Installing drivers on Windows (11, 10, 8, 7, XP, and Vista)
The Windows versions from Windows XP to Windows 11 come with a built-in standard driver library.
When connecting new devices, Windows usually recognizes them automatically and installs the appropriate drivers by itself.
When can problems occur?
In some cases, Windows may not automatically install the drivers. Possible reasons include:
- There are no standard drivers for the connected device
- The existing Windows driver is incompatible or causes errors
Device Manager
The Windows Device Manager displays all devices for which drivers are missing or faulty.
These are usually marked with a yellow exclamation mark.
Driver installation without Internet
When you buy a new device (e.g., a printer), a CD or DVD with the required drivers is often included.
- Insert the CD/DVD and start the installation
- The installation wizard usually starts automatically
- Then click on “Start Installation” or a similar option
- Alternatively, you can find a file on the CD like Setup.exe that you can run directly
Downloading drivers from the Internet
If no drivers are available, you can download them manually:
- Identify the manufacturer of your hardware (e.g., MSI, AMD, Intel, NVIDIA)
- Open the Device Manager and read the device names of the required drivers
- Download the appropriate drivers directly from the official manufacturer website and install them
You can find the drivers for NVIDIA here