What is the best way to install laptop drivers after clean windows installation?

Why does everyone want to do this the hard way :)?

Use a SINGLE command to backup ALL drivers from your system.

After reinstalling Windows, use a SINGLE command to restore all drivers in one shot.

Here is how:

While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command:

pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers

Make sure to put these drivers in a location you can access after reinstalling Windows such as a secondary HDD or a thumb drive.

After you reinstall Windows, run this command:

pnputil /add-driver D:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install

NOTE: Both backing up and installing the drivers may take a few minutes. When installing the drivers, the screen may go blank for a little while at the point where the display driver is being installed.

NOTE: Personally, I like to have a set of current drivers that I have downloaded from the laptop maker or from the company making the device in question (Intel, Realtek, etc.) just in case, but when I reinstall I ALWAYS use the above method and it works for me every single time.

CornishRattler said:

I let Windows install the drivers on a clean install as I know it'll load the basic to get the system up and running, I then disable driver updates in GPedit and then go to either manufacturer and get their drivers, but for graphics and network I go to (in my case) Nvidia, AMD and Intel

Click to expand...

Do you have a tutorial on GPedit?

As for me, I tried many different approaches. What works (best) but it's not fool-proof is before installing Windows, download all of your laptop drivers from the manufacturer's website. Save the apps on a USB or another drive. Unfortunately, not all drivers are available for download. Take for example Lenovo laptops. Lenovo Vantage isn't available from Lenovo's website. It comes preinstalled via factory image. To use it, you must go the Microsoft Store and download it from there.

The other option is to install the factory image and go from there, assuming if that's an option. In general, though, a clean installation on a laptop is more problems than it's worth. As such, whenever I get a new laptop, the first thing I do is make a back-up image of the drive with Acronis before I do anything else.

hsehestedt said:

Why does everyone want to do this the hard way :)?

Use a SINGLE command to backup ALL drivers from your system.

After reinstalling Windows, use a SINGLE command to restore all drivers in one shot.

Here is how:

While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command:

pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers

Make sure to put these drivers in a location you can access after reinstalling Windows such as a secondary HDD or a thumb drive.

After you reinstall Windows, run this command:

pnputil /add-driver D:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install

NOTE: Both backing up and installing the drivers may take a few minutes. When installing the drivers, the screen may go blank for a little while at the point where the display driver is being installed.

NOTE: Personally, I like to have a set of current drivers that I have downloaded from the laptop maker or from the company making the device in question (Intel, Realtek, etc.) just in case, but when I reinstall I ALWAYS use the above method and it works for me every single time.

Click to expand...

"While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command: pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers"

Why would we need to install the drivers if they're already properly installed?

Sammy888 said:

"While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command: pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers"

Why would we need to install the drivers if they're already properly installed?

Click to expand...

Please read more carefully . The text of my post very clearly defines this.

Windows needs to be running with drivers installed so that you can make a backup copy of the drivers. The first command backs up all drivers from the currently running copy of Windows (as I clearly noted).

The second command is run AFTER reinstalling Windows to install the backed up drivers (again, this was clearly noted).

So, let's summarize:

1) Run the first command from a working copy of Windows to backup the existing drivers. Obviously, the drivers would need to be already installed, otherwise how could you make a backup copy?

2) Run the second command after reinstalling Windows to restore all drivers to this new installation.

Hope that clarifies the issue for you.

This is a tutorial on backing up and restoring device drivers:

hsehestedt said:

Why does everyone want to do this the hard way :)?

Use a SINGLE command to backup ALL drivers from your system.

After reinstalling Windows, use a SINGLE command to restore all drivers in one shot.

Here is how:

While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command:

pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers

Make sure to put these drivers in a location you can access after reinstalling Windows such as a secondary HDD or a thumb drive.

After you reinstall Windows, run this command:

pnputil /add-driver D:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install

NOTE: Both backing up and installing the drivers may take a few minutes. When installing the drivers, the screen may go blank for a little while at the point where the display driver is being installed.

NOTE: Personally, I like to have a set of current drivers that I have downloaded from the laptop maker or from the company making the device in question (Intel, Realtek, etc.) just in case, but when I reinstall I ALWAYS use the above method and it works for me every single time.

Click to expand...

Because not every laptop comes with pre-installed windows.

zbook said:

Years ago I was working with Microsoft engineers in India on a problem with Windows.
They asked me to perform the testing.
A clean install was performed without internet access.
Windows driver verifier was then turned on and there was an immediate BSOD.
In the process I learned that during a clean install a Windows 10 iso may have third party drivers
In this case it had the Nvidia GPU drivers.
So when a clean install is performed it may have default GPU or other drivers that are not default Windows drivers.

After a clean install you can install any driver.
Some of the newest drivers may cause problems.
The best tested drivers are always displayed on the computer or motherboard manufacturer websites.

Windows updates of non-Microsoft drivers can be turned on or off.

Each end user must decide whether they want the best tested or newest or older drivers.

