How to identify missing your drivers with Windows Device Manager on Windows 11/10
![](/images/site-logo.png)
How to identify missing or malfunctioning drivers with Windows Device Manager
To see which of your devices have a missing or malfunctioning driver:
- Step1: On your keyboard, press the
Windows logo key
andR
at the same time to invoke the Run box. - Step2: Type
devmgmt.msc
and clickOK
.
(There are other ways to open Device Manager; it changes depending on your version of Windows. But the above method works for all versions of Windows, including Windows 11, 10 and 7.)
- Step3: Expand a category (e.g. Display Adapters) to see the devices in that category. If you see a yellow triangle or question mark next to a device, Windows has detected that it has a missing or malfunctioning driver.
- Step4: If you see this yellow mark, you can try to
update
orreinstall
the driver.
What are drivers?
Drivers are like interpreters between Windows and your devices. For example, when Windows needs to display something on your monitor, it sends a command to your graphics card, and your graphics card then displays what Windows wants on your monitor.
But Windows and your graphics card don’t actually speak the same language. To understand each other, they need a translator. That translator is called a driver. It takes the Windows command and translates it into something your graphics card can understand. Your graphics card can then do as it’s told, and display the right thing on your monitor.
Similarly, if your graphics card needs to send some sort of response back to Windows, the driver translates the response into something Windows can understand.
In this example, what we’re talking about is a video driver, but your computer has many other drivers on it too – one for each device. Your speakers, your printer, your mouse, your USB hard drives, your network card, your keyboard and so on – they each have an associated driver.
And without all these drivers, none of your devices will work.
What happens if a driver is missing or outdated?
Every now and then, Microsoft will change the commands Windows sends to one of your devices (e.g. your network card). When this happens, the manufacturer of that device need to change the device driver too. They need to teach it the new Windows commands. Otherwise the drivers won’t be able to translate those commands for your devices, and your devices won’t work properly.
The same thing needs to happen when your device manufacturer changes the way your device talks, or the things it can do. They need to change the driver too. Otherwise Windows won’t be able to talk to the device, or take advantage of its new functionality, and your device won’t work properly.
Now when we say “your device won’t work properly”, sometimes this means simply that you miss out on new functionality or minor bug fixes. But it’s often a lot more serious than that. Your computer may even hang, crash or stop working completely. Remember, there’s a driver that controls your hard drive, for instance. If Windows can’t talk to your hard drive, it can’t access any of the data on your drive. Similarly, if Windows can’t talk to your network card, you won’t be able to access the internet, and if it can’t talk to your graphics card, you won’t be able to see anything on your monitor. These are just a few of the more serious issues outdated drivers can cause.
Try Driver Easy for free
If you want the certainty of knowing your device drivers are always up to date (and not just sometimes up to date, which is all you get from Windows Device Manager), and you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to continually update them manually, give the free version of Driver Easy a try.
The free version will identify all your outdated drivers, and allow you to download them all. But only one at a time and, once they’re downloaded, you have to manually install them using the standard Windows process. (To automatically update all your drivers with 1 click, you’ll need the Pro version of Driver Easy . Don’t worry, it comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money back satisfaction guarantee.)
How to update all your drivers with just 1 click
The easiest way to automatically update your drivers is with our tool, Driver Easy Pro.
With Driver Easy Pro :
- You can update all your drivers with just one click.
- You don’t have to know anything about computers. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and all your devices, and install the latest correct drivers for you – direct from the manufacturer. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong drivers, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
- You get the latest version of every driver, direct from the manufacturer, certified safe and stable.
- You get all driver updates, even the ones Microsoft considers ‘optional’ and wouldn’t provide.
- You’re not relying on the device manufacturers getting their updated drivers into Windows Update on time (because we proactively source the latest drivers from them).
Here’s how Driver Easy works:
Step-by-step instructions
To automatically update to the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system:
(To automatically update all your drivers with 1 click, you’ll need the Pro version of Driver Easy. Don’t worry, it comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money back satisfaction guarantee.)
- $29.95- Single Computer License / 1 Year
- $29.95 - 3 Computers License / 1 Year
- $59.95 - 5 Computers License / 1 Year
- $99.95 - 10 Computers License / 1 Year
- $269.95 - 30 Computers License / 1 Year
- $399.95 - 50 Computers License / 1 Year
- $795 - 100 Computers License / 1 Year
- Run the downloaded executable file and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Run Driver Easy and click
UPGRADE
.
- Paste or type the software key you were emailed when you bought Driver Easy.
- Click
Scan Now
. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any devices with missing or outdated drivers.
- Click
Update All
to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. - That’s it. You can go grab a coffee, while Driver Easy does all the work for you!
Download Driver Easy FREE
If you’re having computer issues, the first thing you should do is see if it has outdated drivers. If it does, updating them will very often fix things.
And for this, our tool, Driver Easy FREE, is the ideal solution.
Driver Easy FREE is a driver update tool used by more than 3 million customers around the world. It will automatically identify and download all the drivers you need, so all you have to do is install them.
In other words, it eliminates the need to find and download your drivers the difficult way (via the manufacturer’s website).
