Windows 11 installs a surprising number of drivers on its own, but not always the right ones for every device. This is a practical order for checking what is missing after a clean install.
Windows includes many inbox drivers and can fetch more through Windows Update, so a fresh install often works for basic display, storage and sometimes network. Basic does not always mean complete: features such as power management, fine-tuned graphics performance or special keys may be missing.
If Wi-Fi or Ethernet does not work, nothing else is easy to fix, so deal with it first. Prepare the network driver on a USB stick before you reinstall if you can: download it from the PC or motherboard maker, or export the one you already use.
Our guide on installing a network driver offline after a Windows reinstall covers the steps.
Chipset and platform drivers help Windows work properly with the motherboard: power management, buses and built-in controllers. They come from the PC or motherboard maker, or from Intel or AMD. Unknown devices in Device Manager often belong here.
Storage controller drivers matter most when Windows cannot see a drive during setup, for example some RAID or NVMe configurations. If setup already finished and you can boot, you usually only need to update them for performance or stability reasons.
Windows can show a picture with a basic driver, but gaming, video acceleration and high-resolution or multi-monitor setups usually need the driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, or the one from the laptop maker. Laptops with two GPUs can need both.
Audio, Bluetooth, webcam, card reader, touchpad and fingerprint reader often work with a generic driver but may miss features. Check each device after the important ones above.
Windows chooses the best matching driver package it can find, which is not always the newest one. Use Windows Update first for the common devices, and use the maker's package when a device is missing, misbehaving or lacks a feature. Do not install every package you can find.
Open Device Manager and look for yellow warning icons and Unknown device entries. Our guide on finding a driver by Hardware ID explains how to identify what an unknown device is before you download anything.
Rain Driver (public beta, Windows 7 to 11) can record the drivers that already work on your PC in a Driver Passport so that you have a restore path next time. The current builds are not code-signed yet; hashes and scan results are on our Trust page. Windows and the maker's pages are enough on their own.
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Often not many, but check Device Manager and test network, graphics, audio and any special hardware. Missing features are usually drivers.
The network driver, so that the rest can be downloaded.
No. Windows picks the best matching package, which is not always the newest. Install what you need.
Built-in tools first, and what to check before you delete.
A practical order to check before you change anything.
A short, ordered checklist before you change anything.
Read the ID, understand it and search the maker's official page.
What each cleaner is built for, and who it fits.
What is safe to remove, and what needs a second look.
What it removes, what you lose, and when to use it.
Why it looks so big, and the safe ways to shrink it.
What it holds, what you lose, and the supported way to remove it.
What the cache is and how to clear it with Windows tools.
Add one driver or a whole folder from the command line.
Look first, back up, then remove - with Android's own tools.
Why they appear and how to remove them without losing a good shot.
Rain Cleaner: review before cleanup, free version, 14-day Pro trial.
Hash check, Defender scan and the SmartScreen steps.
How to report a security issue privately.
What we are working on now, next and later.
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