This tutorial will show you how to scan for hardware changes in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Sometimes you may need to manually scan the system for any device hardware changes when Windows doesn't automatically recognize a device just connected.
Scanning for hardware changes can cause the Plug and Play manager to detect new devices and to install device drivers without warning.
Scanning for hardware changes can detect some non-Plug and Play devices, particularly those that cannot notify the system when they are installed.
You must be signed in as an administrator to scan for hardware changes.
Contents
- Option One: Scan for Hardware Changes in Device Manager
- Option Two: Scan for Hardware Changes using Command
1 Open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc).
2 Perform one of the following actions: (see screenshots below)
- Click/tap on the Scan for hardware changes button on the toolbar.
- Click/tap on the device name (ex: "BrinkW11") at the top, click/tap on Action on the menu bar, and click/tap on Scan for hardware changes.
PnPUtil Command Syntax - Windows drivers
How to run PnPUtil, including syntax and parameters.
learn.microsoft.com
1 Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.
2 Copy and paste the command below into Windows Terminal (Admin), and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
pnputil /scan-devices3 You can now close Windows Terminal (Admin) if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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