In most cases the Microsoft catalog drivers are the most up to date drivers.
This is simply by volume.
The most up to date drivers after typically displayed on the AMD, Nvidia, and Intel websites.
The software tools on the respective websites can be used as needed.

Click to expand...

I will try the "without internet access" method and I will let you know if there are any oem drivers.

Typically, with any install, I do the following:

Install Windows
Install chipset drivers from mfg
Run Windows update until it's done.
If I see anything broken in device mgr find driver from mfg for that.
Always install Nvidia or Radeon driver from mfg.

Usually works good for me.

hsehestedt said:

Please read more carefully :). The text of my post very clearly defines this.

So, let's summarize:

1) Run the first command from a working copy of Windows to backup the existing drivers. Obviously, the drivers would need to be already installed, otherwise how could you make a backup copy?

Hope that clarifies the issue for you.

Click to expand...

I read it several times. Let's not gaslight when your post wasn't clear. And how does one make a backup copy of drivers (not already installed)? By having the drivers already downloaded via another device, saved on another partition (from the manufacturer's website) or from an external drive or source.

JackThompsonUSA said:

In the past, I often updated the drivers in Device Manager on Windows. But now I prefer to update drivers with a professional software, like Driver Talent, which helps me save more time and make sure the compatibility of the driver and my device.

Click to expand...

That application is dangerous in my experience. It often wants to install incorrect drivers.

hsehestedt said:

Why does everyone want to do this the hard way :)?

Use a SINGLE command to backup ALL drivers from your system.

After reinstalling Windows, use a SINGLE command to restore all drivers in one shot.

Here is how:

While Windows is running with all drivers properly installed, open an elevated command prompt and run this command:

pnputil /export-driver * D:\Drivers

Make sure to put these drivers in a location you can access after reinstalling Windows such as a secondary HDD or a thumb drive.

After you reinstall Windows, run this command:

pnputil /add-driver D:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install

NOTE: Both backing up and installing the drivers may take a few minutes. When installing the drivers, the screen may go blank for a little while at the point where the display driver is being installed.

NOTE: Personally, I like to have a set of current drivers that I have downloaded from the laptop maker or from the company making the device in question (Intel, Realtek, etc.) just in case, but when I reinstall I ALWAYS use the above method and it works for me every single time.

Click to expand...

This pre-supposes the pc will boot ok from standard iso.

Unfortunately with advent of optane/nvme storage devices, this is not always the case. My laptop will not boot from standard iso

In those cases, I have a batch file that injects storage drivers into boot.wim , and injects all the other drivers into install.wim.

Then when you install it, it goes through adding devices step and normally picks up most of the the correct drivers.

Of course, you could just have the storage driver available on a usb during installation to get past initial issue, then use your method.

Either way, you still have to check all key devices have the correct drivers, afterwards using disk management to be certain.

cereberus, you are 100% correct. I kind of struggle with what method to use. Here's what I typically end up doing:

1) Every patch Tuesday (hey, that's today!), I inject all the latest Windows updates into ALL Windows editions (Pro, Home, Education, etc.). I do it the right way by updating the boot.wim, winre.wim, install.wim, and the ISO base image to make sure EVERYTHING is correctly update per Microsoft guidance..

2) I inject any boot critical devices (drivers needed to install Windows that are not already included in the ISO).

This is where I flip-flop. I do one of these:

3a) Inject all the drivers for all of my systems into each Windows edition.
or
3b) Don't inject all the drivers, but put them in a separate iSO image where I can simply install them all with a single command after a clean install.

Like I said, I kind of flip-flop between doing 3a or 3b. They are both just as simple to do, but 3a ends up creating really large ISO files.

I have Asus TUF A15 and when I leave all the drivers to Windows, especially after the clean Windows installation there are some problems. For example Realtek audio driver - Windows automatically downloaded the same version as the one on Asus website but the drivers isn't the same. Microphone volume is too low I barely hear something even if volume is maxed out. When I installed the same version of Asus driver everything was fine.
Another problem - AMD driver. Nowadays control panels for graphic drivers come from MS Store. AMD driver from Windows comes with old "AMD Radeon™ Settings Lite". When I download the same driver from Asus it comes with new version called "AMD Radeon Software". Why is there two different versions of one application in MS Store? I don't know. It's a mess.

This is why I would like to know what is the best way to install laptop manufacturer drivers.
The "offline Windows installation method" with manufacturer drivers prepared on USB seem to be the most logical way to install these drivers because in this case I don't need to uninstall the old applications that windows installed (in case of the AMD control panel issue) and I don't need to install these drivers on top of OEM drivers from Windows.

@MartinX2,

Personally, I'm a fan of the procedure I outlined in post #21 of this very thread. Try it. It's extremely simple and works great.

hsehestedt said:

@MartinX2,

Personally, I'm a fan of the procedure I outlined in post #21 of this very thread. Try it. It's extremely simple and works great.

Click to expand...

Thanks but this procedure will not work if I want to install Windows on a laptop that was wiped out or laptop that comes without pre-installed Windows.