optional area and are never installed automatically. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates and expand the Driver updates section. Each entry names a device and its manufacturer — tick only the ones that match hardware you actually have, then click Download & install.

Method 3 — Update a Driver in Device Manager

For one specific device, use Device Manager: press Win + X and choose Device Manager. Expand the category for your device (for example Display adapters or Network adapters), right-click the device and choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers. Windows checks Windows Update and the driver store on the PC and installs a newer driver if it finds one; if it says the best driver is already installed, the device is up to date through this route.

Method 4 — Install a Downloaded Driver Manually

When you have downloaded a driver package yourself (see the next method for where to get it), extract it to a folder first. In Device Manager, right-click the device → Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers → Browse to that folder → Next. Windows picks the matching driver file from the folder and installs it.

The video also shows reaching Device Manager through System Properties: press Win + R, type this Run command and press Enter:

sysdm.cpl

System Properties opens — go to the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. (The same tab also holds Device Installation Settings, which controls whether Windows downloads driver software automatically.)

Method 5 — Use the Manufacturer's Official Tools & Support Site

For the newest or most complete drivers, go straight to the source: the support page of your laptop or motherboard maker (Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS and so on), find your exact model, and download the drivers listed for your version of Windows. Graphics drivers come from the GPU maker's own site or tool — NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. The manufacturer's own update utility, if your PC has one, can check and install these for you.

If an Update Goes Wrong — Roll Back the Driver

A new driver causing flickering, no sound or a device that stopped working can usually be reversed in minutes. Open Device Manager, right-click the device → Properties → Driver tab → Roll Back Driver, pick a reason and confirm. Windows restores the previous driver; restart the PC and test the device again.

If Roll Back is greyed out, no earlier driver is stored — then use the restore point from Step 1: search Recovery in Start, open System Restore, and return the PC to the point you created before updating.