You don’t need to know what system your computer is running, you don’t need to scour the web for the right driver download, and you don’t need to risk downloading the wrong driver. Driver Easy does it all for you, automatically. No computer knowledge needed, and it’s completely free.
This page describes how to do this.
The free version will identify all your outdated drivers, and allow you to download them all. But only one at a time and, once they’re downloaded, you have to manually install them using the standard Windows process. (To automatically update all your drivers with 1 click, you’ll need the Pro version of Driver Easy . Don’t worry, it comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money back satisfaction guarantee.)
Also read:
- How to Rescue Lost Music from Realme C33 2023
- How to recover deleted photos from 11X 5G.
- How to Repair corrupt MP4 and AVI files of OnePlus Nord 3 5G with Video Repair Utility on Mac?
- How To Transfer Data From iPhone 12 Pro To Other iPhone 15 devices? | Dr.fone
- How to sign a .xltx file document online
- How to sign Word 2010 free
- How to fix runtime error 424 object required error in Excel 2013
- How to sign a .xlsm file document online
- How to Hot 40 Pro Get Deleted Pictures Back with Ease and Safety?
- How to get back lost photos from X50 GT.
- How to recover deleted photos from Android Gallery without backup on ZTE Blade A73 5G
- How to Reset iPhone XS Max to Factory Settings? | Dr.fone
- How to recover deleted photos from Android Gallery after format on Vivo Y27 4G
- How to Retrieve deleted photos on Itel P55T
- 2 Ways to Transfer Text Messages from Honor X50i+ to iPhone 15/14/13/12/11/X/8/ | Dr.fone
- How To Recover Lost Data of iPhone 14 Pro Max? | Dr.fone
- How to Recover Files after iPhone 15 Pro Factory Reset? | Stellar
- 4 Ways to Transfer Music from Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G to iPhone | Dr.fone
- How to Remove MDM from iPhone X without a computer?
- How to Repair corrupt MP4 and MOV files of Nubia Red Magic 8S Pro+ using Video Repair Utility on Mac?
- How to get back lost photos from OnePlus Nord N30 5G.
- How To Restore Missing Messages Files from Galaxy A54 5G
- 5 Easy Ways to Copy Contacts from Lava Blaze 2 5G to iPhone 14 and 15 | Dr.fone
- How to restore wiped music on V Purse
- How To Restore Missing Contacts Files from Oppo Find N3 Flip.
- How To Restore Missing Pictures Files from Vivo Y100i.
- How to Rescue Lost Contacts from 13T?
- How to Repair Corrupt Excel 2010 Files
- How To Recover Whatsapp Chat History From iPhone 11 Pro | Stellar
- How To Restore Missing Messages Files from Infinix Note 30 5G
- How To Restore Missing Photos Files from Poco F5 Pro 5G.
- 3 Things You Must Know about Fake Snapchat Location On Honor Magic5 Ultimate | Dr.fone
- Updated In 2024, Convert MP4 to 60 FPS GIF A Step-by-Step Guide
- 7 Fixes for Unfortunately, Phone Has Stopped on Google Pixel 8 | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Everything You Need to Know about Lock Screen Settings on your Xiaomi
- In 2024, Vivo Y77t ADB Format Tool for PC vs. Other Unlocking Tools Which One is the Best?
- In 2024, What is the best Pokemon for pokemon pvp ranking On Honor Play 8T? | Dr.fone
- Ultimate Guide to Catch the Regional-Located Pokemon For Poco M6 Pro 4G | Dr.fone
- 3 Ways to Erase iPhone 14 When Its Locked Within Seconds | Dr.fone
- How to Check Distance and Radius on Google Maps For your Realme 12 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How To Activate and Use Life360 Ghost Mode On Vivo V27e | Dr.fone
- Best Pokemons for PVP Matches in Pokemon Go For Vivo Y200 | Dr.fone
- Can I use iTools gpx file to catch the rare Pokemon On Motorola G24 Power | Dr.fone
- Can Life360 Track Or See Text Messages? What Can You Do with Life360 On Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G? | Dr.fone
- How to Unlock the Lock Screen on my Nokia C12
- 11 Ways to Fix it When My Lava Blaze Pro 5G Wont Charge | Dr.fone
- How to Make the Most of Your Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Lock Screen with Notifications?
- A Working Guide For Pachirisu Pokemon Go Map On Huawei Nova Y71 | Dr.fone
- Working Out All Important Details of Slowing Down Video in After Effects for 2024
- In 2024, Can I use iTools gpx file to catch the rare Pokemon On Honor Magic 5 | Dr.fone
- How to Mirror PC Screen to Realme GT 5 Pro Phones? | Dr.fone
- How to Unlock iPhone 11 Pro Without Passcode? | Dr.fone
- How To Fix Unresponsive Touch Screen on Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G | Dr.fone
- In 2024, What You Want To Know About Two-Factor Authentication for iCloud From your iPhone 14
- Title: How to identify missing your drivers with Windows Device Manager on Windows 11/10
- Author: Nova
- Created at : 2024-05-19 18:32:12
- Updated at : 2024-05-21 02:34:23
- Link: https://blog-min.techidaily.com/how-to-identify-missing-your-drivers-with-windows-device-manager-on-windows-1110-by-drivereasy-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.